Using Continuing Professional Education to Enhance Soft Business Skills

August 30, 2023

The purpose of continuing professional education (CPE) is to ensure that business professionals stay up-to-date on the information and skills they need to remain competent and relevant in their fields. When used to its full potential, CPE can help workers improve their knowledge and skills in a variety of areas that can enhance their abilities at their current jobs and provide long-term benefits for their careers. This should not just include technical skills (the information and abilities you need to complete your job tasks), but should also include soft skills (personal characteristics and interpersonal skills that can be beneficial in any work scenario) as well.

When you are choosing CPE courses, make sure you include professional education that develops both soft and technical skills. It can be easy to primarily choose courses that focus on technical skills and specialized knowledge and training that are relevant to your profession, especially in frequently changing fields like accounting and finance. Don’t skip over soft skills, however, because these abilities can be just as, or even more important as technical skills, as they have the potential to grow your career, improve your productivity, and enhance your relationships with your colleagues and coworkers far beyond what you can achieve through technical skills alone.

Below are three soft skills you can grow and improve through CPE courses to benefit your current job and future career.

1. Communication

Communication is a key component to success, no matter what field you work in. Whether it’s communicating with clients, colleagues, or other professionals, knowing how to both express your ideas and listen effectively is an important business skill. While some people seem to be naturally born effective communicators, it’s also a skill that can be taught. To enhance your communication skills look for CPE courses that focus on speaking and presentation abilities, conflict management, negotiation skills, and written communication.

2. Leadership

Don’t wait until you are in a formal leadership position to start working on your leadership skills. Enhancing your leadership skills now can benefit you at any position within a company, as well as signal to others that you are ready to take on more responsibility. Leadership skills include effective management and the ability to think ahead about potential challenges and opportunities. To hone your leadership skills, look for CPE courses that address leadership ethics, employee relations, team-building, delegation, and management skills.

3. Time Management

If both productivity and work-life balance are important to you, you’ll likely benefit from CPE courses that focus on enhancing your time management skills. Look for courses that address effective goal setting, task delegation, effective planning and budgeting strategies, and streamlining communication and meetings.

When you are ready to take continuing education courses that address these important soft business skills, your choice of CPE platform can make a big difference in how easy it is to reach your goals. CPE Compare can help you find a CPE platform that is the best fit for your schedule, interests, and budget. The best CPE platform for you will help you earn the CPE you need to stay accredited while learning and growing the soft and technical skills you need for both your current job and future career.