Self-development: A must for career development

If you think completing a professional course is enough to succeed in your career, you need to re-think. Getting a certificate of MBA or Engineering or any other professional course does not guarantee a successful career. What is equally important is self-development. One needs to have good communication skills (both oral and written) and good interpersonal skills, be empathetic, resilient and humble in order to succeed. So, how do you develop yourself?

Given below are some ways in which you can develop yourself.

1. Know yourself: It is extremely important to know your strengths (skills and competencies) and weaknesses (shortcomings). Write down your strengths and weaknesses. Build on your strengths and work on overcoming your weaknesses.
2. Find a mentor: A mentor can be someone from a peer who knows and wants to learn new things that you don't know; or someone who is much more experienced and willing to take you on their wings.
3. Have a to-do-list: In order to complete all the tasks up to the mark, one should have a habit of maintaining a to-do list. This to-do list enables the candidate to focus on the right task/s at any given point of time. Such list also reminds the performer about the quality and quantity of work to be done and assure that each and every work is done.
4. Discipline: Practice every day. It is your habits that unfold the results, not the other way round. You have to put in place the daily habits that will allow the things you want to change to change.
5. Consistency is the key: Overnight self-development will not occur. This happens deliberately and is a slow process. Consistency is what really drives meaningful change — and that makes it so difficult for people to do so.
6. Have role models: It is helpful to look at others for inspiration, encouragement, or even just daily reminders of how you can continue moving forward on your journey.

Self-development is a continuous process. It takes place over the course of a person's entire life. One needs to consistently try and become better and better.

About Author

Dr Vijay Bhangale is Associate Dean – Academics at IES Management College, Bandra. He has rich industry experience of 17 years in Marketing/Sales with companies such as Ranbaxy Labs, Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Healthcare, Searle, Merck KgaA, and Ipca Labs at various levels right up to heading the Marketing & Sales function. For last 13 years he is associated with IES Management College and Research Centre. He has presented papers in various international and national conferences and his research work has been published in reputed international and national journals. He has trained senior executives in pharmaceutical industry on brand management and has provided strategic consulting services to various pharmaceutical/consumer healthcare companies.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha