Additional professional development hours shows a commitment to staying informed.
Professional development hours help strengthen your knowledge base, which is one of the primary reasons they’re a part of life for architects and engineers. And while licensing boards and professional organizations require continuing education, you might not realize that you can elect to take more than the minimum.
If this is a totally new concept, here are four reasons why it’s a great idea:
#1: Learn More About Your Field
There’s always something new to learn, even if it’s only a new element of something you’re well acquainted with. Aspiring to learn more increases your value to yourself, your community, your business, and other professionals.
The more you know, the greater your leadership potential. Architects and engineers have a vast reach and countless opportunities to effect positive change in the industry and for the public. Continuing education that goes beyond what’s required puts you in a position of creating positive change.
The more you learn, the more valuable you’ll be.
#2: Provide a Greater Value to Clients
The very purpose of continuing education is to keep your skills up with what’s new in the industry. Without the requirements set by state licensing boards and professional organizations, the education disparity among professionals would be great. So anything more than you learn helps you provide an even better service for your clients.
All architects and engineers earn their required professional development hours. But when you go above what’s expected, it reflects a commitment to excellence. And while earning those credits benefits you, your clients are the ones who gain the most from your dedication to the profession.
#3: Stay Ahead of the Curve
Emerging technology, new legislation and regulations, and new ideas in general are often found when you earn extra professional development hours. Remember when you were in college, and how instructors used some class time to talk about cutting-edge ideas? The horizon doesn’t become accessible just because you graduated, or because you’ve fulfilled your annual PDH requirements; it’s always as far away as it ever was.
A learning environment is often peppered with looking towards the future. The more you commit yourself to learning, the more you’ll know about, and ultimately be a part of, what’s yet to come in your profession. And if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge in a certain area where experts are needed, such as LEED requirements, additional credits are one way to get there.
Every professional that you meet can teach you something.
#4: Network with Other Professionals
Online professional development hours don’t give much, if any, opportunity for networking, but online courses are only part of what’s available. You can sometimes earn credits through participating in conferences and other live events.
Meeting other professionals in your industry helps you gain insight into what’s happening elsewhere. And even if you don’t earn credit for a particular event, you’ll still have the opportunity to learn and grow as an architect or engineer.
PDH Academy helps you meet all of your required courses, but there’s a lot more to learn. As long as the fields of architecture and engineering grow, there will always be something new.
Check out our courses and see which opportunities are available to you. You’ll gain insights into your profession, learn about new and emerging technology and regulations, and provide an overall better service to yourself and those who depend on you.
