One of my job roles in Cisco involves responding to community questions around training and getting involved in company initiatives. While my responses are generally focused on engineers working towards an architect position, I believe the overall themes fit any high-level/leadership position across industries. Here are the key points I usually cover:
As your career evolves, training becomes less about a 'track' and more about your career path. Instead of asking for a training path, take initiative to develop your own based on your interests and where you want to be in 3-5 years.
Watch and understand where the industry is going. Don't take training that is yesterday's technology. You can pursue training in today's technologies as needed. The key is to train in tomorrow's technologies so you stay relevant.
I see many who have opinions on emerging technologies and shun training on trends they don't agree with. I caution against this approach - get the training and develop a better understanding for the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. This allows you go consult clients better and see the shifts and moves in the industry.
Remember to develop more than just technical skills. Be sure to add professional development such as leadership and presentation skills. One of the wisest 20-year-old's I know is an engineering college student pursing a major in English. When asked why, he stated he wanted to have strong written skills when filing for patents. The point is - strong presentation skills (written and oral) will never let you down.
Engage in the industry by attending symposiums, forums, standards body meetings, and the like. Better yet, sign up to speak! One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it.
Network and find mentors. Through your network, you will expand your viewpoints and insights into the industry. Through your mentors, you will refine your career path and your training needs.
I am sure there is more to this list, but the point doesn't change. As you progress in your career, you need to take responsibility for your training and development. Formalized training paths are great when starting out, but the further you progress, the more individualized the training and development becomes.
(My next training step involves figuring out how to enable comments on this platform as I'd love to hear feedback!)
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