What do I need to learn, and how will I go about it?

Start by identifying what your development needs are. You can do this by reviewing yourself against the CIPD Profession Map standards, using the self-assessment tool on the CIPD Learning Hub.

The tool will give you highly tailored learning recommendations to meet your development needs. You can then use My Learning Plan to create your own, bespoke learning plan.

Don’t forget: your professional development doesn’t come just from formal or course-based learning. It comes from any experience that helps you change and improve your practice, such as:

• learning how to do something differently at work
• a conversation with a colleague
• attending a conference
• reading a piece of research
• doing a new piece of work
• working in a new team
• reading something on LinkedIn
• listening to a podcast
• reflecting on the last few months of your work.

Taking part in learning experiences

This is where you participate in learning experiences that improve or develop your professional practice. These may be planned experiences that you’ve actively sought, or unplanned experiences that happen in the flow of work. They could include:

• learning how to do something differently at work
• a conversation with a colleague
• attending a conference
• reading a piece of research
• doing a new piece of work
• working in a new team
• reading something on LinkedIn
• listening to a podcast
• formal learning such as a course or online learning modules
• reflecting on the last few months of your work.

What did I learn and what will I do differently in future?

Reflecting on your learning is a way to embed what you’ve learned, and improve your professional practice.

That’s why we’ve developed the My CPD Reflections tool to provide an online space to review and reflect on your learning. Reflection takes place via a series of four structured questions, which take you deeper into your understanding of your learning. You’ll consider what you’ve learned, through to how that learning could have a wider positive impact.

These researched and tested questions enable you to consider how you have developed and changed as a result of your learning, which is part of everyone's continuing professional development.

To access My CPD Reflections, you need to login in to the CIPD Learning hub.

What can I do, now?

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start applying your learning. Find opportunities to revisit and embed what you’ve learned. This could be by:

• starting a new project at work
• taking on new challenges outside your comfort zone
• seeking feedback from people you work with.

Learning is often a social experience, and the learning doesn’t end once you’ve applied it. Sharing learning is a great way to collaborate with others, build networks and exchange ideas. You could share your learning with your colleagues or communities of practice, and in different ways, such as:

• Our CIPD Communities
• Social media eg LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
• Blogging platforms
• Collaborative learning tools
• Special interest groups
• Team meetings
• In conversation or in the flow of work with others.