As the new year starts, it’s natural to feel torn between gratitude and restlessness. December often disrupts routines: fewer meetings, quieter inboxes and a rare chance to take stock and reflect.
But research on adult learning and development suggests that feeling stuck is often a signal of growth. It’s evidence that our internal development has outpaced our external circumstances.
In educational research, this tension is often described as a disorienting dilemma: an experience that unsettles our assumptions and highlights a mismatch between how we see ourselves and the contexts we are in.
While these moments are often uncomfortable, they act as necessary catalysts for meaningful learning and change, motivating people to reassess their goals, values and direction. Seen this way, yearning for new beginnings is a rational response to growth.
Diagnosing the source of restlessness
If you’re ready for change but unsure of where to begin, a useful first step is clarifying what is driving the sense of restlessness. Is it the work itself, the people you work with or the broader organizational culture?
Research shows that people who stay with organizations over the long term often do so because of strong relationships, a good fit with their broader lives and what scholars call “job embeddedness” — the financial, social and psychological benefits of the position that make leaving costly.
Research suggests feelings of stagnation at work may be a normal part of adult learning and career progression. (Getty Images/Unsplash+)
But when the cost of staying is stifling your growth, it’s worth exploring how you might either renegotiate growth where you are or thoughtfully prepare to move on.
Re-evaluating what matters now
Whether you’re considering a shift within your organization or beyond it, taking time to reassess your needs, goals and values is essential. What mattered to you earlier in your career may not matter in the same way now. Income, learning, flexibility, stability and meaning all rise and fall in importance across life stages.
Clarifying your values does not mean choosing one priority forever. It simply provides a clearer map for evaluating opportunities.
Some people prioritize mentorship or employer-supported education. Others need predictable schedules, strong health benefits or flexibility to care for family members.
Understanding what matters most now helps narrow your options and reduces the paralysis that often accompanies big decisions.
Titles can be misleading and often mask the day-to-day reality of the work. Instead, focus on activities. How will you spend most of your time? What skills will you be using day to day?
One useful question is what activities you would gladly do without being paid. These often point to core strengths and motivations worth taking seriously. Organizational psychologists describe this as intrinsic motivation — the internal drive to engage in an activity because it is inherently satisfying.
Whether you’re considering a shift within your organization or beyond it, taking time to reassess your needs, goals and values is essential. (A. C./Unsplash+)
For example, early in my career, I began to notice a pattern in my volunteer work. I was consistently drawn to supporting professionals through moments of career transition, conflict and change. Over time, that realization helped me recognize that mentoring and coaching were activities I already valued enough to do for free.
With that insight, I began targeting roles in my own career that rewarded those same activities, ensuring that my work consistently included elements that felt both meaningful and energizing.
Preparing for the next step
Once priorities and interests are clearer, look closely at the qualifications and experiences the roles you are drawn to actually require and begin developing them intentionally.
This can occur through low-risk avenues, including projects in your current job, entrepreneurial or side work, volunteer roles or targeted learning opportunities.
Consistently taking small, purposeful steps can help you systematically bridge the gap between your current capabilities and the demands of your next chapter. By actively cultivating these skills, you transform a period of restlessness into a constructive phase of professional readiness.
As you consider what comes next, use your network strategically to learn and ask questions. New beginnings unfold through conversations, experiments and choices made over time.
Also pay attention to the beliefs shaping your actions. Assumptions about what you can or cannot do can limit options more than skills ever do. Feeling stuck is an invitation to evolve and may mark the start of an exciting new chapter you can begin writing today.
The PD problem we know too well: A flustered woman bursts into the room, late and disoriented. She’s carrying a shawl and a laptop she doesn’t know how to use. She refers to herself as a literacy expert named Linda, but within minutes she’s asking teachers to “dance for literacy,” assigning “elbow partners,” and insisting the district already has workbooks no one’s ever seen (awalmartparkinglott, 2025). It’s chaotic. It’s exaggerated. And it’s painfully familiar.
This viral satire, originally posted on Instagram and TikTok, resonates with educators not because it’s absurd but because it mirrors the worst of professional development. Many teachers have experienced PD sessions that are disorganized, disconnected from practice, or delivered by outsiders who misunderstand the local context.
The implementation gap
Despite decades of research on what makes professional development effective–including a focus on content, active learning, and sustained support (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Joseph, 2024)–too many sessions remain generic, compliance-driven, or disconnected from day-to-day teaching realities. Instructional coaching is powerful but costly (Kraft et al., 2018), and while collaborative learning communities show promise, they are difficult to maintain over time.
Often, the challenge is not the quality of the ideas but the systems needed to carry them forward. Leaders struggle to design relevant experiences that sustain momentum, and teachers return to classrooms without clear supports for application or follow-through. For all the time and money invested in PD, the implementation gap remains wide.
The AI opportunity
Artificial intelligence is not a replacement for thoughtful design or skilled facilitation, but it can strengthen how we plan, deliver, and sustain professional learning. From customizing agendas and differentiating materials to scaling coaching and mapping long-term growth, AI offers concrete ways to make PD more responsive and effective (Sahota, 2024; Adams & Middleton, 2024; Tan et al., 2025).
The most promising applications do not attempt one-size-fits-all fixes, but instead address persistent challenges piece by piece, enabling educators to lead smarter and more strategically.
Reducing clerical load of PD planning
Before any PD session begins, there is a quiet mountain of invisible work: drafting the description, objectives, and agenda; building slide decks; designing handouts; creating flyers; aligning materials to standards; and managing time, space, and roles. For many school leaders, this clerical load consumes hours, leaving little room for designing rich learning experiences.
AI-powered platforms can generate foundational materials in minutes. A simple prompt can produce a standards-aligned agenda, transform text into a slide deck, or create a branded flyer. Tools like Gamma and Canva streamline visual design, while bots such as the PD Workshop Planner or CK-12’s PD Session Designer tailor agendas to grade levels or instructional goals.
By shifting these repetitive tasks to automation, leaders free more time for content design, strategic alignment, and participant engagement. AI does not just save time–it restores it, enabling leaders to focus on thoughtful, human-centered professional learning.
Scaling coaching and sustained practice
Instructional coaching is impactful but expensive and time-intensive, limiting access for many teachers. Too often, PD is delivered without meaningful follow-up, and sustained impact is rarely evident.
AI can help extend the reach of coaching by aligning supports with district improvement plans, teacher and student data, or staff self-assessments. Subscription-based tools like Edthena’s AI Coach provide asynchronous, video-based feedback, allowing teachers to upload lesson recordings and receive targeted suggestions over time (Edthena, 2025). Project Café (Adams & Middleton, 2024) uses generative AI to analyze classroom videos and offer timely, data-driven feedback on instructional practices.
AI-driven simulations, virtual classrooms, and annotated student work samples (Annenberg Institute, 2024) offer scalable opportunities for teachers to practice classroom management, refine feedback strategies, and calibrate rubrics. Custom AI-powered chatbots can facilitate virtual PLCs, connecting educators to co-plan and share ideas.
A recent study introduced Novobo, an AI “mentee” that teachers train together using gestures and voice; by teaching the AI, teachers externalized and reflected on tacit skills, strengthening peer collaboration (Jiang et al., 2025). These innovations do not replace coaches but ensure continuous growth where traditional systems fall short.
Supporting long-term professional growth
Most professional development is episodic, lacking continuity, and failing to align with teachers’ evolving goals. Sahota (2024) likens AI to a GPS for professional growth, guiding educators to set long-term goals, identify skill gaps, and access learning opportunities aligned with aspirations.
AI-powered PD systems can generate individualized learning maps and recommend courses tailored to specific roles or licensure pathways (O’Connell & Baule, 2025). Machine learning algorithms can analyze a teacher’s interests, prior coursework, and broader labor market trends to develop adaptive professional learning plans (Annenberg Institute, 2024).
Yet goal setting is not enough; as Tan et al. (2025) note, many initiatives fail due to weak implementation. AI can close this gap by offering ongoing insights, personalized recommendations, and formative data that sustain growth well beyond the initial workshop.
Making virtual PD more flexible and inclusive
Virtual PD often mirrors traditional formats, forcing all participants into the same live sessions regardless of schedule, learning style, or language access.
Generative AI tools allow leaders to convert live sessions into asynchronous modules that teachers can revisit anytime. Platforms like Otter.ai can transcribe meetings, generate summaries, and tag key takeaways, enabling absent participants to catch up and multilingual staff to access translated transcripts.
AI can adapt materials for different reading levels, offer language translations, and customize pacing to fit individual schedules, ensuring PD is rigorous yet accessible.
Improving feedback and evaluation
Professional development is too often evaluated based on attendance or satisfaction surveys, with little attention to implementation or student outcomes. Many well-intentioned initiatives fail due to insufficient follow-through and weak support (Carney & Pizzuto, 2024).
Guskey’s (2000) five levels of evaluation, from initial reaction to student impact, remain a powerful framework. AI enhances this approach by automating assessments, generating surveys, and analyzing responses to surface themes and gaps. In PLCs, AI can support educators with item analysis and student work review, offering insights that guide instructional adjustments and build evidence-informed PD systems.
Getting started: Practical moves for school leaders
School leaders can integrate AI by starting small: use PD Workshop Planner, Gamma, or Canva to streamline agenda design; make sessions more inclusive with Otter.ai; pilot AI coaching tools to extend feedback between sessions; and apply Guskey’s framework with AI analysis to strengthen implementation.
These actions shift focus from clerical work to instructional impact.
