Continuing Professional Development
“To be a professional in our fast-moving world demands constant development and
learning. As developers we can be pretty pleased about that since it means there is
likely to be a demand for our services. However, it also means that we, like all
professionals, are facing ever stronger requirements that we demonstrate Continuing
Professional Development (CPD).” (West, C.L. 2001, "Who dares earns: Giving
meaning to CPD", Training Journal, , pp. 8.)
According to Melanie Allen, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) means
“… the process of tracking and documenting the skills, knowledge and experience
that you gain both formally and informally as you work, beyond any initial training. It's
a record of what you experience, learn and then apply.” (Article Published: July,
2009) (http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/managing-your-career/1318/what-is-
continuing-professional-development-cpd)
The term CPD can also mean a physical folder documenting your growth as a
professional. It helps you give an idea about what you have learned so far as a
professional and keep you focused on your goals. It also helps in career
development as it gives the CV examples and experiences. It helps professionals to
create objectives to reach their goal.
“Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the cornerstone of any professional
designation. The ever changing work environment, in which you find yourself,
requires the discipline and commitment to maintain and develop your professional
competencies continuously”. (OLIVIER, M., 2011. CPD: What about it? Accountancy
SA, , pp. 42)
All the professionals are required to develop their own skills, capabilities and learn
new things to develop their professional knowledge cause of the high demand in the
outside world, so it is important for professionals to keep polishing their expertise.
CPD helps professionals learn new things and develop themselves...