School is letting out, which means it is time for summer.
Which also means, finding new ways to keep your kids entertained, and to develop a new structure for the grownups since you no longer have school to drop off the kids to while you’re at work.
And there is also that vacation bug-a-boo.
Yes, summer is the one season that seems to change a lot of habits and routines. It also can be a time for self-improvement, or fun, or lots of sleeping in.
Let’s take a moment to discuss the idea of self-improvement.
We have all heard of, or even received ourselves, that “summer reading list.” You know, the list of recommended books that was created to expand our horizons and teach us some new things about the world we live in. Or maybe just to appreciate the art of good writing.
The bottom-line purpose of the summer reading list is to improve ourselves in some way. And if we happen to be entertained by what we read, then all the better. The idea of self-improvement during the summer can be valuable for many of us, and why not take advantage during the summer when you have vacations and other free time more available to you than during the school year?
If you are in occupational health and safety work and you are open to improving your reputation and add value to your position within your company or agency, maybe your summer reading list could be preparing for certification as a Certified Safety Professional, or CSP.
To earn a CSP designation takes several steps, and is not just based on your experience. There is a Complete Guide to the CSP available as a downloadable PDF, which walks you through the entire process – which can be done in a summer.
Imagine returning from your summer vacation with a nice tan, a smile on your face and three strong letters at the end of your name.
The guide can help you through the steps, and even determine your eligibility to pursue the CSP designation. It is an intensive exam process, but it can really help you develop not only more knowledge for you to do your job better, but the designation also means you know your stuff and that you are one of the top safety pros in the business (this designation isn’t handed out like candy).
In relation to this, you can see a recent salary survey to gauge how much the CSP designation might be worth to you – it’s certainly gong to be more than the cost of the exam! This information can help you with that next negotiation in the fall, after you say your spent your summer vacation getting better as a professional.