Ethical use, equity, and privacy considerations
While AI offers promise, risks must be addressed. Financial and infrastructure disparities can widen the digital divide, leaving under-resourced schools unable to access these tools (Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2024).
Issues of data privacy and ethical use are critical: who owns performance data, how it is stored, and how it is used for decision-making must be clear. Language translation and AI-generated feedback require caution, as cultural nuance and professional judgment cannot be replicated by algorithms.
Over-reliance on automation risks diminishing teacher agency and relational aspects of growth. Responsible AI integration demands transparency, equitable access, and safeguards that protect educators and communities.
Conclusion: Smarter PD is within reach
Teachers deserve professional learning that respects their time, builds on their expertise, and leads to lasting instructional improvement. By addressing design and implementation challenges that have plagued PD for decades, AI provides a pathway to better, not just different, professional learning.
Leaders need not overhaul systems overnight; piloting small, strategic AI applications can signal a shift toward valuing time, relevance, and real implementation. Smarter, more human-centered PD is within reach if we build it intentionally and ethically.
References
Adams, D., & Middleton, A. (2024, May 7). AI tool shows teachers what they do in the classroom—and how to do it better. The 74. https://www.the74million.org/article/opinion-ai-tool-shows-teachers-what-they-do-in-the-classroom-and-how-to-do-it-better
Annenberg Institute. (2024). AI in professional learning: Navigating opportunities and challenges for educators. Brown University. https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/AI%20in%20Professional%20Learning.pdf
awalmartparkinglott. (2025, August 5). The PD presenter that makes 4x your salary [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMGrbUsPbnO/
Carney, S., & Pizzuto, D. (2024). Implement with IMPACT: A framework for making your PD stick. Learning Forward Publishing.
Center on Reinventing Public Education. (2024, June 12). AI is coming to U.S. classrooms, but who will benefit? https://crpe.org/ai-is-coming-to-u-s-classrooms-but-who-will-benefit/
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Effective_Teacher_Professional_Development_REPORT.pdf
Edthena. (2025). AI Coach for teachers. https://www.edthena.com/ai-coach-for-teachers/
Guskey, T. R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Corwin Press.
Jiang, J., Huang, K., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Zeng, H., Gong, D., & An, P. (2025, May 29). Novobo: Supporting teachers’ peer learning of instructional gestures by teaching a mentee AI-agent together [Preprint]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17557
Joseph, B. (2024, October). It takes a village to design the best professional development. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-it-takes-a-village-to-design-the-best-professional-development/2024/10
Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318759268
O’Connell, J., & Baule, S. (2025, January 17). Harnessing generative AI to revolutionize educator growth. eSchool News. https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2025/01/17/generative-ai-teacher-professional-development/
Sahota, N. (2024, July 25). AI energizes your career path & charts your professional growth plan. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilsahota/2024/07/25/ai-energizes-your-career-path–charts-your-professional-growth-plan/
Tan, X., Cheng, G., & Ling, M. H. (2025). Artificial intelligence in teaching and teacher professional development: A systematic review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 8, 100355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100355
Andy Szeto, Ed.D, Professor and District Administrator
Andy Szeto, Ed.D., is a district administrator and professor of educational leadership and teacher education. He has taught over fifty graduate-level courses in leadership and instructional practice, published on AI in education, social studies instruction, and leadership development, and advised aspiring administrators throughout his career.
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Andy Szeto, Ed.D, Professor and District Administrator
BootUp PD and Amazon Future Engineer collaborate on five year computer science initiative in Chicago Public Schools.
CHICAGO, November 25, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Over the last five years, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in collaboration with BootUp Professional Development and Amazon Future Engineer (AFE), has built one of the most expansive K-8 computer science (CS) initiatives in the United States, setting the stage for national transformation in how young learners access and experience computing education.
The impact of a five-year CS initiative was highlighted at the BootUp National Summit, which took place in Chicago from October 20-22, 2025. The BootUp National Summit convened over a hundred educators, district leaders, researchers, policymakers, and tech advocates from across the nation to chart a bold path forward for CS and AI education at the elementary level. A report detailing the outcomes and recommendations from the summit is expected to be released on BootUp’s website during CS Education Week (December 8-14).
Since launching amid the global disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative has grown into one of the largest elementary CS programs in the nation, from 39 teachers across 10 schools to a vast network now reaching 540 teachers, 77,845 students, and 191 schools citywide.
This exponential growth reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that CS education is accessible to as many elementary schools as possible, including those in low-resourced communities. The program has prioritized underrepresented students and schools, offering tools that empower both educators and students with CS gaining a competitive edge in their learning trajectory.
“This work is not just about coding, it’s about closing opportunity gaps, building teacher capacity, and cultivating a generation of tech-literate students who reflect the brilliance and diversity of our city,” said Kris Beck, Director of Computer Science and Career Education at CPS. “Through this partnership, we’re proving that access and innovation can make a difference.”
The impact is echoed in the classroom. Teachers report increased confidence and excitement. Student engagement in computational thinking, creative problem-solving, and collaborative projects continues to rise in grades K-8 where early exposure is critical.
“When students see themselves as creators of technology, they see endless possibilities. Amazon Future Engineer is proud to partner with BootUp to help expand access to elementary computer science,” said Latoya Asaya, Senior Program Manager, Amazon Future Engineer.
“BootUp recognizes the significance of CS4ALL originating in Chicago. We believe computer science is for everyone,” said Lien Diaz, CEO of BootUp PD. “Chicago’s success reflects what’s possible when schools, communities, and partners work together to ensure that students in every neighborhood have access to learning experiences that open doors to the future.”
At a time when access to technology and representation in STEM remain starkly imbalanced, CPS is modeling what’s possible: a public education system that ensures students have the tools to shape the digital world they live in.
For more information on BootUp PD and Amazon Future Engineer, please visit bootuppd.org
As a classroom teacher and district leader with over 26 years of experience, I’ve attended countless professional development (PD) sessions. Some were transformative, others forgettable. But one thing has remained constant: the need for PD that inspires, equips, and connects educators. Research shows that effective PD focuses on instructional practice and connects to both classroom materials and real- world contexts.
I began my teaching career in 1999 through an alternative certification program, eager to learn and grow. That enthusiasm hasn’t waned–I still consider myself a lifelong learner. But over time, I realized that not all PD is created equal. Too often, sessions felt like a checkbox exercise, with educators asking, “Why do I have to be here?” instead of “How can I grow from this?”
Here are some of my favorite PD resources and experiences:
edWeb
edWeb is free to join, and once you’re in, you can dive into as many sessions as you want. The service offers a live calendar of events or on-demand webinars covering a range of topics. Plus, the webinars come with CE certificates, which are approved for teacher re-licensure in states like New York, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Utah, and Nevada.
You can go deeper into the state-specific options with an interactive map. I also love the community aspect of the platform, as you can connect with peers and learn from experts on so many topics for all preK-12 educators.
Career Connect This summer, I attended the Discovery Education Summer of Learning Series at the BMW facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for a day-long professional learning event focused on workforce readiness and preparing students for evolving career landscapes. It was an energizing day being surrounded by passionate educators. One standout resource we dove into more deeply is Career Connect by Discovery Education. Career Connect is within Discovery Education Experience and is available to all educators in South Carolina by the Department of Education.
This is quickly becoming a priority tool in our district. With early access in the spring, we’ve integrated it across grade levels–from elementary STEM classrooms to our Career Center. The platform offers students live interactions with professionals in various fields, making career exploration both engaging and real. I witnessed this firsthand during a virtual visit with an engineer from Charlotte, N.C., whose insights captivated our students and sparked meaningful conversations about future possibilities.
Professional Development Hub The ASCD + ISTE professional learning hub offers sessions on innovative approaches and tools to design and implement standards-aligned curriculum. Each session is led by educators, authors, researchers, and practitioners who are experts in professional learning. Schools and districts receive a needs assessment, so you know the learning is tailored to what educators really need and want.
Tips for Meaningful PD With over 26 years of experience as a classroom teacher and district leader, I have participated in my fair share of professional learning opportunities. I like to joke that my career began in the late 1900s, but professional development sessions from those first few years of teaching now do feel like they were from a century ago compared to the possibilities presented to teachers and leaders today.
Over these decades I’ve seen a lot of good, and bad, sessions. Here are my top tips to make PD actually engaging:
Choose PD that aligns with your goals. Seek out sessions that connect directly to your teaching practice or leadership role.
Engage with a community. Learning alongside passionate educators makes a huge difference. The Summer of Learning event reminded me how energizing it is to be surrounded by people who lift you up.
Explore tech tools that extend learning. Platforms like Career Connect and others aren’t just add-ons–they’re gateways to deeper engagement and real-world relevance.
Professional development should be a “want to,” not a “have to.” To get there, though, the PD needs to be thoughtfully designed and purpose-driven. These resources above reignited my passion for learning and reminded me of the power of connection–between educators, students, and the world beyond the classroom.
Bucky Ware, School District of Newberry County
Bucky Ware is a Technology Integration Specialist and Public Information Officer for the School District of Newberry County with over 26 years of experience in education. A former English and Journalism teacher, he specializes in integrating instructional technology, leading professional learning, and fostering community engagement. Beyond his district role, Bucky serves on statewide advisory groups and professional associations, including the South Carolina Association for Educational Technology Board of Directors, SCASA Instructional Technology Roundtables, and the National School Public Relations Association.
