Education and professional development are part of the core values of many practices and organizations. But when there are so many certifications, conferences and opportunities to choose from, how can you find the time and resources to attend the ones that would benefit you the most? Jessica Speas joins us today to talk about career development for managers. Jessica is a hospital administrator in California but through her commitment to lifelong learning and hard work, she completed a term as President of VHMA. Her motto is, “Perfection is not realistic; continuous improvement is.” This mindset is the basis for our discussion today. In this episode, you’ll learn why a commitment to your own path is important, ways to prioritize your professional development, how to advocate for your own education, and how to prepare for a transparent and open conversation with practice owners regarding your career development.   Show Notes: [2:24] - Jessica met Debbie at her first management exchange. She saw the possibilities and started the pursuit for her CVPM and started getting involved in VHMA committees. [4:35] - Everyone starts with a time in our careers when we don’t know about the existence of various roles, certifications, and opportunities. [5:57] - You don’t know what you don’t know. Attending conferences and getting out of your comfort zone provides exposure and opportunities to learn new things. [7:34] - Transparency is key in justifying your need for opportunity. Share the costs of learning opportunities and career development with practice owners. [9:42] - It’s unreasonable to expect someone to do well in their career when they are stagnant. Lack of growth is demoralizing.  [11:12] - Prepare some justification points on why you should attend conferences, courses, and meetings. You need to have something to benefit your role in the practice. [13:22] - Some things that you learn or try will not be what you need or expect, but pursuing professional development is still important. [15:37] - Jessica appreciates learning new material, but is wise in recognizing that she doesn’t have to have every certification. It is okay to not do it all. Someone else can be an expert in another area. [18:12] - You probably don’t have a completely detailed plan on what to pursue in advance. But having an idea of what you want to learn and where to seek it out will put you on the right path. [20:02] - Some practices have a core value of education and the learning content being sought needs to align with what you do in the practice. [21:46] - Very busy phases of your life may not be the time for in-depth course work. Choosing where and what to pursue can avoid putting unnecessary stress on yourself. [26:14] - Prioritize your own professional development. Give it some thought throughout the year and advocate for your own learning opportunities like you do for your team.   Thank you for listening. Remember you are not in this alone. Visit our website for more resources.   Links and Resources: VHMA Web Page VHMA Coronavirus Resources VHMA Facebook VHMA Twitter VHMA on Linkedin