6 Tips for Celebrating National Career Development Month

Nelnet’s core values of creating an awesome work environment and pursuing opportunities for diversification and growth show up in nearly everything the organization does. This includes a focus on providing opportunities that encourage associates to develop successful, rewarding, continually evolving careers.

Nelnet flourishes as an organization when associates who are happy in their careers spark innovative ideas and generate inspired daily work.

Being happy in your career means that you are continually looking for new inspiration and ways to grow and learn. What better time to do this than during National Career Development Month? Read on for new ways to challenge yourself this month.

Wherever you are in your professional journey, this is a good idea. This process starts with asking yourself a series of questions that reflects on where you are and where you want to be. We’ve included a few to get you started.

• Has your organization or department changed and, if so, how has this impacted your role? How do your goals need to change?
• Technology is always changing the way we do things. How has it impacted what you do?
• What new skills and training do you need to be successful in your role? Where could you have been more successful with more education? What type of education is needed?
• What were your biggest successes this year? How did they make you feel? Do your greatest strengths or interests lie in a different area than where you’re currently working? If so, do you need to pivot, and how can you do that successfully?
• Have your life circumstances changed the way you need to work? Do you need to consider a new direction?

Ask yourself these questions and more to set your career direction and help you clearly define career goals. You can achieve your dreams when you envision your future and set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals to achieve your end goal. First you need to know where you’re headed.

Your employer may offer free networking events and opportunities. Watch for company announcements and emails announcing these opportunities, then attend and actively participate.

Simply make it a point to talk with people in other areas and departments of your company to learn more about what they do. Not only can this help you do your job better and build stronger relationships as you work with them, but it may lead to other opportunities down the road.

If you’re not a member of associations related to your area, find out if your company will pay for you to get involved and attend meetings and conferences. If you are an association member, but haven’t been actively attending meetings, start attending to meet others and find out what’s new in your field. These opportunities are great for you professionally and personally, but they’re also a chance for you to represent and increase awareness of your organization in the community.

Networking is a great way to meet others who may know of opportunities that align with your redefined career goals and objectives. Knowing where your field is heading can help you ensure your future career goals are on track, too.

A great way to network at work and meet others outside your department is through associate resource groups (ARGs). At this writing, Nelnet has 10 associate-led ARGs that provide opportunities for associates to meet others with commonalities, but also provide a chance for professional networking and leadership development.

Nelnet’s current ARGs are:

• Black Engaged Associates Connecting Nelnet (BEACON) provides a holistic framework and community where Black associates can grow at Nelnet.
• Disabilities, Access, Neurodiversity, and Caregiver Empowerment (DANCE) creates a community for improved awareness across Nelnet and enables communication, support, empathy, encouragement, and resources for DANCE members
• Earthnet empowers mindfulness and involvement around environmental sustainability and how we can make a difference in flexible and accessible ways
• Immigration Resource Network (IRN) answers questions about working at Nelnet from an immigration point of view
• Nelnet Women’s Leadership Network (NWLN) offers opportunities for enrichment to women in leadership roles at Nelnet
• NelVets supports the men and women who have or are serving our country, and their allies, fostering an environment that supports members and enables them to build meaningful careers
• Prime Time builds a community for Nelnet’s associates 40+ and their allies that advocates for the benefits of a multigenerational workforce
• Prism creates a community for Nelnet’s LGBTQIA+ associates to thrive and to provide a safe space through education, activities, and networking opportunities
• Unidos creates a place where LatinX associates can grow, learn together, and celebrate shared values, traditions, and backgrounds, while commemorating their uniqueness
• Women Engaged in Computing at Nelnet (We Can) connects women in a community where they can grow as professionals through social, developmental, and leadership events
• Young Associates Community (YAC) creates a community for young professionals primarily under the age of 40 to thrive through social, developmental, and leadership events

These groups provide networking events and professional development opportunities, and provide support to members as well as to Nelnet’s business areas and the communities in which we live and work.

If your employer doesn’t offer groups such as these, propose them to your organization’s leadership team. This Forbes article points out the numerous benefits of associate resource groups. (We have hundreds of Nelnet associates who love them, too.)

Many organizations have formal mentorship programs such as Nelnet’s. This is a great way to not only network, but learn from others both personally and professionally within a mentorship relationship. Done right, that will happen whether you’re the mentor or the mentee. A growing number of organizations are offering reverse mentorship programs, as well, with employees from younger generations mentoring more seasoned employees.

The benefits of a formal mentorship program are numerous. Nelnet’s Mentorship Committee carefully matches mentors and mentees to help set the pairs up for success in Nelnet’s six-month mentorship program. The committee clearly spells out roles and responsibilities, and provides best practices to help ensure a positive experience for all involved.

Are you sharing updates and content in social media channels? Have you taken a look at your profile lately? It may be outdated.

Look to see whether your position or department name have changed, how your job duties may have evolved, or whether you want to reposition how you speak about your role. Make sure your headshot resembles you.

If you’re not sharing content or engaging with other work-related content, you’re missing out on another opportunity to connect with others.

Start with updating your profile. Explore groups related to your professional area and see what types of content they’re sharing. If you find it intriguing, relevant, and helpful, add comments and begin engaging. These interactions may lead to additional opportunities through building new personal and professional connections.

Your self-assessment of your career goals and objectives most likely identify where you have gaps in your skills or knowledge. Or, you may have determined that you need to obtain a new degree to achieve your next career goal if you’re heading in a new direction or trying to advance within your area.

If a degree or certification is needed to achieve your new career goal, explore whether your organization offers tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement.

Nelnet offers a partnership with Colorado Technical University (CTU) to offer associates flexible, online, mobile-friendly courses in five-week increments—making it easy for working students to complete a certification or degree. The university offers credit for prior eligible college courses and military and work experience.

Nelnet pays up to $5,250 per associate per year toward their tuition, with a Commitment Grant from CTU covering any remaining costs so that associates have no out-of-pocket expenses. Associates can choose from various degree programs and concentrations such as Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science, Information Technology, Management, Project Management, Software Systems Engineering, Psychology, Nursing, Healthcare Management, Criminal Justice, and more.

Nelnet even funds degree programs that take associates to a new career field—whether Nelnet is offering those positions or not. A program requirement is that associates in the program continue working at Nelnet for 12 months after completing their degree. (Learn more about Nelnet’s first graduating class from CTU.)

Even if your company doesn’t offer free degrees, they may offer free online training—something similar to Nelnet University—to help you gain certain on-the-job skills or knowledge. Or, your organization may offer associate development opportunities such as Nelnet’s Coding Academy—a partnership between Doane University and Don’t Panic Labs that allowed technology-driven associates an online opportunity to receive a modern coding education. Look for these opportunities.

The best way to advance your career is through challenging yourself with self-examination, curiosity, and continual learning. Nelnet rewards this by fostering and encouraging career development. Join us at Nelnet, where we invite you to challenge yourself to take your career as far as you can. Learn more about #LifeAtNelnet.