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Coaching is about self-discovery, not handing out advice
Advice creates dependency, while coaching builds ownership
Job market challenges include AI job losses and slower hiring
Real coaching equips professionals to navigate uncertainty
I was teaching a leadership class about professionalism and accountability recently when one of the participants said something that made me cringe: “I was prepping for one of these difficult conversations and my coach gave me some advice.”
Coaches hear this all the time. And every time I do, I know we still have work to do in setting the record straight. Because here’s the hard truth: if your “coach” is giving you advice, you don’t have a coach. You have a consultant, a mentor, or maybe even just a cheerleader. Coaching is something entirely different—and far more powerful.
The most common misconception about coaching is that it’s about getting quick fixes or a ready-made game plan. I understand why people fall into that trap. Advice is easy to give and easy to take. It scratches the itch for certainty in an uncertain world. But advice is a shortcut—and like most shortcuts, it rarely takes you where you really want to go.
Coaching, by contrast, isn’t about handing over answers. It’s about creating a space where you—the client—do the hard work of self-discovery. The coach’s job is to push, probe, question and reflect until you uncover what you already know and what you really want. Then you own the meaning, the decisions and the consequences. That’s where real growth happens.
Let’s be clear: When a coach starts dishing out advice, they’ve hijacked the process. Ownership shifts from client to coach. And when things go wrong—as they inevitably do—guess who’s stuck holding the bag? Not the coach. You are. That’s not coaching; that’s dependency disguised as support.
This distinction matters more than ever in today’s job market. We’re in a strange, contradictory moment. On one hand, the July 2025 jobs report shows unemployment steady at 4.2%, with 7.2 million people jobless, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, companies are quietly pumping the brakes. Nearly one in five U.S. employers now say they’ll slow hiring in the second half of 2025—almost double last year’s rate, per the Wall Street Journal. The average job search is dragging out to 24 weeks. That’s six months of applications, interviews, ghosting and waiting.
And then there’s the AI wildcard. A Stanford study shows a brutal 16% employment drop among 22- to 25-year-olds in AI-impacted sectors like software and customer support since late 2022. Entry-level jobs—the very rungs young professionals need to climb—are evaporating. No wonder 71% of Americans now believe AI will cause permanent unemployment for many (Times of India).
So yes, it’s tempting to grab at advice. “Tell me the magic words for my résumé.” “Tell me how to ace the interview.” “Tell me how to survive an AI-driven hiring process.” The problem is, that advice is usually recycled, generic and context-free. What worked for someone else probably won’t work for you, because your career, your goals and your circumstances aren’t theirs.
This is why real coaching matters. A coach doesn’t hand you an instruction manual—they force you to write your own. They’ll ask: “What strengths do you want an employer to see in you?” or “If success were guaranteed, what would you try?” Those questions don’t give you the answer; they unlock your answer.
That’s the difference between a quick fix and a transformation. When you find the solution yourself, you’re not just more committed to it—you’re better equipped to replicate the process the next time you face uncertainty. In a labor market that’s shifting under our feet, that’s not just helpful. It’s survival.
So here’s the blunt advice—ironically—that I’ll offer: if your coach is giving you advice, stop them. Instead, say: “I don’t want your solution; I want help finding mine.” Better yet, hash this out before you even start the relationship. The best coaches will welcome it. If they don’t? Walk away.
Coaching isn’t easy. It can feel frustrating, uncomfortable, even messy. But if you’re serious about navigating today’s chaotic job market—whether you’re 22 and fighting for your first role, or 52 and reinventing yourself—you don’t need someone else’s roadmap. You need to build your own.
That’s the essence of coaching. And in this economy, it’s a lot more valuable than advice.
Nancy Jacoby is a professional executive coach with clients in New York City and on Long Island.
Organization recognized for excellence in high-impact tutoring design and student achievement gains
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 25, 2025 –Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom that provides academic intervention programs for students and professional development solutions for teachers in K-12 schools, today announced it earned the Tutoring Program Design Badge from the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University. The designation, valid for three years, recognizes tutoring providers that demonstrate high-quality, research-aligned program design.
The recognition comes at a time when the need for high-impact tutoring (HIT) has never been greater. As schools nationwide work to close learning gaps that widened during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate recovery, Catapult Learning stands out for its nearly 50-year legacy of delivering effective academic support to students who need it most.
“Catapult Learning is honored to receive this prestigious national recognition from the NSSA at Stanford University,” said Rob Klapper, president at Catapult Learning. “We are excited to be recognized for our high-impact tutoring program design and will continue to uphold the highest standards of excellence as we support learners across the country.”
Each year, Catapult Learning’s programs support more than 150,000+ students with nearly four million in-person tutoring sessions, in partnership with 2,100 schools and districts nationwide. Its tutors, many of whom hold four-year degrees, are highly trained professionals who are supported with ongoing coaching and professional development.
Recent data from Catapult Learning’s HIT programs show strong academic gains across both math and reading subject areas:
8 out of every 10 math students increased their pre/post score
9 out of every 10 reading students increased their pre/post score
These results come from programs that have also earned a Tier 2 evidence designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, affirming their alignment with rigorous research standards.
The Badge was awarded following a rigorous, evidence-based review conducted by an independent panel of education experts. The NSSA evaluated multiple components of Catapult Learning’s program – including instructional design, tutor training and support, and the use of data to inform instruction – against its Tutoring Quality Standards.
“This designation underscores the strength and intentionality behind our high-impact tutoring model,” said Devon Wible, vice president of teaching and learning at Catapult Learning. “This achievement reflects our deep commitment to providing high-quality, research-based tutoring that drives meaningful outcomes for learners.”
Tutoring is available in person, virtually, or in hybrid formats, and can be scheduled before, during, or after school, including weekends. Sessions are held a minimum of three times per week, with flexible options tailored to the needs of each school or district. Catapult Learning provides all necessary materials for both students and tutors.
Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom, provides academic intervention programs for students and professional development solutions for teachers in K-12 schools, executed by a team of experienced coaches. Our professional development services strengthen the capacity of teachers and leaders to raise and sustain student achievement. Our academic intervention programs support struggling learners with instruction tailored to the unique needs of each student. Across the country, Catapult Learning partners with 500+ school districts to produce positive outcomes that promote academic and professional growth. Catapult Learning is accredited by Cognia and has earned its 2022 System of Distinction honor.
Transferable teaching skills and classroom expertise create a natural fit for educators seeking more flexibility and income, without the need for another degree.
DENVER, April 29, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Every educator has transferable skills from their current role — whether knee-deep in the classroom or in the administration office — that can be leveraged to transition into a fulfilling new career within the real estate industry, an industry that contributes over $4.9 trillion annually to the U.S. economy. Four types of roles serve real estate: real estate agents, home inspectors, mortgage loan originators, and appraisers. The CE Shop provides online education to these critically important industry roles that create consistent income for career-seekers.
Get all the intel on why educators are a perfect fit for a role in the real estate industry and when visiting here, visitors also get the option of downloading a FREE step-by-step ebook created just for educators on why and how to make the career switch.
For educators seeking better work-life balance and personal fulfillment, the income potential may be the most attractive. The four major real estate professions have average incomes between $88,000 and $141,000 annually (Indeed.com and Salary.com data, January 2025). These figures are also well above the national average income of $65,470 annually (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023).
While real estate roles require licensing, the pre-licensing costs are affordable, can be completed in weeks not years, and testing the waters is risk-free. If educators are curious about the real estate careers that will fit them best, the Career Navigator Tool takes only 2 minutes and is free to try, as are the free trials offered for each of the different types of education provided by The CE Shop.
About The CE Shop
The CE Shop is the leading provider of real estate education with online mortgage, real estate, home inspection, appraisal, and professional development courses available throughout the United States. The CE Shop produces quality education for professionals across the nation, whether they’re veterans in their industry or looking to launch a new career. We believe the right education can truly make a difference. Visit TheCEShop.com to learn more.
Highlighting the importance of staying adaptable in a dynamic industry, The CE Shop’s new course “Outsmarting the 2025 Housing Market” offers actionable resources to help all real estate professionals thrive
DENVER, December 17, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– The CE Shop is excited to share a free resource from their newest professional development course “Outsmarting the 2025 Housing Market” designed for all real estate professionals who want to stay informed about how worldwide trends impact their local markets.
The “Market Changes” worksheet guides real estate professionals — step by step — through how to identify recent market changes, analyze their impact, and reflect on what that means for their area of the industry. Divided into three parts–Analyze Market Trends, Observe Demographic Shifts, and Monitor Regulatory Changes — the worksheet offers real estate professionals a way to reflect on their markets and build plans for success in the upcoming year. Additionally, it is a useful tool to have before drafting a business plan.
As a whole, the “Outsmarting the 2025 Housing Market” course allows real estate professionals to hone their ability to analyze trends, set actionable goals, and adjust business strategies. But the course goes beyond simply providing updates on the market, offering a structured, guided approach to the process of reflection, analysis, and planning that is vital to success in real estate. Realistic examples, which are tailored to different roles within the real estate profession, are examined to provide learners with the context needed to grasp the significance of market trends and their practical implications.
The course was thoughtfully designed to focus on a key competency every real estate professional needs to succeed in the industry: the ability to adapt. Inspired by the collective challenges all real estate professionals have faced post-COVID, The CE Shop realized that agents would need actionable, focused guidance to help navigate an ever-evolving environment.
