3 Competence and Self-Improvement

Know and Understand Your Role and Your Scope of Practice, and Ask for Help When Needed

Many of us make the mistake of wanting to prove we can do something on our own, or sometimes we’re just scared to ask for help because we think it might be seen unfavourably by our managers (Mind Tools Content Team, n.d.). The opposite of this is true; employers want you to ask questions and ask for help when you’re unsure of how to do something. Employers would rather you ask the questions you need to do the job correctly than potentially costing them time and money on careless, easily preventable mistakes. That being said, if you have a number of questions, collect them and schedule a time to meet with your manager to discuss them all at once – this will eliminate multiple interruptions.

Activity

Try this activity to test your problem-solving abilities. Place the 3 sentences in order to show the best approach for solving this problem.

Be Competent and Knowledgeable and Develop Yourself Professionally

Be open to learning new things; employers want skilled and knowledgeable workers. By showing your commitment to continual learning, you’re showing them that it is important for you to be able to do your job well, which reflects positively on the company (Piccirilli, 2018). By training in something that makes you a subject matter expert, you will make yourself a valuable team asset. Employers are often impressed when employees show an interest in growing their skills; concrete professional goals can be developed from these ideas.

Activity

Try this quiz to review the purpose of professional development.