Have you ever taken a training class or seminar and walked away feeling … shortchanged? There are many occasions where a dedicated professional browsed the internet, found a training course and did their due diligence. They paid their money and attended the course, only to find out later the course was a total waste of time and money. There was no real value in the information presented. How do you get the most value out of a training event without getting shortchanged?
Getting the Most out of Your Training Event
Let’s go back and start at the beginning. Some professionals don’t understand the value of training and development. Highly successful professionals spend between $8k and $10k a year on personal and professional development. They work hard at their work! Understanding the true value of training and development is crucial for a successful professional.
Sometimes it is mandated by professional organizations or required by codes of conduct or codes of ethics. But at its core is a personal responsibility of professionals to keep their knowledge and skills current so that they can deliver the high quality of service that safeguards the public and meets the expectations of customers and the requirements of their profession.
Here are some tips to determine what training courses will give you the most bang for your buck:
Trust but Verify – When you find a training opportunity, don’t judge its value by the cover. In today’s digital age, it is very easy to dress up the opportunity and portray it as valuable. Ask the provider for training content and the resume or LinkedIn profile of the presenter. Understand the level of the content meets your professional needs.
Reputation Counts – Our digital environment allows providers the opportunity to put on their website all types of ribbons and stars indicating success. On some, they will even put logos of Fortune 100 companies. Check out those claims of credibility. Ask for a complete client list and look to see who is using their services. Follow up and make a few calls to verify their credibility.
Certifications & Regulatory Guidelines – There are obvious organizations that are independent regulatory and certification organizations for professions. Know who yours are and stick with them. There are many out there who claim to be “regulatory” or “compliance” organizations for an industry that are really not either. They will take your money, have you take a simple test, then declare you certified and in regulatory compliance. Remember, you didn’t get a driver’s license just from taking a simple test. You had a practical exam also.
Nothing in Life is Free – That goes for professional training and certification. If a two week training course is unbelievably cheap, then, you must remember, you get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you have to pay premium prices for training. It means that if you are asked to pay a ridiculously low price for training and certification, then you are going to get the same value out that you put in. Be prepared to pay a reasonable amount for a reasonable offering.
Improved Skill Sets – Once you have taken that super cheap training and certification course, you find out that it did not deliver on the skills promised. Imagine going back to work and your boss starts testing your new knowledge and much to the surprise of both of you, the training did not give you the skills promised. Make sure that throughout the course, they are presenting the information outlined to you. Ensure they are diving deep into the skills and that you are embracing the skills taught. If not, call a time out and get things on track or get a refund.
Getting a Bang for Your Buck
Training and development is crucial for your professional success. You are investing in your future and need to get a significant return on your investment. Take an active role in securing the training you require. It will pay off significantly in the future.