“Change is constant in the real estate market,” said Michael Natter, Curriculum Manager at The CE Shop. “Staying informed and adaptable is essential for success. This course emphasizes the importance of analyzing and adjusting to trends regularly to keep up with or stay ahead of the competition. It underscores the risks of complacency while offering hope and empowerment through tools and strategies for ongoing success.”
Heavily video-based, the full course is engaging, impactful, and easy to digest. In keeping with the course’s emphasis on the importance of collaboration between different real estate professionals, the course also offers an interactive forum that encourages professional learners to exchange ideas, fostering a sense of community. Real estate professionals will walk away with actionable guides and worksheets that will help them translate insights into immediate, tangible results for a thriving career that focuses on being proactive rather than reactive.
Real estate professionals can access the free worksheet below.
Real estate agents looking to further hone their skills can sign up for a variety of professional development packages and bite-sized courses at TheCEShop.com to start boosting their expertise today.
About The CE Shop
The CE Shop is the leading provider of real estate education with online mortgage, real estate, home inspection, appraisal, and professional development courses available throughout the United States. The CE Shop produces quality education for professionals across the nation, whether they’re veterans in their industry or are looking to launch a new career. We believe that the right education can truly make a difference. Visit TheCEShop.com to learn more.
The Ernst & Young (EY) Ignite Learning Week in May offered employees at the consulting and strategy firm a chance to upskill by taking online courses like “Conversing with AI, one prompt at a time” and “How strong is your digital brand in the marketplace?”
However, a report from The Financial Times revealed an unexpected consequence of the week: getting fired for “cheating.” EY staff who virtually attended more than one course at the same time were let go.
EY requires staff to complete 40 education credits per year, and the classes went towards that total. The firm said that dozens of employees were caught taking multiple courses simultaneously.
To the employees, being fired reportedly came as a shock, considering the overall culture at EY.
Some told FT that they’ve seen other employees do things like take two client calls at once. To them, the company has “a culture of multitasking,” complete with three monitors per person.
According to Glassdoor, the average base salary at EY in New York City is $105,000 yearly, with an average annual bonus of $10,000.
Cheating is a sensitive issue for EY. In 2022, the firm had to pay a $100 million penalty, the largest ever fine leveled against a company of its type, after the Securities and Exchange Commission found that its employees cheated on professional exams and education courses.
EY joins Meta in firing employees who misuse perks. Last week Meta reportedly let go of close to two dozen employees who used a $25 dinner voucher for items other than dinner over an extended period of time.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Are you struggling to achieve the success you deserve? Have you ever wondered what it takes to unlock the secrets of success and live a life that truly resonates with your dreams?
If the answer is yes, then you’re in for a treat. Join us to examine the fundamentals of success! Welcome to the ultimate guide, “How to Be Successful in Life: 12 Principles to Live By,” where we’ll uncover the 12 principles that empower individuals to soar to monumental heights.
Whether you’re looking to supercharge your career, enrich personal relationships, or find inner peace, these principles are your blueprint for a thriving existence.
So buckle up as we explore the essentials of success, complete with practical tips and inspiration to keep you motivated!
Let’s get started.
How to Be Successful in Life: 12 Principles
1. Practice Self-Discipline and Willpower
Self-discipline and willpower are crucial in pursuing long-term success, as they empower individuals to delay gratification and resist the temptation of immediate pleasures.
At the core of consistency lies the ability to establish and maintain daily habits that support one’s ambitions.
Top performers across various fields know how to commit to their goals, prioritizing incremental improvement over quick wins. By using willpower and self-discipline, you can effectively manage procrastination and distractions, ensuring that you remain focused on your goals.
How To Increase Willpower and Self-Discipline
Setting and achieving small goals is instrumental in building self-discipline, as it allows for gradually developing willpower. As motivation ebbs and flows, the discipline developed through consistent action becomes the driving force for progress.
By mastering the art of delayed gratification, individuals can nurture the patience required to see long-term projects through to completion. Goal achievement, therefore, is not merely the result of inspiration but a testament to one’s ability to stay dedicated and persevere through challenges, regardless of immediate outcomes.
Ultimately, the synergy between self-discipline and willpower forms a solid foundation for personal and professional growth. Those who persistently cultivate these traits will be better equipped for success.
Want to build a success-focused morning routine? Well, watch this video to learn about the 12 morning routine habits of the world’s most successful people.
2. Experiment
Start making small changes in the same permanent conditions you’ve always lived in. If you start by changing yourself and developing good habits, then everything in your life can begin to change–and often, the thing you need to change about yourself is your perspective. And the critical thing to note here is that there can be a subtle difference between success and failure. Your path to success may be blocked by a few minor judgment errors that you repeat daily.
You may think, “I took the elevator instead of the stairs again today, and it still hasn’t impacted me, so it’s fine.” However, this mindset and error in judgment will lead to the eventual development of chronic diseases down the road. These small mistakes will cost you in the end.
Now, let’s look at someone who experimented with small changes that led to career success, perhaps the top sales rep at a company or a highly demanded real estate agent. These people may have implemented minor changes to their routine, such as writing personal thank-you notes to their clients or following up several months later to ensure they are still satisfied. These small decisions can add up and make a huge difference.
The only thing that this kind of career success requires is discipline, which is essential for advancement. You have the unique ability to influence change in your life. You must consciously engage in actions that can compound and succeed in the long run. And the truth is you need to work every day for years before you become successful in life.
You won’t find your ultimate success in an ad you see online for a three-day conference or a new “proprietary blend” supplement that promises to melt fat away. If these things worked, everyone would be successful.
Finding success doesn’t come at a magical moment when everything falls into place. It’s more about the more minor (and sometimes seemingly insignificant) moments that happen in between. It’s in the moments when you’re happy and soaking in your surroundings because you feel a sense of gratitude for your life.
And the fact is that these moments can happen even if you are currently in a career or situation far from your ultimate long-term goal. Without taking these baby steps to achieve success, you can’t be sure if what you’re chasing is something you genuinely want or think you want.
3. Try to Have a Positive Mindset At All Times
A positive mindset is one of the most potent tools for success. Mindset influences how we perceive challenges and adversities.
Adopting an optimistic outlook enables people to transform setbacks into learning opportunities, fostering resilience and mental toughness.
Mindsets of Success (and the ones holding your back):
Competitive Mindset: Strives to achieve personal best but may sometimes lead to unhealthy rivalry if unchecked.
Growth Mindset: Embraces challenges and views failures as opportunities for learning and development.
Fixed Mindset: Believes abilities are static and avoids challenges, hindering personal and professional growth.
Positive Mindset: Focuses on opportunities and solutions, fostering resilience and motivation.
Negative Mindset: Dwells on obstacles and discouragement, often leading to stagnation.
Creative Mindset: Encourages innovative thinking and openness to new ideas, driving progress and adaptability.
Risk Tolerance: Willingness to take calculated risks and embrace uncertainty, leading to growth and success.
Coping Skills: Managing stress and overcoming challenges, promoting mental well-being and perseverance.
Self-Encouragement: Using positive self-talk to boost confidence and motivation, helping overcome self-doubt.
Positive Thinking: Approaches situations with a positive attitude, generating more favorable outcomes.
Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and adversity, persevering towards goals even in the face of challenges.
Fear-Based Mindset: Driven by anxiety and fear of failure, restricting risk-taking and innovation.
Collaborative Mindset: Values teamwork and diverse perspectives, enhancing learning and success through synergy.
4. Seek Out Mentors
While you may think you can gain all of the knowledge that you need in books, the truth is that most authors don’t reveal everything about their experiences or struggles in the books that they write. Instead, personal connections with someone can boost your self-confidence and reassure you.
Find people who are already “successful” in your mind, no matter what that looks like to you. If you think success means finding life-long love, research the habits of the happiest couples together for decades. If you want to start your own business, find some successful entrepreneurs whose businesses have taken off from where they started.
Having a mentor or a role model will give you a personal guide to achieving the greatness that you desire. When you learn through other people’s experiences, you can learn from their mistakes and success stories. Many people who view the world as successful today start with a mentor.
One study found that 80% of CEOs reported having a mentor before achieving their success.
However, don’t confuse having a mentor with having a boss. A mentor isn’t there to pick up your slack or give you so much feedback that they are essentially doing the work themselves.
The important thing about your success is that you’re creating it in the unique way you want to. Having your mentor decide for you means giving up the freedom to make your journey.
While you want to hear about someone else’s mistakes who has already been in your shoes, you won’t learn from them like you will learn from your mistakes.
Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck’s research into the growth mindset, reveals its profound impact on the success and personal development.
Unlike a fixed mindset that views intelligence and innate talents as static traits, a growth mindset embraces challenges and sees intelligence and talents as things that can be improved with effort.
This mental framework is built on the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, fostering resilience and mental toughness. It encourages individuals to learn from experiences, seeing failures as stepping stones rather than obstacles.
A growth mindset is crucial in cultivating key attributes such as character and emotional intelligence. As a result, those with a growth mindset often exhibit a more robust character, equipped to handle criticism constructively while maintaining focus on long-term goals.
Furthermore, embracing a growth mindset can lead to more fulfilling and successful personal and professional lives. Its focus on continuous learning aligns with the demands of modern environments that require adaptability and innovation.
Integrating a growth mindset into everyday practices allows you to develop the flexibility needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world. This mindset enhances intelligence and competence and enriches character, providing a solid foundation for sustained success and personal fulfillment.
6. Check-In With Yourself Regularly
To increase your chances of success, you need to consistently monitor, evaluate, and adjust your approach and methods. You must also work to avoid complacency and continue to meet your greater standards. You also need to check in with yourself to ensure that you’re still passionate about what you’re doing and that all of the work you are putting forth will ultimately be worth the time you have spent.
