When I graduated from college, I was in a precarious position. With an English degree in hand and no real sense of direction for what I should do professionally, I often felt like I was always one step behind my peers who had seemingly “figured it out.” Although my university had access to job fairs and other professional resources, it never felt like I was receiving help from people I trusted; Google was obviously an ally in my endeavors, but what would have helped me more was an easily accessible community of like-minded people.
Eventually I got my foot into the door, but it wasn’t without the hardships and mistakes I could have avoided if I’d had guidance from people who had been in the same shoes before me.
Seven years later, I arrived at IAUG. I had come a long way since my college years and I’ve learned a lot in my short time here about the value of community. But being a part of IAUG has impressed me with something else: IAUG’s passion for providing professional resources, like webinars.
As such, I’m proud to introduce the IAUG Professional Development Webinar Series. Starting February 8, expect a new professional development webinar every Friday until March 15.
Each week, speaker Debra Zabloudil, President and Founder of the Learning Studio, will take topics and give you the professional skills you need. Each webinar is designed to help you sharpen your leadership skills and spark innovation in your teams.
- February 8, 2019: You, The Leader: Essentials for Success
- February 15, 2019: Leading Through Conflict: Staying Cool and Effective through the Toughest Situations
- February 22, 2019: Having Difficult Conversations: More Gain, Less Pain
- March 1, 2019: Leading Through Change: Thriving Through the 21st Century
- March 8, 2019: Disruption 2.0: How to Not be Hit by the Oncoming Train
- March 15, 2019: The Case for Innovation
The kinds of professional webinars that IAUG hosts for the community and value they provide is something that should be more readily available for professional communities everywhere, not just for us.
Please take advantage of this opportunity and participate in these webinars. (If only I had a resource like this seven years ago!) Also, this is a fantastic time to invite those who aren’t part of our community to become a paid member, or upgrade their membership, and join these webinars. We all know the person who is brilliant in terms of technical knowledge but struggles to find their professional footing or struggles to be a good leader or teammate. These challenges can often result in missed opportunities and no one is immune to them, but this series will help us overcome our individual obstacles together.
Put these dates on your calendar and I’ll see you there!
