Webinars are professional growth opportunities. Got extra time on your hands? Not likely! Life’s pretty full for all of us and it’s enough just to get meals made, keep the house (reasonably) clean, get back and forth to work, and spend what little time remains with family and friends.
But… you’ve really got to add another task to your to-do list: invest a little bit of time each week in your professional upkeep and growth. Let’s face it, if you’ve got a good position you’d like to keep it, or maybe grow it into something more interesting or more rewarding. The best way to do that is to keep learning.
Learning opportunities and modalities abound. Printed books are my favorite tool. They’re solid, always there on the shelf, and full of information. Your company may offer interesting lectures or e-learning opportunities, although only rarely would those include technical communication.
Another excellent learning opportunity is the growing number of free webinars. Available at home or work, wherever your computer (or other device) might be, you can watch most webinars live or in ‘Memorex’ (previously recorded). Of course, this is exactly what San Diego STC has encouraged folks to explore in its “Summer Webinar Mania” activity.
Webinars are professional growth opportunities. You can discover and write about a variety of interesting discussions, including:
- “MadCap Flare Overview“
- “Smart Campaigns: coordinating in-app messages”
- “Simplifying the Support Experience”
- “LinkedIn for Job Seekers”
- “Adobe Experience Manager’s new XML Documentation Add-on”
- “Recruiting Volunteers” (presented by chapter leader Alice Brzovic)
- “Introverted Leadership”
The cool thing about webinars is that you not only get a live presentation of an interesting topic, you can also chat with (occasionally) or type questions for (almost always) the speaker(s).
So don’t sit at your desk wondering how to move ahead. Reach for that brass ring as your merry-go-round spins. And do take notes. There might be a test…or an interview…in your future.
By Mike McGraw
Editor’s Note: Mike McGraw has been a part of STC since 1995. This article is reproduced from a posting on the STC San Diego page on LinkedIn.
