Learning at Work Week

Career planning has become more important than ever in a world where careers no longer follow a simple, step-by-step path. The traditional idea of climbing a single ladder – doing what others before us have done and progressing in one fixed direction – no longer reflects the reality of our working lives. Today, careers are much more shaped by rapid change and individual choices, where we develop by building on our strengths, trying new things and staying open to possibilities.

Taking a proactive approach to planning your career helps you make sense of this more dynamic landscape. It allows you to define what matters to you, stay curious about your growth, and build the skills and resilience you need to flourish.

What you can do this week:

• Spend time reflecting on what energises you in your role and where you’d like to develop next
• Professional Services: Visit the Professional Services Career Development pages for guides, workshops, case studies and application and interview guidance and explore the Flourishing at Queen Mary resources 
• Academics: Visit the Academic Promotion pages to explore the Academic Careers Framework

Online learning gives you the flexibility to develop skills in a way that fits around your work. Queen Mary offers a range of digital learning platforms that allow you to learn at your own pace and revisit content when you need it.

LinkedIn Learning provides access to thousands of high‑quality courses across professional, technical and creative subjects.

The CPD training platform is Queen Mary’s central system for accessing and recording development activities, including workshops, online learning and mandatory training.

What you can do this week:

• Log in to LinkedIn Learning or the CPD platform and explore what courses are relevant to your role or interests (for example, try searches like project management, effective feedback or coaching skills)
• Schedule a small, realistic block of development time (for example, 30 minutes once a week) and consider how you’ll protect it
• E‑learning is most effective when it’s actively applied. Use a simple learn – apply – reflect cycle to help learning stick: 
  • Learn: Choose a topic you want to develop (e.g. coaching skills) and spend some time (e.g. 30 min) engaging with it through CPD or LinkedIn Learning (you can also use other resources such as podcasts, articles or books)
  • Apply: Look for an opportunity to try one idea in your role, such as using a coaching technique in your next one-to-one
  • Reflect: Ask yourself: How did it go? What worked well? What would I do differently next time?
  • Then repeat the cycle

Some of the most valuable development happens through the work we do every day. On-the-job learning allows you to stretch yourself and explore new areas through hands-on experience.

Queen Mary offers a range of opportunities such as qualification programmes, which allow you to gain a formal qualification while applying your learning directly to your role. In addition, project placements can help you gain skills and experiences beyond your usual role, while work shadowing offers insight into how colleagues in different areas of the University approach their work. 

What you can do this week:

• Explore the on-the job learning opportunities such as qualification programmes, project placements or work shadowing
• Identify a task or project that could stretch you slightly beyond your usual role. A conversation with your manager might help uncover suitable opportunities.
• Reflect on a recent challenge and note what you learned from it

Coaching and mentoring offer valuable space to think, reflect and learn through supportive conversations with colleagues. Both can help you gain clarity, explore options and take purposeful steps in your development.

Coaching is a structured, goal‑focused relationship that helps you bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. A coach will listen, ask thoughtful questions and support you to clarify your goals, explore options and create practical action plans. 

Mentoring provides longer‑term developmental support through a relationship with a colleague, whether that’s from Queen Mary or your other networks, who can share knowledge, experience and perspective. Mentoring can help you build confidence, explore aspirations and feel supported in navigating your career.

What you can do this week:

• Consider whether coaching or mentoring might support your current priorities
• Explore coaching and mentoring opportunities at Queen Mary

Another powerful way to learn is by pausing to reflect on your everyday experiences. Reflective practice helps you turn day-to-day moments into meaningful learning by thinking about what happened, your role in it and what you might do differently next time.

What you can do this week:

• Set aside just 10 minutes at the end of the day or week to reflect on one key experience
• Ask yourself: What went well? What was challenging? What did I learn?
• Explore the reflective practice guide to learn how to build reflection into your routine