6 Professional Development Ideas for Freelancers

What is one way you invest in professional development? For do-it-all-yourself freelancers (like myself), it’s hard to break away from your business long enough to learn something new.

But I like to consider professional development as my ticket to a pay raise, more free time, or some other awesome reward. When I can make my services better or more efficient, I can enjoy the benefits that come with it.

Here are six ideas on how freelancers can grow their professional development:

Invest in Online Courses

I'm a huge fan of reinvesting some of my income in courses that expand my skill set. The internet is awash with brilliant courses created by people at the very top of their fields, so I usually have a list of a few courses I'm interested in starting once I feel I've really digested and absorbed the current one. For example, I'm currently looking at courses on how to make the most of no-code tools.

Of course, you must be careful not to use courses as another form of procrastination. A rule I use for this is that any course related to my business has to have generated a return greater than the amount I spent on the course before I start another. For example, if I take a course on cold outreach and it costs $1,000, I need to use what I've learned to generate $1,001 in new business before starting another course.

Tom Dines, Elm Content and Strategy

Join Toastmasters or Similar Group

I've been a member of Toastmasters International for years, and it has been a great source of professional development. When I first started, I was a terrible presenter. In school, I rarely presented in front of rooms full of people. As I grew my influence, those opportunities came up, but I was initially unprepared. One of my first major presentations was at an industry event in front of 600 people, and I bombed. I was nervous, blanked on large swaths of my material, and I was generally unengaging.

This inspired me to do better. So I joined Toastmasters and practiced presenting multiple times per month. I learned how to structure speeches, how not to rely on written scripts, and how to move forward when I missed important points. I also learned how to use hand gestures and other nonverbal cues in my communication style. Over time, I became a great presenter, and I credit much of this to Toastmasters.

Dennis Consorte, Snackable Solutions

Learn from the Best

As a freelancer looking to develop your craft, you should invest your time into researching the gurus in your niche and learning from them. There's no shame in looking for help and as it turns out, many experts on various topics have blogs, YouTube channels, or even podcasts available on Spotify. Don't be afraid to go out of your way to look for research material and ways to improve. If you're eager to learn, you're halfway there.

Natalia Brzezinska, PhotoAiD

Be a Mentor & Source of Solutions

After launching my business, I have begun mentoring others looking for help in starting their business. It keeps me on my toes. I keep learning how other companies work and how my experience can transfer to other domains and individuals. Sometimes, I am forced to find an advanced solution for my mentees, requiring more profound thought and effort.

Radhika Gupta, USCarJunker

Practice Your Communication Skills

The best way to invest in professional development is to improve your communication and negotiation skills. Research shows that improving oral and written communication skills is a great investment in your development plan. For this purpose, practice as much as you can and listen to your speech. You can also talk to your friends or family members and ask for their honest feedback for continuous improvement.

Moreover, be aware of the differences between top and bottom communication in your workplace. The world’s leading organizations prefer freelancers with good communication skills and the ability to convince potential customers. Therefore, good communication is critical to becoming a successful freelancer.

Yousaf Saleem, USTitleLoans

Build Your Professional Network

A network will help you build your professional life in ways that you have never done before. With more robust networks, you gather knowledge and learn new things to help you develop professionally. You get to learn and gain referrals, which will help you grow your network even more prominently in the long term. You can heighten your network by attending events and joining the community programs which help people share ideas and solutions to problems.

Gisera Matanda, WeLoans

Your turn – what are some of your favorite ways to invest in yourself professionally? Drop your comments below.

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