If you’ve been out in the stores lately, it’s pretty obvious that school is starting up again soon. Even if you don’t have kids, or they’re all grown up, there are plenty of opportunities for you to further your own education.
Your local school board and community college probably offer a wide range of courses to keep you ahead of the game, whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, in career transition, running your own business, or pursuing a hobby. For professional development in your specific field, check out the offerings of your professional association or other related organizations. If your remote location, varied schedule, or mobility issues make it difficult for you to attend regular classes, you’ll be glad to know that there are more online options than ever before.
As a member of WebDesign.com, I’m able to attend as many of their webinars as I like throughout the year. These range from one-hour sessions on specific topics to multi-day training programs. Some provide instruction in using Builder or other WordPress products from iThemes, but others would be of interest to any WordPress user. Although many of them are free events, my membership gives me access to the entire library of recordings so I don’t have to miss a session that interests me, even if I can’t make it to the live class. This is especially beneficial when a particular webinar isn’t relevant to me when it’s offered, but I need to learn the material for a project later on, and I can download the handouts and listen to the recording at my own convenience.
I’ve recently completed a four-week program with Melissa Ingold called Service Business Reinvention Bootcamp, where I’ve learned a whole new way of looking at the services I offer and how I package and market them. I’m really excited about putting these strategies into action in the near future, for the benefit of my clients as well as myself and my business. If this sounds like something you can use as well, I suggest that you sign up right away – you can save 25% off the regular price by entering the coupon code SAVE25, but it’s only valid until tomorrow.
This fall I’m planning to attend a Social Media Day with the Employment Assistance Resource Network, the POC National Conference (where I’ll also be speaking), and WordCamp Toronto. Unfortunately, the latter two are being held on the same weekend, so I won’t be able to attend either one in full, but fortunately, they’re both taking place in Toronto, so I will be able to spend some time at each conference.
Please share your “back to school” plans in the comments section below!