Do not be caught off guard

As you stand at the crease of 2025, one thing is absolutely certain, no one knows what the future holds and even the person with the most thought out plan experiences setbacks. Often life happens when you least expect, and when you are suddenly knocked off your feet the faster you get up and are able to steady yourself will most likely depend on how you spent your time before your mishap and what you prioritised.

Today, I write especially to employees. One of the biggest mistakes if not the biggest mistake many employees make is to become complacent. Some employees landed a job right out of secondary school or college and after the initial six months, they make their bed and settle into a routine. I am always amazed when in the presence of professionals; the hobbies of the majority of people in the room are watching television, surfing the internet or taking a drive. There are so many employees who are cruising their way through their organization. They are not the worst or the best. They have resolved to do and be enough to fly under the radar, or so they think.

Five years passed and they have done nothing to develop themselves academically.

Ten years passed and they are in the same position, but they have become entitled. They complain about their salary, they are unpunctual, they produce the bare minimum, they are resistant to change. One day, when they least expected it, they are presented with a redundancy letter, and mayhem steps in.

I have spoken with dozens of employees who feel trapped in an unhealthy and unhappy work environment but are reluctant to leave because they are not marketable. They have never invested in continuing professional development.

They are in supervisory or managerial positions but school-leavers in entry level positions have more academic qualifications. The chances of them moving to another company in a similar position with similar benefits are slim.

Sounds familiar? Maybe you know someone like that. Maybe that person is you. My encouragement to you for 2025 is to be intentional about your professional development. It is the only way to remain relevant and marketable. Continuing Professional Development is a commitment to ongoing lifelong learning. Be intentional about learning something new, refresh existing knowledge, improve skills, or simply keep up-to-date with the latest developments within a particular profession or industry.

“Just as it is important to have your annual medical checks i.e. preventative checks to screen for any serious illness before it happens, it is important to involve in continuing professional development so that your professional skills do not become obsolete. If you have finished studies five, ten, fifteen years ago and you are not involved in continuing professional development, your professional health is in crisis. If you have finished studies two years ago and you are not involved in continuing professional development, your professional health is in crisis. You should be involved in some form of learning and development every year. It is the only way to remain relevant and have a competitive advantage.” (Prime The Pump, January 16, 2024)

I find that one of the most attractive things on an applicant’s curriculum vitae is the evidence of consistent, voluntary, continuing professional development. It demonstrates discipline and learnedness. Everyone benefits from continuing professional development. It boosts your self- confidence. It makes you more marketable. It makes you more knowledgeable and more interesting and it puts you in a position of power, you get to determine the level of organizational toxicity you are willing to tolerate. The organization benefits too because you can pour from a full cup.

I challenge you to start investing in yourself today. Education has never been more accessible and free. Speak to your human resource manager, or your manager and if you are still in need of guidance, reach out to me.

Here’s to an extraordinary 2025.

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