Professional Development

I'm sure that many of you have heard the term professional development.  I had not heard this term until I became a graduate student.  Now it seems like everybody in the department uses this term for a wide range of activities. "You should attend Friday seminar because it is part of your professional development." "Participating in the department activities improves your professional development."  "I think that learning how to work with Glimmix enhances your skill base and therefore improves your professional development." "Part of professional development is learning balance and prioritizing." After a while, it seems like the term professional development is used to describe everything that occurs in a graduate students life but no one has defined what professional development means.

Wikipedia defines professional development as the skills and knowledge which is obtained to further personal development and enhance career achievement and advancement. Okay; looking at the definition there are two objectives to consider: personal development and career advancement. While I agree that mentors should play a role in career advancement my personal development is "entirely" up to me and therefore in order to improve my "professional development" my opinions should be heard and considered.

Here is an example:  I attended an NCB-ESA meeting where there was a graduate student mixer; I chose to go back to my hotel room to work on homework that was due the day after I returned from the meeting.  An hour or tow later I returned to the mixer,   grabbed some food, talked to a few people, stood at a table by myself for awhile, and then go back to my room. Later one of my roommates stating that she didn't see why I even bothered to go since I wasn't that social! WOW- how dare you judge my progress especially since you have about 10-20 interactions with me in a year.

Speaking for myself, I was really proud of myself for attempting to go to an activity and participate on some level.  Was it the best experience? NO but is my response based on the the actual participation level or the fact that someone who doesn't know me very well acted like judge and jury on my abilities without the evidence. I'm not sure but it could be either one.  Should I attend another conference you can bet that she will not be sharing a room with me!!!!

I would like to say this conversation ends here but it does not.  Similiar scenarios have occured with individuals who could be viewed as mentors.  I realize that as a mentor it is your "job" to identify areas where students are lacking and encourage them to participate in activities which may bolster their confidence or aid them in gaining new skills.  However, I disagree the "cookie cutter concept" where what is good for one student is good for all students. Additionally, it irritates me when someone throws the term professional development into the mix as part of the argument for participating in some "required" activity.  Yes, in the broad sense, I agree that all activities which the department have a varying amount of professional development.  However, I feel that I should have some input into my OWN professional development and be allowed the autonomy to make decisions.  After all, making decisions and prioritizing activities (choosing to start your take-home finals instead of attending the department picnic) is a part of professional development.  Why should I allow "you" to make these decisions for me?  Shouldn't I participate in my own professional development?  Additionally, by participating in my own professional development then I'm taking ownership of my development.  Once you understand the importance of my ownership then and only then can we have a partnership where "we" can improve my current skills and expand the list to include those which I currently don't have.

Final word(s):  As part of my professional development I volunteered (of my own free-will and interest) to serve as the student representative for the Course and Curriculum committee for this fiscal year (July 11-June 12).  Today (Friday, July 1st) I was informed that I have been "approved" to sit on this committee.  Additionally, the interim department head included charges (objectives) that he would like the committee to achieve.  Interestingly, one of the objectives is that "we" develop a course for graduate students on professional skills!!!!!!! Yes, really! My life is often full of similar "coincidences;" I do belive that the goddess is good to me and she gives me purpose.

I hope everyone enjoys a nice long weekend for the Fourth of July.  I believe I will be writing or doing some data entry but I'm going to try to watch Independence Day and Last of the Mohicans for the Fourth of July.