Training 101

By Maria Krowicki - I have to start right out of the gate and admit......I have never “formally” attended a CPE class. I have listened, ear pressed to the door, trying to make out what the presenter is saying. While I may not have attended anything CPE, I have attended classes for HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute) credits, which are credits for the Human Resources world. Whether it’s CPE, HRCI or any other credits, it is clear that constant training is needed to grow as a professional.

I’d like to look into my crystal ball and “know it all”, but alas I don’t. I have to say my favorite classes are the ones where there is a presenter rather than self-study. I have always felt that class participation and interaction is the best. When you engage in discussions with professionals from various lines of business, you come away with a new perspective. And who knows, maybe that new found perspective can be applied to something you are looking to accomplish, such as reinforce your opinion on a topic or trigger a new marketing opportunity.

As important as obtaining credits are (make certain you keep track so you don’t fall short), there is also another side to training that is important that may be overlooked. In the quest for the technical knowledge and enhancement, we often forget that the soft skills, ie: business grammar, communication, etc, are overlooked. Especially in today’s age of “communication” - TTYL, G2G and LOL to name a very short few - the new professional coming into the workplace could greatly benefit from a soft skill class or two....or three.

Whether it’s training for technical, soft skills or a combination of both, one thing is apparent: Lifelong training is the foundation for long term success!