Think As Inc

FUN CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

December 16, 2009 on 5:11 pm | In career coaching, life coaching | No Comments

I’ve seen statistics that show Americans watching anywhere from 4-8 hours of TV every day.  If your idea of fun is watching TV, then I can’t confirm that having fun yields career development opportunities.  However, if you’re willing to turn off the TV and put in a little planning, then you can have extra-curricular activities that are both fun and good for your career:

Exercise.  This can mean taking aerobics class, working out at the gym, or joining a sports league.  This can also mean dance class, weekend hiking trips, or hiring a running coach.  Exercise has direct career benefits:  it relieves stress, increases energy, and maintains focus.  It may lower your healthcare premiums or decrease your need for sick days.  It can increase your confidence, improve your posture and make you a more attractive employee inside and out. 

Volunteer.  Get on the board of a non-profit organization.  Participate in the planning of a community event.  Tutor at your local Y.  Volunteering gives you the chance to learn or hone skills in a positive environment.  You also gain networking opportunities.  Finally, you get the perspective of an environment or industry outside of your day-to-day job.

Read.  Reading biographies will give you success traits and strategies without having to invent them firsthand.  Reading business books in your industry will enable you to see the bigger picture outside of just your job.  Reading anyting, whether fiction or non-fiction, expands your imagination, your perspective, and your knowledge base. 

Take a class.  Improv class completely changed my professional demeanor – I think better on my feet, listen to my clients better, and handle curveballs better.  Sewing class added valuable time to my schedule; I learned that I hated sewing so much, so I saved time by no longer reading those crafts magazines and dreaming about what I would make.  Take a class in whatever interests you.  You will learn something.  You will meet people.  You will get closer to what truly interests you. 

Career development is about learning skills, networking and honing your passion.  The above suggestions are fun but offer all of these career benefits as well.