We all have the potential to learn and grow, to develop personally and professionally, no matter what stage of our careers we’re in — and it’s up to us to ensure we continue to build our skills and knowledge. Here’s what you need to know to take charge of advancing your own professional development.

3 words of wisdom to manage your career

As you begin this article series, there are three key things to keep in mind:

1. You are in charge of your own development. You may need to ask your manager for support throughout the learning process, and that’s OK. But your manager shouldn’t be the main driver of your professional growth. This is your career and professional life, and it’s up to you to own it.
2. You don’t need to have a solid game plan to build your professional skills. Career trajectories can be a straight line or a meandering one. It’s natural to have a variety of professional and personal interests, and allowing yourself to explore various pathways can help lead you to fulfilling opportunities.
3. Growth is essential for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out in your career, a seasoned pro or even moving towards retirement, making time to learn can benefit you. Challenging yourself, making new connections and getting a new perspective can help you find more satisfaction in your job — and life in general.

Step 1: UCOP opportunities

If you’ve felt intimidated by the topic of career growth, or aren’t quite sure where to start, it may be easier than you think. UCOP has a wealth of resources for you to take advantage of — and they’re all available at no charge to you!

My UC Career: This free online professional development tool is an excellent way to learn how you can leverage your skills and experiences to build a career at the university. Learn to highlight skills in your current role, prepare for performance reviews, better communicate your work and make connections with colleagues. Learn more about My UC Career, try it now or register for an introductory class.

LinkedIn Learning: Whether you’re seeking new software and programming skills or looking to advance your communication, project management and work-life balance, you can jump-start your growth through your LinkedIn Learning subscription. Activate your account here. For guidance, check out these FAQs, watch a recorded demo or attend our quarterly intro class. If you’re already using LinkedIn Learning, check out our collections — classes personally vetted by UCOP trainers. To access them:

• Log in to your LinkedIn Learning account
• In the top navigation, go to Browse > University of California Office of the President
• Scroll down to view learning collections

Link classes and workshops page: View all current and upcoming live courses. You can also check out the Link calendar to see courses by date.

UCOP Learning and Development Course catalog: Since it includes both live courses and webinars, the UC Learning Center can sometimes be a bit daunting if you’re not sure what to search for. For suggestions, view the UCOP Learning and Development course catalog, organized by topic. (Please note that classes listed here are offered cyclically; if you’d like a course that’s not currently offered, email ucopld@ucop.edu.)

Gartner Learning and Development Leadership Council: All UC employees can access free online professional development resources through the Gartner Learning & Development Leadership Council. Gartner is a leading research and advisory company that provides insights, best practices and tools to help individuals and organizations grow and achieve strategic priorities. Here are five great reasons to take advantage of your Gartner account today. To get started:

• Go to the Gartner homepage: cebglobal.com
• Enter your UC email address and select Submit.
• Gartner will send an email to confirm your access, including a temporary password. Follow the instructions in this message to log into the site.

For questions or course suggestions, contact ucopld@ucop.edu.

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