One of the best ways to stay motivated and accountable is to write down the specific tasks involved in demonstrating exceptional work that will guide you toward your definition of success. Then, write down what a complacent execution of work would look like.
Finally, describe the steps you plan to take to avoid the lesser of the two habits. Check this list regularly to see where your work falls in this range. (Keeping a journal, like many successful and famous people do, is also a good way of checking in with yourself regularly.)
Having power over your direction in life means you have to set performance standards that lie somewhere between complacency and perfection.
7. Set Goals – The SMART Way
Setting clear, achievable goals is critical in the journey toward success, as it provides a structured pathway.
The SMART goal framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—serves as an effective goal-setting guide, ensuring each goal is well-defined and attainable.
By aligning your goals with your values and ensuring they are relevant to your long-term aspirations, you strengthen your self-esteem and commitment.
The specificity of SMART goals allows you to chart progress and celebrate small victories, which boosts motivation along the way. Adding time-bound deadlines encourages a sense of urgency and keeps you on track.
Moreover, distinguishing between short- and long-term goals and scheduling them on a calendar can help balance immediate needs with future ambitions, ultimately fostering a more organized and driven pursuit of success.
Learn more about SMART goal setting and grab some excellent tools:
If you want success, planning is good… but action matters more. Do something to move you closer to your goals… now!
8. Take a Break
There is a difference between taking a break and avoiding doing work. You will easily experience burnout if you do not take the necessary healthy breaks to rejuvenate your mind. Learn how to recognize the signs of mental fatigue and take the time to rest and recuperate.
You can allow your mind and body to rest by scheduling breaks into your calendar, just as you do with meetings. Make these breaks a priority and treat them as firm appointments.
You can do anything during these breaks if they take your mind off your goal. This can be anything from going for a short walk in the middle of the day to going on a week’s vacation. Just as long as you don’t spend every waking hour solely concentrating on the success you crave.
9. Learn How to Brainstorm
I’m sure you’ve heard this term often, but do you know what it means? One of the guidelines for success in life involves letting your brain go–whether by yourself or in collaboration with others. This means you release your hang-ups and objections, take an idea, and run with it. Don’t plan your train of thought or its final destination; think freely.
Brainstorming is used to generate ideas, engage in creative problem-solving, and learn through inquiry. When brainstorming is used for problem-solving in a team environment, it incorporates team members’ diverse experiences to increase the depth of the ideas being explored, meaning you can typically come up with better solutions to problems than when thinking on your own.
If you’re having a brainstorming session with a group, you have to let go of your ego or fear of saying something completely unrealistic. Your outlandish thought could trigger someone else to morph it into a practical idea. This collective thought process will allow you to develop your ideas through diverse thought processes.
However, for a brainstorming session to be practical in a group setting, everyone has to be comfortable enough with each other to be willing to share. Otherwise, someone may hold back from saying something that will solve the problem.
Group brainstorming is great for generating ideas that may not arise during a normal problem-solving conversation. However, studies have suggested that brainstorming solo may result in more and even better ideas than when working with a group.
If you’re brainstorming alone, you must get your brain to think outside of your everyday routine by considering ideas without considering their practicality. By thinking without boundaries, you may come up with a solution that initially seems completely unreasonable; however, the process lets you open up your range of thought, eventually leading to the right solution.
This can be done more effectively individually than in a group setting because groups can often be distracting when people don’t follow a brainstorming behavior protocol. Also, if you’re paying all your attention to others in the group, you may not generate your ideas.
To leverage your individual brainstorming, find a place where distractions are minimal and you can focus. Brainstorming sessions can truly spark success in your life because they may be when you have a “lightbulb moment” that improves your entire method of working.
After your brainstorming session, whether with a group or by yourself, you will have many ideas to sort through. Pick the best and analyze them to see if they can be integrated. If you can’t find a purpose for all of your ideas, write them down for later use.
Tools and lessons for improved brainstorming sessions:
10. Stop Seeking Validation
If you want to know how to be successful in life, you won’t find it if you rely on everyone around you to approve your work and ideas. When it comes to your success, do it your way. If you feel you’re on the right track, you don’t need other people to validate that.
Ask yourself if you are living the life that you want. If you believe that you are, it means you’re achieving success. If you decide you’re not living the life you want, figure out what changes you need to make and implement them.
However, don’t let other people who may have their own biases impact your thinking. While people may think they know the best thing for you, you’re the only one who does. You need to trust yourself, and you will recognize that you know exactly what you’re doing.
If you surround yourself with successful people, you will also become successful. People fail by themselves; they need supporters, partners, and other people who inspire them to increase the chance of success.
The key to picking the people you spend the most time with is ensuring you choose those exponentially superior to you in several ways. If you’re the most competent person in the room, you lose the opportunity to challenge and improve yourself.
As you find yourself in new stages of your journey to success, your five people may come and go. For example, the people with whom you spend the most time during the inception of your vision of success will probably evolve as their roles change and you make new contacts.
You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. So, if you want success, surround yourself with successful people who achieve great things.
Your lifelong friendships will always be there for you, but you must focus your relevant time suitably on achieving success. If there are people you know who can help teach you, inspire you, or help you improve, make it a point to spend time with them.
Alternatively, if people in your life do not share your values, are harmful, self-absorbed, or detrimental to your success in some way, gracefully cut them out.
12. Improve 1% Every Day***
I put stars next to the title for this one to highlight the importance. Daily incremental improvements are the most powerful tools for success.
If you want to know how to be successful in life, you have to realize that you must take on the role of being a life-long learner. You won’t achieve success overnight. You must take consistent action, test various ideas, fail, get back up, and slowly see your growth. Just like in finances, the power of compounding your growth is an unstoppable force.
But how do you define 1%?
Well, you don’t. But this refers to improving yourself just a bit every day. While it is hard to measure, think of it this way: if you improve 1% daily, it will be a 3800% improvement in one year. Alternatively, if you become 1% worse every day, your value will decrease by 97% in that year.
Maintaining this growth mindset allows you to take every opportunity to be a better employee, student, spouse, parent, doctor, writer, or whatever. Success never happens in one day. But if you continue to improve yourself every day, you will be successful.
Let’s look at an example. You want to be successful by completing a marathon. Here is what most people would do (and how it breaks down):
Start training by running 10 miles a week
Increase that to 12 miles a week about a month later
Life happens and interrupts training
They start to go for a run “whenever they have time”
Eventually, running dips to nothing as it stops being a “habit”
Now, let’s look at what a successful marathoner would do:
Run at least a mile every day for one week
Increase that to 1.5 miles the following week
Even when life interrupts, get a minimum of 1.5 miles running in daily. (running is a priority, not an afterthought)
As soon as the ability is achieved, it will increase to 2 miles a day.
Keep increasing mileage weekly until you can easily do 10K a day. Then, start mixing up training (still increasing distances) in preparation for a specific marathon.
The key part of these is that the “normal” view tries to make running an “addition” to a routine. The second (successful) plan views this as an essential habit to the daily routine—no different than showering in the morning and brushing your teeth—something you do when you are up, down, depressed, angry, or busy.
While it may be easier to just do what is needed to get by, if you take advantage of every opportunity that can create extraordinary returns and boost the quality of your work, success is within reach.
You don’t need earth-shattering improvements. 1% every day will reach any success goal in the long run.
The Importance of Success
Many obsess about success and what it takes to become successful. If we fail in our lives, we may look to the past with utter disappointment regarding everything we could have accomplished but didn’t.
Personal growth and success depend on what we believe our greater purpose is and how that will impact ourselves and others. So, what is the importance of success?
Success makes us more confident and secure. It gives us a greater sense of well-being and allows us to contribute more. It will enable us to understand hope and leadership. Without success, our goals, dreams, and passions may not survive.
Final Thoughts on How to Lead a Successful Life
Your success ultimately comes down to your actions, perceptions, and attitudes.
There are many tips out there on how to be successful in life, but unless you are proactive in doing the work required, you will find yourself settling for a life that isn’t what you dreamed it to be.
Now that you have finished reading these guidelines on how to be a more successful person, take advantage of the ideas that sound unique to you and tailor them to fit into your success plan. I hope that using these principles helps you find fulfillment in your endeavors and achieve what you believe to be the epitome of success.
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
Summer is the perfect time to organize a “Winter Education” for the ultimate corporate team- building experience. Imagine if your yearly company retreat was a camping trip—in subzero temperatures. For one Swedish company, it is.
While the prospect of trudging through the snow might not sound like a particularly cozy corporate bonding experience, Stockholm-based Fjällräven, which makes camping equipment and hiking apparel, says it’s a great way to build their employees’ confidence in the outdoors— which also helps them excel at their jobs, and in turn, helps the company grow.
The weekend is aptly titled “Winter Education,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Every winter, the brand sends a few dozen of its Stockholm-based staff members into the forests of inland Sweden to hike, horseback ride, snowshoe or ski, and set up camp for two nights under the stars. While they hope for dry weather, they go rain or shine. Even when conditions are poor, people generally come back happy.
“The worry of being cold is probably worse than the actual risk of getting cold; I think you learn a lot from that,” says Carl Hård af Segerstad, the brand’s global events manager. Everyone also learns that their actions have consequences, he says. “I think you learn some kind of self-reliance in that, and I think that is probably the biggest outcome of this.”
