Educate Yourself

• Read industry specific books, articles, blogs or listen to podcasts to learn more about your career field and develop skills.
• Use social media such as LinkedIn or Twitter to follow industry experts, organizations, or companies and learn from their shared content.
• Take a class. This can be achieved in person at a school or training center or via the internet – massive open online courses (MOOCs) are available for free from many colleges and universities in all different subject areas and can be a great tool for professional development.

Join a Professional Organization

• Most career fields have professional organizations at the national and regional levels, which you can join for a small membership fee.
• Professional organizations provide a great way to stay current on job trends, training opportunities, and conferences for development and networking with others in your career field.
• Join informal career groups on social media such as LinkedIn or Facebook to connect with others in your field and participate in discussions.