Author: Donna Banks
Has studying towards your APC been put on the backseat because of the pandemic? Perhaps you’ve been furloughed and are at a bit of a loose end?
Don’t sit back and do nothing, use this time to get yourself ahead in your career by keeping up to date with current affairs and continuing your personal development.
Here’s a few things you can still be doing in this time:
- Volunteer – If you have been furloughed, you may already know that this time cannot count as eligible experience gained towards your APC. However, other types of experience (such as volunteering) could be counted.
- Online learning – Keep up to date with your studies, and schedule time every day to be doing reading and research, taking part in webinars, listening to podcasts etc. There’s advice for this on the RICS website too, with portals you will have access to.
- Online courses (personal development) – not necessarily all relating to your profession, but there’s lots of online courses available for personal development. Open University, for example, have a large list of free courses you can sign up to on their website (everything from courses in commercial awareness and managing your finances, to understanding climate change and smart cities). It’s another string to add to your bow!
- Stay in touch with your mentor – Schedule regular catch-ups and use that time to be continually learning. They’ll be working from home too, so chances are you’re even more likely to get that dedicated focus spent on your development and learning (which you may not get in an office environment because of distractions etc.!).
To summarise, there’s things you can still be doing to get ahead in your career (even if it is from your make-shift office in your kitchen!). Utilise this time well, following some of the tips above, and it will set you aside from colleagues when you’re back in the workplace.
