Page 18 - Institute Quaterly 5 Final

Know your Institute

Can Prove Development

or as it is more often is known as CPD

Bob Martin CSyP FSyI, SyI Director for Professional Development

DEVELOPMENT. To whom you are proving it? Well
yourself of course, but how about a nice certificate
when you go in for your annual salary review; or
that job interview? “Look here are my certificates
to prove I keep up to speed” – I am the person you
need to give a pay rise/promote/hire.
• Far too complicated – Keep reading – it is getting
easier and easier.
• Can’t be bothered – OXYMORON that statement,
as you are reading this, so you are bothered!!

So, really why bother?

There are two distinct camps on CPD and whether it is worth doing Continued Professional Development, let us admit it, was
it or not. a ‘nice to have’ once upon a time, but once upon a time is
long gone.
So, let’s get the negativity done and out of the way first.
The security sector is moving with leaps and bounds into
There is the camp that does not complete their annual CPD citing a becoming the true professional industry that it rightly
number of reasons, such as: should be recognised as. That move brings with it change,
• Don’t need to, I know what I do, so why bother? and to demonstrate how professional an individual is at
• Haven’t got the time to waste on that. adapting to that change, there is a whole ‘toolbox’ available
• What is the point of it, why bother? to them, from the Gold Standard of being admitted to the
• Far too complicated, and of course Register of Chartered Security Professionals, through all of
• Can’t be bothered, plus many other excuses the academic opportunities, and the toolbox includes the
tools to demonstrate continued professional development.
Let us go through those listed. Some of the reasons why you should participate in
• Don’t need to, I know what I do, so why bother? – annual CPD are listed above, but really it is becoming
PROVE IT – You say have you done it, so prove it. more frequently requested of the Institute, that
• Haven’t got the time to waste on that – entire organisations want their staff to participate in
BUT HAVE THE TIME TO LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA – what is demonstrating CPD by making use of the SyI CPD tool.
more important? We will come to the time bit later on.
• What is the point of it, why bother? – THE POINT IS, YOU Demonstrating CPD is fast becoming a ‘must have’ rather
ARE PROVING YOUR CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL than a ‘nice to have’.

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