In rapidly changing environments, both organizations and the people who make up those organizations must engage in continual growth, or risk becoming obsolete. All too often, professional growth is a hit-or-miss process. Learning opportunities selected are often those that meet immediate needs rather than future needs.

Professional development helps build and maintain morale of staff members, and is thought to attract higher quality staff to an organization. It is a process of improving and increasing capabilities of staff through access to education and training opportunities in the workplace, through outside organization, or through watching others perform the job.

A career, the pursuit of consecutive, progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business employment, is a personal choice that entails commitment, perseverance, and a plan. Professional growth in a career requires the continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills through study, instruction, investigation, and practice. It is an on-going process.

Career planning involves visualizing what you want to be doing in the future within your profession. Career planning enables professionals to set goals and define specific tasks that must be accomplished in order to reach those goals. At the same time, career planning considers options, and alternatives. Flexibility is important as we cannot know the future.

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