Lifelong Learning as Competitive Strategy Lifelong Learning as Competitive Strategy
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It doesn't matter if workers have just finished a degree, just landed that new job, or just moved up the ladder: It's never too early to start considering professional development education for staying knowledgeable. Professional development is not a box to be checked, but a lifelong effort to stand out, understand the job marketplace, and innovate and redefine career goals. This is why so many workers are doubling down on professional development: 86% are actively seeking reskilling opportunities, reveals the 2025 University of Phoenix Career Institute® Career Optimism Index® study.

"The recent results of the Career Optimism Index® make clear that one facet that employees in the marketplace today should consider is skills," says University of Phoenix Vice Provost of Strategy Marc Booker. "With decreasing investments by employers for professional development opportunities, the worker that is able to take the reins of their skill development and articulate their outcomes to employers could stand out from the pack. Quantifying and tracking lifelong learning activities and professional development, no matter the source, can help put workers more in control of their career trajectory by putting evidence behind the story they share on their professional profiles about their capabilities." So, whether working adults are just getting started or are looking for the next big change, and whether they have their eyes set on that big promotion or if their professional profile is just looking a little dusty, continuing education should be a part of every phase of their career journey to stay knowledgeable.

Take First Steps Now

Professional development is a lifelong journey to update and improve skills, with every step a way of achieving the next one, and so on. This runs counter to traditional models of education, where college is seen as a one-and-done process. Instead, learners should always be thinking about their next move.

And fortunately, by thinking of career goals in terms of smaller steps, workers are also more capable of pursuing moves one step at a time. This is one piece of wisdom that University of Phoenix students—the majority of whom are working adults—know well: Workers can regularly update their professional profile to reflect specific certificates, training modules, or even individual classes. Even if a worker is enrolled in a long-term program, they can track individual courses as well as the skills they're working on and begin to highlight them not just as a value proposition for the learning they are gaining today, but as important proof that they're dedicated to being a lifelong learner.

Of course, keeping track of these can be tricky, especially for workers with numerous experiences and years of training completed across a number of different platforms. This is why keeping professional profiles up-to-date and accurate is an especially important part of the professional development journey. This is where support like the University of Phoenix, Career Services for Life® commitment enters the picture: Not only are there a number of solutions to help find the next opportunity, the skills-aligned curriculum makes it possible to seamlessly track skills and highlight them to employers.

"Career Services for Life® at University of Phoenix means our learners are never on their own," says University of Phoenix Vice President for Career Services and Support Sandip Bhakta. "Every course builds career-relevant skills they can use immediately—whether they're staying sharp in their current role or pivoting to something new. With this commitment, we are there each step of the way, helping identify those skills with real world opportunities, so their career keeps moving forward, now and long after graduation."

Charting a Course

It's also important to remember that professional development doesn't mean enrolling in full-length degree programs: Enrolling in individual courses or certificate programs allows workers to update their skillset in small, easy-to-manage increments.

What's more, these individual courses and certificates can be a great way to round out their skill set. For example, consider IT professionals looking for soft skill training, or HR professionals looking for opportunities in new and emerging tech. This cross-disciplinary approach means more opportunities to show off skills in different industries or roles within a company. Additionally, they're also another opportunity to begin highlighting individual skills on a professional profile or application immediately, instead of waiting to finish a degree.

These individual upskilling or reskilling opportunities can be especially helpful when new trends emerge, such as the recent explosion of generative AI that has upended so many industries, as well as offered countless opportunities to workers looking to expand or change their skillsets. That's why the University of Phoenix began offering AI-related content, like their new generative AI course, further signaling that professional development can be a key way to fill gaps in professional profiles.

Stay Connected

While professional development can help workers stay competitive, it can also help them stay connected. Career development can provide important opportunities to network and build social capital that can help forge the professional bonds and links that enable workers to make connections with others. Networks and making connections are crucial for every worker, but can be harder to come by for those who are entering an industry later in life or from different professional backgrounds, and have not had as much opportunity to establish a broad network of fellow professionals.

Making connections is about more than swapping business cards or adding someone to a professional social media account: It's about building a network of support that recognizes what workers offer and is eager to help show it. A good network should include fellow students, as well as faculty mentors—something University of Phoenix practitioner faculty are uniquely situated for, as they not only teach but also work and have years of experience contributing to their fields.

More than anything, these connections should also continue to grow and develop as skills and career opportunities do—helping to keep workers just as connected as they keep them competitive.