3 Reasons to Invest in Your Career

Let’s face it. We get to a certain point in our careers when our daily obligations to our manager, our peers and our customers (not to mention the people outside of work who are depending on you) take over and we forget to nurture a critical component of ensuring our future success: Growth.

“I don't have time," you say. "I can't afford to be out of my model," you say. "I can't afford the price," you say. We know. We've said it all. But the fact remains that failing to commit to a personal growth plan creates a breeding ground for future failure. Whether it's an online class, a seminar, a book or a weekly networking event, we have to commit to our future growth by planting seeds of personal development today. After all, if we aren't willing to invest in ourselves, why should anyone else invest in us?

Gone are the days of job security in any industry. In our business there are many things that are outside of our control: Interest Rates, economic conditions, and land availability just to name a few. That being said, there are many opportunities within our control that we need to optimize.

Here are three reasons we need to find meaningful ways to grow and develop our careers:

But being able to demonstrate a commitment to continued learning is just as important. According to this post in The Guardian, "Candidates who demonstrate that they're conscientious about their personal development are likely to be seen as highly motivated and engaged." One of the best ways to demonstrate this is by investing in your own personal development. If you don’t have a “Professional Development” section on your resume, you should.

2. We build a reputation of excellence. Do you think your manager would be frustrated with you for wanting to improve your skills? For wanting to provide more value to the company? For being willing to make an investment in yourself on behalf of the company? Probably not.

When employers see that you are committed to yourself, they are more likely to believe you are committed to the job you're doing for (or want from) them. Making an investment of time, money or other resources creates a perception that you value growth. This perception of excellence becomes part of your personal brand, your value proposition to your employer. The feature is the class or networking event you attend. The benefit is the application of what you learned and the return on your investment. Don't just tell your manager that you're committed to excellence. Show your manager.

3. We feed our passion for what we do. Have you ever read a professional development book or attended a seminar and felt that excitement bubble up with a gazillion ideas on how you could apply what you learned? Walked into your model home the next day excited to get down to business because you are so pumped up? That's what personal growth does. It reignites our passion for what we do and why we do it.

Burnout is common in sales and we've all been there. It's a symptom of lost passion for what we do. This article, especially #2, says it best: "The only way to get better in sales is to try new things and adjust accordingly." How do you get better at something? Learning, trying, failing, learning from the failure and then learning some more. Your passion is yours and yours alone. It's your responsibility, not your employer's, to nurture it.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started." ~Mark Twain

Want to know where to start? Ask your manager what their favorite motivational sales book is (remember...perception).  Get involved with the Sales and Marketing Council through your local builder association. Stop waiting, start doing. You are worth it!