As many of you read this, I am sure your social and work life have been turned upside down, flipped around, and now are possibly settling into “the new normal.” I personally cringed when I wrote that—I was so tired of hearing that phrase about three weeks into the pandemic.
I am sure you all have calendars that are now packed with meetings, calls, and video chats; honestly, I think my calendar has never been this full!
I realized this about a month in and have worked with my team to ensure they are still carving out time for professional development and personal time. Both are super important and should not be overlooked, even when we are in a virtual working world. The biggest mistake we can all make is putting this off until “things resume” because you have missed out on months of development and opportunities!
Virtual Professional Development
The obvious one is sign up for a webinar. They are all over now, and most have some great breakout sessions!
Schedule some time with your mentor or someone in your company. This could be to have a virtual lunch, cup of coffee, or even a glass of wine. Ask them what they are doing to stay up to date on professional training, and have a relaxed conversation with them.
Now is the time for online training. There is a plethora of online training, and now more than ever, it is easier to work into a schedule.
Attend a virtual conference. Have you ever gotten pushback on attending a conference due to the high cost of travel? That is not an issue with virtual conferences!
I love to listen to an audio book when I walk at lunch. This was once something I did on my commute. Now with working from home, I make sure to step away at lunch and give myself some work/life balance by taking walk with my audio book.
Many are participating in virtual hackathons. These are sessions scheduled on weekends or after work hours to help “hack” or solve a problem pressing on the industry. The ISPE Young Professionals of North America recently hosted the first virtual Hackathon with a problem statement provided by AveXis. It took place over three weeks and combined teams from the East Coast and West Coast to battle it out for the overall winner.
Young Professional Opportunities to Connect and Learn
Now that you are inspired to recommit to professional development, here are some options to consider:
- ISPE Young Professionals: Explore news, events, and resources for Young Professional members.
- ISPE Community Connection: Use this enhanced networking platform to participate in discussion threads for Communities of Practice (CoPs), Chapters, Affiliates, and Special Interest Groups. Check out the Young Professional Communities of Practice page!
- ISPE Conferences and Webinars: Broaden your knowledge and get to know your colleagues by attending upcoming virtual conferences and webinars.
- ISPE Training: Looking to expand your skills? Consider enrolling in an upcoming training course.
