Ask A Recruiter: Creating a Personal Development Plan

A busy professional ask us about personal development and career advancement  –

“I was wondering if you had any advice on how to practically fit personal development into your work week? Over the summer I discovered this beautiful stack of career development books that I have either barely read or never even opened! I know it’s important to constantly be working on your own professional and personal growth but how the heck does a full-time working professional fit this into their day?”

We threw this one over to our own President and Co-Founder – Cam Macmillan. Cam is constantly working on personal and professional development and is an avid reader on the topic –

There is a tremendous amount of resources aimed at personal and professional development.  The very best keep the program simple and focused on achieving results.

Darren Hardy of Success Magazine has some key points relative to development.  His first action is to pick just one skill you either want to learn or improve and apply the laser focus to it over the next three months.  This could be taking a course, reading every book you can find on the subject, finding a mentor or watching webinars.

Then you need to set a disciplined schedule and stick to it.  Pick two times a day when you will apply yourself to achieving your new skill.  I know from personal experience that if you treat this time as important as anything else you do in a day; you will achieve that success.  When training for Ironman; I had two times each day devoted to my workouts.  And that time was sacred, not to be missed!

Next, set your goal to pick out three of the best ideas from each book or webinar etc.  Keep the program manageable and simple.  Then, take those ideas and act on them!  Execution is so key to success.  Continually practice and work at polishing up your new found skill.  One of my favorite coaches, Robin Sharma, stresses that to double your success, triple your investment in personal development.  Ensure you have rituals that you practice every day and push to world class performance.

Sharma also believes that your associations drive your success.  If you are the most successful person you know….you must meet new people!  Oftentimes it can be that one conversation you have with a successful person that can make that change in your career.  Go out on a limb and approach people you really admire and ask for time with them.  Find out what they did to get them where they are.  This is a great time to kick start your year.  Break that trend of New Year’s Resolutions and begin your program now!

ABOUT CAM MACMILLAN

Cam has spent the last thirteen years in the recruitment industry, becoming one of the experts in his field and part of the management team when his last firm was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. As President and Co-Founder of The Headhunters, Cam enjoys developing businesses across Western Canada as a true recruitment partner. Cam specializes in recruiting and placing senior level operations and accounting and finance professionals. He works in any industry sector and with a combination of owner-manager, and large publicly traded companies. Contact Cam at cmacmillan@theheadhunters.ca

If you have a hiring or management issue you think we can help with, email us at info@theheadhunters.ca