Happy New Year!
January brings a fresh start—a time to reflect on our lives, careers, and new opportunities for growth. This month often brings a surge of inquiries about job opportunities and requests for informational interviews, signaling the season for setting professional goals. However, rather than focusing on job-hopping, let’s look at ways to grow right where you are. The beginning of the year is an ideal time to evaluate your professional development, clarify your goals, and create an actionable plan for the year ahead.
What’s My Long-Term Career Goal?
Even if your current position isn’t your dream job, the experience you’re gaining may be invaluable for reaching that goal. Knowing your long-term career aspirations is essential for taking a strategic approach to professional development and ensuring each step you take aligns with where you ultimately want to go.
For instance, if you aim to become a frontline major gifts officer but are currently in a role that supports the major gifts team behind the scenes, your current experience is likely beneficial. But if your ambitions have shifted away from fundraising altogether, it’s time to refocus. Invest your energy in learning skills that are relevant to your updated career goals instead of continuing down an unfulfilling path.
What Do I Want to Achieve This Year?
Set specific, measurable objectives for your professional development in 2025. Rather than focusing on broad, vague goals, break them down into targeted achievements that will support your larger career aspirations. For example, if your goal is to become a major gifts officer, a concrete objective could be to secure a mentor who can guide you and take you on a certain number of donor calls. These specific goals act as building blocks toward your long-term career growth.
Finding the Right Opportunities
Once you’re clear on your development goals, seek out opportunities that align with them. Choose conferences, workshops, webinars, or courses based on their relevance, not just location or convenience. The landscape for Canadian professional development events has expanded greatly, offering a range of relevant options to choose from. The New School of Fundraising is an exciting new addition, offering a wide range of courses and webinars to suit diverse learning needs.
As virtual options continue to flourish, these events are increasingly accessible from any location, enabling more flexibility and choice than ever before.
Conferences Are Not Everything
Beyond conferences, many other opportunities can drive meaningful professional growth. Workshops or continuing education classes can help you gain expertise in specific areas like data analysis, database management, or even digital marketing. Additionally, consider joining a Toastmasters club—a powerful resource for enhancing public speaking, professional communication, time management, and networking skills. Toastmasters can help you hone the “soft” skills that are critical to success in any field.
Leverage Online Resources
To get a jumpstart on your 2025 professional development, explore the vast range of online resources available. Websites such as Phil'sJobs, AFP, CASE, CCAE, and Charity Village offer extensive listings of courses, workshops, and webinars tailored for nonprofit professionals. Don’t forget to follow blogs, podcasts, and social media channels that specialize in your field—these can provide valuable, up-to-date insights and professional development opportunities all year long.
Here’s to a fulfilling and successful 2025!