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Whatever your job or profession, to be successful and stay relevant in your industry, professional development is critical.

Although a degree or even certification is not required of marketing professionals, I have worked to achieve my first industry certification of CAS (Certified Advertising Specialist) and should have my MAS (Master Advertising Specialist) within the year.

I make every effort to keep myself abreast of new techniques, technologies and trends in the marketing arena. I take classes at industry trade shows; subscribe to several industry and business-general magazines and e-zines; belong to an online industry mastermind group; and read books on marketing, business, customer service, graphics, and other relevant topics.

I’m even pursuing a CTSM (Certified Trade Show Manager) designation because I work with so many clients on their trade show exhibits from pre-show to post-show marketing, training and execution.

I know that doing these things makes me more valuable to my clients. It is part of the Lev Promotions’ culture of business – we’re not just product salespeople, we are marketing solutions specialists. We don’t just ask our customers to pick an item from a print or online catalog – we consult with our clients to choose and design the products, events, techniques, and programs that will bring them results.

None of this would be possible without ongoing education.
Are you bringing all you can possibly bring to the table when it comes to your job? Are your customers getting value from you along with the products and/or services they purchase from you? If not, maybe some professional development efforts are in order.