Online CPD continuing competence service for solicitors - Datalaw

You need to separate work from personal life...Can you really?

Today we are all about Continual Professional Development (CPD) and it is wise to keep a CPD record. This was an interesting mental exercise to understand legal aid course, if my memory could work from the starting point up to present day or work back from here and now to the starting point, wherever that may be.

What is CPD? Continuing Professional Development or CPD is any career related activity undertaken to increase your knowledge, skills or qualifications. The underpinning principle behind CPD is that lifelong learning is necessary to ensure our workplace skills and knowledge remains up-to-date.

The underpinning principle behind CPD is that lifelong learning is necessary to ensure our workplace skills and knowledge remains up-to-date. CPD can take the form of:

• Formal or informal education and training
• Work-based learning
• Professional activities
• Self-directed learning

Why do I need to keep a record of my CPD?

There are a number of reasons why it is necessary to keep a record of your CPD including:

• Maintain a record of your professional development activities which can be transferred to your CV. Including CPD activities in your CV demonstrates your up-to-date knowledge and skills;

• Keep track of and provide evidence of professional development activities for inclusion in your career portfolio. Your career portfolio provides tangible evidence to back up your CPD claims;

• Most professional and regulatory bodies require you achieve a certain number of CPD points annually in order to retain your membership status. You can also use your evidence to prove necessary competencies to attain certification;

• Contribute to your CPD log as part of your workplace performance review. Keeping detailed CPD records can help you gain a promotion and/or a pay rise and demonstrate your commitment to your own career development.

• Helps you reflect on your own career development, identify skills and knowledge gaps, as well as recognise when qualifications/certifications may be required. This can help you decide upon future CPD activities. It can also be useful to examine your CPD as part of career counselling to determine which activities you have (or haven't) enjoyed. 

The most important thing is that you keep a regular log of the CPD activities undertaken and gather evidence documents to support your activities log. It can be useful to set aside time at the end of each week to identify and reflect upon any CPD activities you have undertaken and record them. Once you get into the habit of recording your CPD activities and collecting evidence documents, it will become second-nature.

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