How to find professional development that is right for you
By Laurel Donnellan for Forbes
Being a compassionate leader requires you to be a proactive life-long learner, to stay informed on things that will affect the people you influence, your stakeholders. If your company provides a generous professional development budget and time off to learn, lucky you.
However, many professionals must find ways of learning on their own that are high impact and low cost in order to stay current, develop leadership skills and advance careers. There are many online options including Udemy, Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. However, when you find live in-person opportunities there is a built-in benefit of meeting new people while you gain an education.
Although taking classes online is convenient, learning in the real world can offer additional perks. It can be more fun, the food is often better at these venues than at your computer and some people retain more when they are in a three-dimensional classroom or event.
To learn more, read "Three Ways To Learn Like A CEO On An Intern's Budget" from Forbes.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn