subject: Why More Legal Training Means More Opportunities For You [print this page] Why More Legal Training Means More Opportunities For You
Copyright (c) 2010 Sue RichardsonOnce you've settled into a nice, comfortable working routine, the temptation can be to just 'bumble' along, doing just enough to deliver a good quality service to your clients and to your boss. But that 'bumbling along' can quickly turn into stagnation and a career that's going nowhere. Without challenging yourself, you will never know what you are capable of achieving. This is why additional training is something that should be constantly on your agenda and why taking on extra training could mean far more career opportunities for you.Don't just settle for 'okay'.
Mediocrity is not something to be proud of. If you want to be taken seriously in your career then it is up to you to push yourself as hard as you possibly can to expand your skills base, improve your existing abilities and constantly update your knowledge of your field. Expanding into new areas shows initiative and a desire to improve your ability to deliver a quality service to both your boss and your clients. It can also take you into completely new fields that you would have never considered before.Training isn't just for professionals. It's for everyone who wants to drive their career forward. If you're serious about moving up the job ladder, then you have to be serious about training. If you are applying for a job, you are far more likely to impress your prospective employer if your resume demonstrates your constant efforts to improve your skills, rather than one that stops at a university degree and shows no further advancement since that point. Employers now are looking for the very best, not just academically but motivationally. They want people who can take the initiative and are also prepared to commit their time to learning new skills. It is this demonstration of a willingness to learn that impresses employers more than just certificates and diplomas.'Never volunteer for anything' is a misnomer.
While CPD requires you to complete a minimum of 16 hours training a year, that's actually a very small percentage of your time to give to expanding your skills. Despite the old military advice of 'never volunteer for anything', showing that you are keen to learn new skills or expand on existing ones demonstrates your value to an employer. So why not sign up for some extra training and show your boss how valuable an asset you are to their company?Do it because you want to.
A word of caution though - don't just take on additional training purely to impress the boss. Choose the wrong kind of training and it can be a complete waste of time and money. Choose additional training that will both benefit your future career and that you find stimulating personally. We learn far more quickly if the topic we are studying interests and engages us. So think carefully about what you want to achieve with your training. Don't do it just to make your CV look good. Do it to consolidate existing skills, build upon a solid foundation and to expand into new and stimulating areas that interest you. Training isn't just about what you get out of it; it also matters what you bring to the table as well. Good quality training will help you push your career into new directions and stop you from stagnating and just 'bumbling along' until you retire.
