5 Resources for Professional Development

By Michelle Voznyuk, Marketing Specialist at Heinz Marketing

When work gets busy, it’s easy to become so distracted by meetings, emails, and deliverables, that we completely lose sight of our professional development. And it makes sense – when it comes to prioritizing our list of to-do’s, there are usually many items that take precedence. But that being said, we shouldn’t permanently leave our personal growth on the back burner. It’s still incredibly important to continue investing in ourselves over time.

While there are probably some tools and techniques you already use in your free time, here are five additional resources that can help contribute to professional development:

LinkedIn Learning

Probably one of the most popular and well known tools for growth is LinkedIn Learning. Many organizations (including ours) offer their employees access to LinkedIn Learning for continued education. There are hundreds of courses available that span a wide variety of topics, from Business Analysis and Strategy, to Leadership and Management, to Customer Service, and more. Courses also vary in length – with some being as short at 15 minutes up to a few hours depending on the content.

Recommended: “Mastering Self-Motivation” and “Mindfulness Practices”

HubSpot Academy

If you’re looking to grow your knowledge of sales, marketing, and customer success principles, HubSpot Academy is a great place to start. They offer free online training in subjects like Email Marketing, Digital Advertising, Business Analytics, Graphic Design, Sales Enablement, and more. Whether you’re learning a new skill for the first time or looking to brush up in a particular area, Hubspot is an awesome resource.

Recommended: “Inbound” and “Content Marketing”

Audible

If you’d rather listen to a book rather than read one, Audible is the way to go. You can get unlimited access to thousands of audiobooks and podcasts for under $8 a month. There’s also a free 30 day trial if you want to check it out before committing to a subscription. One of the best parts is that many of the titles are narrated by the actual author, so you get to hear the book in their tone of voice.

Recommended: “Start with Why” and “The Challenger Sale”

Podcasts

Podcasts are perfect for when you’re driving in the car, getting ready for the day, cleaning the house, etc. If there’s a topic you’re interested in, you can definitely find a podcast on it. These fill otherwise wasted time with productive, thought-provoking content. Also, if you didn’t know, our very own Matt Heinz hosts a podcast called “Sales Pipeline Radio” on Podbean which features top industry professionals and explores various B2B sales and marketing secrets and is available everywhere you find podcasts, even “Alexa”.

Recommended: “Sales Pipeline Radio” and “Marketing Over Coffee”

Blogs

Last, but definitely not least are good old fashioned blog posts (like the one you’re reading right now!). Blogs are a great way to kickstart your day and get you into a thoughtful and creative mindset. While some are simply informational, others can help you dig deeper into a subject or challenge your way of thinking. And with an average reading time of 7 minutes, it’s easy to fit a couple into your day.

Recommended: “HubSpot Blog“, “The Moz Blog“, and “The Content Strategist”

 

I hope you find these resources helpful as you continue contributing to your personal and professional development. Happy Learning!