Among the first steps in any concerted program of professional development is outlining achievable development goals, then fleshing out a plan to reach those goals on schedule.
An example: If you’re aiming to step into a leadership role at your accounting firm within five to seven years, you need to understand what’s expected of emerging leaders in accounting. This fact sheet from the International Federation of Accountants provides some detail on those expectations, but do bear in mind that your organization might have specific requirements for leadership-track employees. It’s never a bad idea to speak with your boss or HR contact.
Once you’ve taken those initial steps, start taking concrete steps to advance your development goals. Regardless of niche or specialty, most finance professionals benefit from some or all of these five strategies.
- Take a Continuing Education Class Outside Your Comfort Zone
Resolve to take at least one continuing education class per year that falls outside your professional comfort zone. Perhaps it’ll be a rerun of your sole college ‘C’, or cover a topic that you never had a chance to learn about while in school full-time. Whatever the case, you’ll be a stronger professional for it.
- Attend At Least One Industry Conference Each Year
With so much else going on in your life, your best bet might be to take that course at a local community college. But that shouldn’t stop you from regularly attending banking industry conferences — preferably, at least one per year.
- Go Beyond the Bare Minimum for Continuing Ed
Speaking of continuing ed: Don’t settle for the bare minimum required to maintain your license or certification. Invest in yourself with monthly coursework; pursue online opportunities whenever possible, and take full advantage of any employer reimbursements.
- Be the First to Volunteer for a Challenging Project
In your day-to-day, don’t be shy about volunteering for projects outside your normal purview. Even in hidebound organizations, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to stretch your comfort zone; in faster-growing enterprises, new challenges will be the norm. Being the first to volunteer is sure to get you noticed.
- Go Back to School (Without Putting Your Career on Hold)
No matter how well you to with the responsibilities you’ve been assigned, you may find your upward path stymied by insufficient credentials. Break the logjam by enrolling in a flexible degree, certificate, or license program as your career ambitions dictate; thanks to online coursework and evening classes, getting an MBA or CPA mark no longer means putting your career on hold.
Don’t Let the Industry Pass You By
Hear that? That’s the sound of disruption overtaking the hidebound finance industry.
As a finance professional, you’ve heard it for some time. But it’s growing increasingly difficult to ignore. If you’re serious about maintaining your competitive advantage in this business, you need to take action.
These professional development initiatives won’t by themselves lead you to the top of the heap. To keep your career goals on track, you’ll need to work harder and smarter than most of your peers.
The good news: The disruption wracking the industry will surely weed out those who don’t want it as badly as you.
The bad news: It’s virtually certain that others want it even more badly than you do.