An opportunity to decompress and experience team bonding
About 30 to 40 people get to go every year, so the group is always changing. People are excited about the opportunity to go and for the chance to decompress, and there’s a buzz around the office both before and after the trip each year. The team tries to organize the group so that employees get to spend time with other staff they don’t typically work with directly.
“The cohesiveness and the feeling of being a part of the group grows, of course,” Hård af Segerstad says. “I would say, both before and after, there is great energy in the office.”
Even if you’re not familiar with the name Fjällräven, you’ve most likely seen the brand around. The brand’s most recognizable product is its iconic Kånken backpack, which debuted in 1978 as an answer for Swedish school children whose book bags were causing back problems. The square design has changed little since the product was first launched, and is a testament to the brand’s commitment to timeless design that doesn’t need to be replaced every season when styles change. This year, the brand will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Expedition Down Jacket, a cold-weather piece that has endured changing times with little need for evolution.
The beginning of their corporate team-building trip
The Winter Education tradition started out informally with the brand’s founder, Åke Nordin, who launched the company in 1960 with a wooden-frame trekking backpack. Nordin often brought friends out into the wilderness, Hård af Segerstad says, and over time, his definition of “friends” expanded as the company grew. Of course, it was also natural for him to outfit those friends with his company’s gear as a way to do some informal product testing.
“It was an integrated part of his product development without being super commercial about it,” Hård af Segerstad says. That Expedition Jacket actually came out of one of these very trips, he added—Nordin spent a cold night outdoors and wanted to find a way to make his down jacket warmer. He experimented with sewing two jackets together so that the baffles overlapped, and boom, the Expedition was born.
In addition to extreme staff bonding, the Winter Education tradition also affords today’s staff members this same opportunity. For those who design the products, it’s a chance to tinker with new ideas and improve upon old designs. For those who engage with the products in a different way, it provides an opportunity to understand how their products work, who their customer is and how to connect with them.
Fjällräven now operates Classics, a handful of social trekking events across the globe, in locations including Sweden, Chilean Patagonia, South Korea, Colorado and more. Those events, which are much bigger and which anyone can purchase a ticket to (as long as you can grab one before they sell out), provide an additional opportunity for staff to bond with each other, meet customers and work toward the company mission to get the everyman outdoors. The only wintertime event the brand currently runs is the Fjällräven Polar, which is a long-distance dog sledding adventure across the Scandinavian Arctic tundra. It’s a bit harder to snag a spot on, but anyone can apply. It’s free if you win a spot through a juried social media competition.
Even though February is about as cold as it gets in Sweden, and temperatures at Winter Education destinations are often 14 degrees or colder, Hård af Segerstad says people usually jump at the opportunity to join for the adventure. Most staff members have never gone winter camping before participating, and they’re excited to leave the office a little early to hoof it into the woods on a Friday afternoon. Throughout the weekend, the students learn how to manage their body temperature so they stay comfortable and don’t overheat or sweat, which can become a safety risk. They also learn how to cook outdoors and how to manage wet gear and condensation in the tent on frigid evenings.
Ultimately, it may sound like quite an odd company retreat, but it serves the same purpose, Hård af Segerstad says.
“[This] is a little bit more on brand, I would say,” he says, comparing Winter Education to corporate functions in other industries. “Knowing your product and knowing what we expect, or what users [who] buy our products actually expose themselves to—I think that is why we do it this way.”
Get to know your team through the DiSC assessment
Having a good team can make or break a company. Recent data from Gallup estimates that just 30% of U.S. employees are engaged and enthusiastic at work. Another recent Gallup report found that disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.8 trillion in lost productivity. You do the math on what that could mean for you.
Proactive team building, either by company retreats or regular office events, is one way to foster community among your employees and facilitate growth and collaboration. Another way is to get to know yourself and your employees better through a DiSC assessment, which is sort of like a professional personality test. The name stands for the four personality profiles it assesses: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. The test can help identify individuals’ leadership styles and provide insight into how members of your team may work together best. It can also inform the best approach to corporate team-building activities.
Novato, CA – The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks), a national provider of professional development for high quality Project Based Learning (PBL), has revealed the winners of its 2024 PBL Champions award program, as well as the three educators selected for its John Larmer “JL” Lifelong Learning Award. The winners, which were announced at the non-profit organization’s 2024 PBL World conference in Napa Valley, were selected for their commitment to PBL.
The 2024 PBL Champions:
The PBL Champions awards program recognizes an individual, a school and a school district that have demonstrated a commitment to PBL; have done quality, lasting work; and have shown evidence of impact on students. The 2024 recipients are:
District PBL Champion: University Prep Schools (Detroit, Michigan)
School PBL Champion: Paul Culley Elementary School (Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada)
Individual PBL Champion: Keisha Tyson-Johnson, district math and science coach (Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia)
John Larmer “JL” Lifelong Learning Award
The John Larmer “JL” Lifelong Learning Award is named after PBLWorks’ former director of publications and editor-in-chief, John “JL” Larmer. The award acknowledges educators who are impacting and expanding the work of Project Based Learning. The 2024 recipients are:
Katrice Dixon, Lake Worth Community Middle School (School District of Palm Beach County, Florida)
Jeromy Payne, John P. Freeman Optional School (Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee)
Marivi Hardy, Mission Achievement Success Charter School (Albuquerque, NM)
The winners were highlighted at PBLWorks’ 2024 PBL World conference, a multi-day Project Based Learning conference bringing together K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and school and district leaders who want to begin or advance their Project Based Learning practice and connect with a community of their peers.
“Project Based Learning is transforming classrooms, schools and districts across the country thanks to the commitment and dedication of passionate educators and administrators,” said PBLWorks CEO Bob Lenz. “We created these awards programs to recognize these individuals, as well as the schools and districts, that have embraced PBL and are leading the way in implementing it with students. Congratulations to all of the recipients, this honor is well deserved.”
The Buck Institute for Education/ PBLWorks believes that all students, especially Black and Brown students, should have access to high quality Project Based Learning to deepen their learning and achieve success in college, career, and life. Its focus is on building the capacity of teachers to design and facilitate quality Project Based Learning, and on supporting school and system leaders in creating the conditions for these teachers to succeed with all students.
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
Professional development courses help agents quickly compete and thrive; single-topic ProPath courses are now available for the first time at $49 each
DENVER, June 11, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Just a few months after its launch, ProPath, the new professional development content from The CE Shop, has already achieved a 97% satisfaction score, the highest among any of the company’s courses. More than one-quarter of students who have taken courses from The CE Shop have returned to take ProPath courses.
The CE Shop knows how critical it is to start a real estate career with the right information and why quickly building momentum and proving sustainability for success is the key to longevity. ProPath helps provide that success map and then follows with courses for the more seasoned agents to continue to hone their skills to grow their business.
Five ProPath packages like “Real Estate Success Builder” and “Real Estate Kickstarter” are still an option and have a limited-time introductory offer of $99, down from $349. In addition, now available are 11 individual courses that allow professionals to target a single topic and area of improvement, like “Build Your Core Lead Network” and “Build Your Negotiation Skills.”
About The CE Shop The CE Shop is the leading provider of professional real estate education with both online and live-online options in real estate, mortgage, home inspection, and appraisal courses available throughout the United States. The CE Shop produces quality education for professionals across the nation, whether they’re veterans in their industry or are looking to launch a new career. We believe that the right education can truly make a difference. Visit TheCEShop.com to learn more.
Soffos and Navigant Learning embark on collaborative effort to measure how AI impacts instructional design tasks
AUSTIN, Texas, May 29, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– The transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries worldwide, and the $250 billion learning and development sector is no exception. However, there has been little public data on the measurable impacts of utilizing generative AI for instructional design tasks. L&D leaders and other executives have a strong need for this information to plan their initiatives and for optimal resource allocation.
Soffos and Navigant Learning embarked on a collaborative effort to measure precisely how AI impacts instructional design tasks. Their ultimate goal was to help teams use AI to accelerate and expand learning programs, enhance creativity, address the global skills gap, and ultimately solve challenges in meeting organizational learning needs. The first part of this exciting series of experiment results is published below.
“AI is not a replacement for humans in L&D, but rather a powerful tool that canaugment human capabilities and enhance creativity,” says Ken Hubbell, CEO of Soffos. “Our experiment with Navigant Learning demonstrates the potential of AI to revolutionize the way organizations approach learning and development.”
The experiment leveraged Soffos’ advanced generative AI platform, which offers a suite of specialized modules for L&D, including micro-lesson creation, Q&A generation, and AI Assistants creation (called “Force Multipliers” on the platform).
Experiment Findings
The experiment focused on a 36:1 ILT Course. Against the baseline metrics, there was an observed total time-saving acceleration of 41%. This acceleration was primarily seen in the Design and Development phases, with some Level 2 steps speeding up by more than 80%. The most significant time reduction occurred during the High-Level Design Document creation, which achieved a 90% acceleration.
“We believe that leveraging AI throughout the learning lifecycle will allow L&D professionals to address evolving needs comprehensively, building better training experiences, at speed and scale with better price points to ultimately close skills gaps,” says Ric Garner, a Partner at Navigant Learning. “To do this effectively, AI tools should be viewed with the goal of augmenting human capability, not replacing.”
Conclusion
AI serves as a powerful complement to human L&D efforts, accelerating most steps in the learning development lifecycle and better equipping organizations to fulfill the demand for learning solutions. While these are early days, further integrations and automation, particularly in production steps, will continue to unlock new possibilities.
