With spring finally taking hold in most of the country, it is a pleasure to see how all of the flowers and buds in bloom are adding bright color to the landscape. While the Spring semester is a busy one in all schools—bringing with it the temptation to keep one eye on the “finish line” and revel in thoughts of summer break—there is one other thought the coming of Spring brings to mind. That is, just as the earth “comes back to life” in spring, we, too, need to attend to our own “renewal” as professionals.
Carving Out Time (and Funds)
If you’re the Business Manager, you’ve earnestly budgeted for faculty and staff to engage in professional development, to help update their skills and knowledge and renew their passion for teaching. If you are Human Resources Manager, you’ve encouraged employees and administrators to vigorously pursue development opportunities. Have you done the same for yourself? This is not a “nice to have,” but truly a “need to have” to stay up with the latest and greatest in the world of human resources—and, just as importantly, to renew your own passion for your chosen profession.
HR Professional Development Ideas and Opportunities
“I’ve spent so much time attending to everyone else’s needs, I’m not sure where to start with my own,” you may be saying to yourself. In support and encouragement, we’re happy to offer the following ideas for professional development opportunities in the world of HR.
** Note: With the exception of ISM’s own Summer Institute courses, ISM does not have a business or financial relationship with any of the organizations or events listed. These ideas are presented solely as food for thought. The main idea is to do something.
- SHRM Annual Conference
Being held this year in Las Vegas in late June, SHRM’s annual gathering is always guaranteed to be the largest convocation of HR professionals anywhere. It represents a terrific opportunity to hear the latest thinking on a wide range of HR topics and functions. The exhibits also serve as a great venue for investigating regional and national vendors of HR services (such as background screening, HR database software, COBRA outsourcing, etc.). - Law Firm Seminars and Conferences
A number of national and regional employment law firms—such as Ogletree Deakins, Jackson Lewis, and similar firms—sponsor one-day and multiple-day learning opportunities throughout the year. While some speak more “legalese” than others, these sessions generally represent a reasonably cost-effective way to keep on top of the latest HR compliance news—with many being geared specifically to HR professionals. - Local and State SHRM Conferences
Smaller in scale than the national conference, the local and state-level conferences offer several advantages, including less (or no) travel expenses and the potential for networking with local practitioners and colleagues. Joining a local chapter is also recommended for similar purposes, in addition to giving one an opportunity to share their knowledge in presentations at chapter meetings. - “Home Study”
With so much information available online—from Twitter, to YouTube videos, to HR blogs and the like – you might commit to carving out a few hours each week for self study of readily available materials and perspectives—which can, in turn, be shared with colleagues (such as in a support group you might form with HR professionals in other local private schools).
Whichever option(s) you might decide to pursue, we strongly encourage you in these efforts. Good learning … and have fun!