Stay Tuned for More Insights
To learn about the Soffos generative AI platform and for more AI-driven experiments in the field of L&D, visit www.soffos.ai.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.
Everyone should have a strong interest in their own professional development, but that’s especially true for entrepreneurs. Business owners have to wear a lot of hats to drive their companies to success, and that means staying on top of trends and developing skills needed to take their business to the next level. You can’t just hire somebody all the time.
But how do you find time to learn new skills? With StackSkills Unlimited, it’s easy. This extensive online learning library gives you lifetime access to more than 1,000 courses from 350 of the web’s top instructors. All are available on-demand and you can spend as much or as little time doing coursework as you want. The courses aren’t going anywhere, so you can find time in your schedule whenever it makes sense.
StackSkills offers courses on business, finance, marketing, design, coding, and more. Regardless of what you’re interested in learning about, StackSkills will likely have a course from a leading instructor to help you develop the skills you need. With easy-to-use progress tracking and new courses added monthly, you’ll be able to develop a learning habit that helps you stay ahead of the curve.
StackSkills Unlimited has earned a 4.6/5-star rating on Trustpilot and Engadget writes, “StackSkills Unlimited plan offers a lifetime access to more than 1,000 courses that will help you get promoted, change careers or start a side hustle.”
Invest in your professional development with lifetime access to StackSkills Unlimited. You can sign up for just $39.99 (reg. $600) with promo code ENJOY20. But act fast because this offer is only available through 11:59 p.m. PT on April 16.
One of our jobs as CTOs is developing great relationships with other district leaders. IT touches every aspect of the modern K-12 district, and our success, as well as the success of the district, relies on our ability to build and maintain these relationships.
All relationships are important, but the ITS and Facilities relationship cannot be overstated. From the simplest ‘thorns in our sides’ to the most wicked challenges, our relationship with the facilities leaders can pay off in big ways.
Simple example – IU5 and the generator
IU5 is a service agency. We provide professional development and other services for districts at our main facility. Our Executive Director was unhappy when we had to send hundreds of teachers and administrators home during a power outage. We were in the process of bidding a generator for just the data center. After the power event, we were instructed to ensure the entire facility could stay powered up for an extended period. We initially worked with facilities to solve the problem, and in 2004, the Caterpillar generator was installed. Jump ahead 19 years, and we were experiencing inconsistent startups (30-40 second blackouts before the generator would start and provide power) when power failure events happened. The maintenance company was having difficulty isolating the problem. Through collaboration with facilities, we captured multiple data points about what was happening from the point of failure until the generated power was active. This data proved instrumental in finding the problem and finding a resolution. Teamwork is fantastic–especially when the relationship is conducive to making it happen instantly.
A complex example – Curtis and the “Not a Tornado”
On August 10, 2023, at about 10:30 pm, the central part of Wichita Falls was hit by what is being labeled as a microburst. It looks pretty similar to a tornado in damage capability. It removed most of the roof and toppled a wall at our alternative education center only three working days before the start of the 23-24 school year. Phones started ringing around 11:00 pm that same evening, and those relationships that had been built before that event were put to the test. I’m proud that the trust relationship between Technology, Maintenance, and Fixed Assets was already strong. This allowed us to trust one another’s judgment and rapidly move toward a common goal. On Friday morning, while the rest of the staff was at Convocation, these three teams were hard at work stripping all the salvageable equipment from the damaged campus. We were then able to coordinate together to rebuild that campus completely at a previously abandoned location. There were simultaneous efforts from Warehouse personnel delivering items to the “new” campus, Technology installing networking, classroom, and security hardware, Maintenance performing last-minute repairs, and Fixed Assets rounding up surplus items to complete the puzzle. We had this empty campus up and running again for the start of school on Wednesday. The timely coordination required focus, grit, and respect for the needs of each department. This could have never been accomplished between silos or dysfunctional leadership. So put in the effort today to build those bridges between other departments and leaders, for you never know when a “Not a Tornado” could roll through your own life.
Build the relationship now
These examples are some of the many reasons that having a solid relationship with your facilities team is essential to the successful technology support of any school organization. However, you do not want to wait for an emergency to build the relationship. Make a concerted effort to build those relationships now so they will be there when needed.
Vince Humes & Curtis Shahan
Vince Humes is Director, Innovative Technology Solutions, Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 3 (PA). Curtis Shahan is Director of Technology, Wichita Falls ISD (TX).
Humes and Shahan are CoSN’s Networking and Systems Design Committee Members.
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The demand for health care workers has never been higher. The Canadian government has included health care workers in its first-ever category-based priority jobs process, announced in May 2023. The following month, it announced a new immigration stream for health care workers—the first 2,000 invitations to apply were sent out last year. Some provinces—including British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia—have express entry or dedicated pathways for newcomers to get health care jobs quickly. Nova Scotia’s program is a pilot project. (See resource box below for links.)
In-demand jobs: Health care jobs range from hospital administrative staff (such as medical office assistants, secretaries and schedulers) to unregulated care providers (such as personal support workers and physician assistants) to regulated professionals (such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists). (Regulation will vary by province or territory.) According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the need for nurses here is high, based on Canada’s RN-to-population ratio. (In 2022, we had just 825 nurses per 100,000 people.) Physicians are also badly needed. From 2022 to 2031, the number of job openings for family physicians and general practitioners is expected to reach 48,900, far outweighing the estimated 29,400 job seekers, according to the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS).
Training and credentials: This varies widely by job type, and by province or territory. Administrative and unregulated health workers may need training to satisfy job requirements; you can find courses at government-funded and private schools. For regulated health professionals, getting international credentials recognized in Canada can be challenging. This is changing somewhat, as regulatory bodies try to address the labour shortage. Still, getting licensed or certified to work in Canada can be expensive and time-consuming, and many newcomers are not successful in continuing their medical careers here. (Start with the government’s Foreign Credential Recognition Tool.)
Industry hot spots: The demand for health workers is strong across Canada. However, there are some places where the need is greater than others. Family physicians are most needed in the three territories (Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories), Quebec and British Columbia. Among the provinces, the physician-to-patient ratio is the worst in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C. For personal support workers (PSWs) and continuing care assistants (CCAs), the demand is so high that some provinces, including Ontario and Nova Scotia, offer free training to qualified students. Graduates may be required to work in underserved communities for a certain period.
Salary range: Salaries vary widely by role, location and experience. A few examples from Canada’s Job Bank: Medical administrative assistants can earn $17 to $34.55 per hour (lowest rate in Prince Edward Island, highest rate in Yukon), with a national median of $22.56 per hour. Registered nurses can earn $25 to $83 per hour (lowest rate in Quebec, highest rate in Nunavut), with a national median of $40.39 per hour. General practitioners (family physicians) earn $69,539 to $497,843 per year (lowest amount in British Columbia, highest amount in Manitoba), with a national median of $233,726 annually.
There are many ways to join skilled trades in Canada. In mid-2023, the government announced a category-based priority immigration plan that includes trades jobs, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors. Some provinces, such as Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, have programs to compete for much-needed skilled workers. (See resource box below for links.)
In-demand jobs: Below are the top five Red Seal tradespeople in demand from now until 2026, according to Employment and Social Development Canada. (The Red Seal Program sets the standards for skills assessment of tradespeople. Canada has more than 300 designated trades; about 50 of them are Red Seal trades.)
Leading Real Estate Educator Redefines Professional Excellence in Changing Industry Marketplace
DENVER, February 27, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– The CE Shop announced the launch of a new line of professional development learning, Pro Path, for real estate professionals across the country. ProPath is non-regulatory coursework and is unique in the real estate industry. Courses meet agents at whatever level they are in their career to deliver focused, skill-based lessons in proven proprietary learning methodologies designed to help agents level-up crucial business skills quickly and effectively.
With the overall goal of giving agents a leg up on the competition and mastering business skills that take other agents months or years to learn by trial-and-error, ProPath is positioned to become the new mark of agent expertise in the real estate industry.
Dan Harris, President and Chief Revenue Officer states, “In a market that requires agents to constantly look for new ways to set themselves apart, ProPath can save so much time on agent development and advancement, especially for those just starting out in a new career.” He added, “This accelerates production time to support agents and brokers versus the usual strain on resources needed for the early development of agents. Training of this quality gets agents feeling and sounding like seasoned pros, so I can’t find any reason not to add it to your growth plan.”
Courses are delivered in programs designed around an overall learning goal, with each program consisting of three individual courses. The first program launched, the Real Estate Career Kickstarter program, was designed for newer agents and delivers learning for foundational tactics that include:
Formulating a business plan
Integrating 30/60/90-day plans
Building a core lead network
Creating an ongoing marketing cycle
Building negotiation skills
There are more intensive programs, like the 2024 Real Estate Success Builder and Real Estate Business Builder, that cover more complex topics like pricing strategies and tax planning. Plus, there will be a myriad of courses announced throughout 2024 that will expand the use case for such coursework for additional professions.
About ProPath by The CE Shop ProPath is a breakthrough offering by The CE Shop aimed at helping students grow their careers, make more money, and be the best at what they do through professional development and training. For more than two decades, The CE Shop is the leading provider of professional real estate education with online mortgage, real estate, home inspection, and appraisal courses available throughout the United States. The CE Shop produces and provides quality education for professionals across the nation, whether they are veterans in their industry or are looking to launch a new career. We believe that the right education can truly make a difference. Visit TheCEShop.com to learn more.
The majority of teachers are enthusiastic and eager about the potential of AI in education and incorporating AI in the classroom, but remain unsure of where to start, according to a new study from Canva.
What is the importance of AI in education?
Teachers recognize the transformative potential of AI tools for education, but still need support and professional development to effectively incorporate it into their teaching practices.
“These findings underscore teachers’ genuine excitement about the promise of artificial intelligence and the huge potential this technology has in the classroom. Teachers are looking to supercharge their lessons, foster creativity, and cut down on manual administrative tasks. It’s no surprise artificial intelligence is top of mind for educators across the globe,” said Jason Wilmot, Canva’s Head of Education Products.
What are the advantages of AI in education?
Canva’s study found 78 percent of teachers are interested in using AI education tools, but their experience with the technology remains limited, with 93 percent indicating they know “a little” or “nothing” about it – though this lack of experience hasn’t stopped teachers quickly discovering and considering its benefits:
60 percent of teachers agree it has given them ideas to boost student productivity
59 percent of teachers agree it has cultivated more ways for their students to be creative
56 percent of teachers agree it has made their lives easier
Teachers are particularly optimistic about the positive impact of artificial intelligence on students with different learning needs with 72 percent percent of respondents agreeing the technology could help with language learning, and 67 percent agreeing it could support universal accessibility.
“This technology has the potential to have a profound impact on the way teachers are able to personalize content to meet the needs of individual students, no matter where they are in their learning journey,” Wilmot added.
How is artificial intelligence used in education?
The study affirmed the increasingly important role of technology in the classroom and the future of AI in education, with 92 percent of teachers using apps or services in their teaching, and 78 percent using those apps at least weekly. When looking at the ways teachers are already using generative artificial intelligence, the most common uses were:
Creating teaching materials (43 percent)
Collaborative creativity/co-creation (39 percent)
Translating text (36 percent)
Brainstorming and generating ideas (35 percent)
“AI is something I’m learning alongside of my students. I know my students need to learn it and we need to tie the tools to pedagogy for it to be useful in the classroom,”said George Lee, a high school teacher in San Francisco, California. “It serves as the spark to ignite my students’ curiosity and creativity to further ideate. This is especially true for students who lack resources and experiences. I see AI as a tool that levels the playing field for all my students.”
What will be the future of AI in education?
As this technology continues to develop, educators remain optimistic about its various applications in the classroom and finding the best AI tools for teachers. Canva’s study found teachers are most interested in using artificial intelligence for:
Simplifying language (67 percent of teachers interested)
Summarizing information (62 percent of teachers interested)
Generative art (63 percent of teachers interested)
Data visualization (66 percent of teachers interested)
Image and video manipulation (63 percent of teachers interested)
“AI is transforming education, and teachers clearly see its value,” said Carly Daff, Canva’s Head of Teams and Education. “We are thrilled to meet this need by bringing AI features to Canva and training teachers to use it, all while modeling safe, responsible, and thoughtful AI implementation.”
In response to this demand, Canva announced its biggest-ever education launch, which includes Classroom Magic, a suite of free AI-powered tools designed with teachers and students in mind. With more than 60 million teachers and students using Canva around the world, this was a sea-change event for AI in education. Unlike other AI tools for schools, Canva’s support educators with their day-to-day duties—everything from administrative tasks to writing lesson plans, designing presentations, and creating high-quality animations with the help of AI.
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult from Aug. 6-11, 2023, among a sample of 1,004 educators in the U.S. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of educators based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
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Are you among the many who have been professionally affected by the current recession?
In fact, all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have reached unemployment rates greater than their highest recorded during the Great Recession–and rates that have not been reached since data started to be collected in 1948.
If you fell victim to layoffs or furloughs, you may still be job hunting, or you may be miserable in a job that you had to settle for in the meantime.
No matter what your professional situation is right now, if you don’t consider it to be your final career destination, you will want to have a plan to help you get wherever you want to go.
When you know what you’re working toward in the long-term, you will feel a sense of direction and purpose that will make going to work each day make a little more sense in the bigger picture of your life.
So in this article, we will look at how you can create your professional plan through a career goals statement by looking at 11 specific examples of these statements that you can use for your next job search.
But first, let’s review what a career goals statement is and why you should create one. Then, after reading the examples provided, you can tweak them to fit your own unique situation.
Let’s get started.
What is a Professional Goals Statement?
A professional goals statement is a clear and specific proclamation of the end result you expect to achieve by accomplishing all of your professional objectives.
Similar to a SMART goal, it clearly states why you do your job, what you intend to achieve, how you’re going to achieve it, and when it will be completed.
This concise statement defines your professional vision, which will help you plan your next career move and communicate your intentions to potential employers.
Here’s a video that provides a quick overview of the SMART goal setting and various examples for each area of your life.
No matter what industry you’re in, writing a professional goals statement will help you develop a specific action plan that will guide you toward your professional vision. Your finished statement will give you clarity as you’re working toward your goals and it will keep you motivated and accountable.
Without a professional goals statement, your job is likely going to end up being a passionless pursuit of a bi-weekly paycheck.
You need a target to focus on to maintain the motivation to improve and grow in your career. Your goals statement will turn each day at work from “just another day” to one day closer to achieving your professional dream.
But before looking at some examples, let’s review how to write a career goals statement so you can tailor the examples to your unique professional goals.
How to Write a Career Goals Statement
Keep these tips in mind when writing your statement.
Why is your career interesting to you? What type of lasting change (if any) are you hoping to make? How do your natural strengths line up with the job requirements?
Thinking about these things will help you create a goal that you want rather than one that you think you should have. And you have to want to achieve your goal in order to feel inspired to get to work.
Commit to It
Be confident in your statement–and not just the end result you’re working toward, be confident in the process that will get you there as well. In order to commit to your goals statement, you need to be aware of all the steps you have to take to be successful.
This may require doing some research on the specific professions in your field of work so you can make sure the obstacles you could face won’t overpower your will to succeed.
Research and Plan
Speaking of research, make sure you have the skills, education, knowledge, abilities, and experiences that are required to be successful.
Think about all of the steps you will have to take along the way and include them in your statement. Your career goal should have clear instructions that lead you from the present moment to the finish line.
Don’t Invite Change
While things may come up in your life that force you to alter your course, plan on going full speed ahead until you reach your goal. Don’t leave any components of your career goals statement up for interpretation–anyone should be able to read your statement and understand your plan.
…But Be Flexible
Your goals may change over time as you grow and your life circumstances change. Your professional goals statement should look way into your future, so unexpected events or factors are almost guaranteed to pop up. You need to be able to work around life’s challenges and not let them steer you off track.
Let’s take a look at what this looks like when it all comes together.
11 Professional Goals Statement Examples for Your Next Job Search
1. I will take a step up in my career from being an office assistant to a paralegal in the next four years.
I will earn any credentials I need through a Paralegal Studies program, get an internship with a reputable law firm, go to legal networking events, and practice my legal writing skills to meet this goal.
2.I will open my own agency in the next five years that provides medical respite for those in need of housing after a hospital discharge.
I will accomplish this by setting up informational interviews with those who currently own this type of business, obtaining a business loan and license, purchasing a house in the community to house those in need, and attending social events to make connections in order to properly staff the business.
3.I will be promoted to Senior Case Manager at my current organization within the next two years.
To do this, I will obtain a case management certification, refine my case management skills by networking with other case managers, and communicate my goal for advancement to my supervisor to gain her support.
4.I will change careers by 2025 from being a sales manager to being an accountant.
In order to do this, I will go back to school to get a bachelor’s degree in accounting and work alongside my current company’s accountant for at least three hours per month in order to gain real-life experience.
5. I will obtain my Real Estate license within a year by completing 60 hours of approved Pre-Licensing courses and creating an intensive study plan that includes two hours of studying four times per week in order to earn an 80% or above on the licensing test.
Writing a professional goals statement will help you develop a specific action plan that will guide you toward your professional vision.
6. I will become a Clinical Research Manager by 2030 by pursuing a master’s degree in biology and certification with the Society for Clinical Data Management.
In doing this, I will gain an in-depth knowledge of regulations and best practices for clinical trials and become familiar with medical terminology, which will help me secure a relevant position.
7.I will learn to speak Spanish fluently within three years to become a more valued and indispensable member of my team. I will do this by using language-learning software, subscribing to Spanish media, and practicing speaking Spanish with those who are already fluent.
8. I will publish five books in two years by writing for 25 hours per week, completing at least 10,000 words on subjects I’m passionate about.
I will learn more about self-publishing by reading at least three books on the topic, which will help me keep my skills current. I will land on at least two best-seller lists by creating a website for my books to gain more readers, hold book signings after each book is published, and engage with fans both online and in-person.
10.My professional goal is to increase our membership by 20% by 2025. I will do this with my team by holding bi-weekly informational cocktail hours at the facility and offering incentives for current members to refer people they know for membership.
11.I will open a second branch of my business within the next two years by creating a business and marketing plan, building capital and setting up accounting, hiring employees, and purchasing inventory.
Final Thoughts on Professional Goals Statements
Goals are very motivating factors to have in your professional life. They will help inspire you to get your work done because you will have a clear vision of what you’re working toward and what you need to do to get there. (Learn the differences between vision and goals.)
Take the examples of statements in this article and see if you can tailor any of them to your individual career goals. Doing this is sure to make your goals stick and increase your chances of being successful in your next job search.
The process of writing this statement will force you to consider the hard questions– like what you want for your professional life down the road.
And if you’re looking for more resources to help you write professional goal statements, here are some articles that might help:
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
