The importance of continuous professional development (CPD) in the video industry

Whoever you are and whatever you’re doing, training and continuous professional development (CPD) is essential for anyone in the video industry to keep up with new tools and techniques.

If you work in the video industry, one way or another you are basically undergoing training all the time. The software — and so much of what we do is about software — changes so quickly that there are always new things to learn.

Look at the latest DaVinci Resolve 19 by way of an example. It dropped beta after beta with each version adding new tools and techniques along with the bug fixing that we tend to associate with beta releases. Each release was different, each release gave you something to learn, and that’s just one package. Add in all the other stuff you use day to day, from the operating systems on your desktop and mobile phone to the ways that your camera menu operates, and there is always something new.

Normally, you can keep up with it all incrementally; a submenu moves, a new feature lets you do something in a different way. But sometimes all this adds up into a massive tipping point, and suddenly a lot of things change at once as you realize there’s a whole new and better workflow available to you. 

As the pace of technological change accelerates so does the challenge of keeping up with it. But there are other reasons why training should be an essential part of your normal working life. Here are seven of what we reckon are the most important.

1. Keeping up with technology

Yeah, we’ve done this one. But just repeating it so you don’t forget. It’s all too easy to get left behind at the moment and it’s really vital that you continue to be able to deliver high-quality content and meet client expectations by being able to use the latest tools.

2. Improved career opportunities

Ensuring your skills and knowledge are always up to date makes you more attractive in the job market. And no, you might not need a job at the moment. But it’s a competitive world out there and you always want to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way or make the most of things if it all goes pear-shaped in your current gig.

3. Enhanced job satisfaction

Being trained up on the latest hardware and software means that you can do the best work you can all the time. Good for the ego, good for the soul, good for the pay packet.

4. Soft skills

Let’s not forget what HR departments like to refer to as ‘people skills’ and engineers sometimes dismiss as ‘soft skills'. There’s a very odd perception sometimes that things like communication, presentation skills, and leadership are innate and can’t be learned and improved on. They can and bumping these up can really help entire teams to function better.

5. Reducing employee turnover

So now is a good time to flip it and look at the importance of providing training to your staff if you’re an employer. CPD is linked to a lower risk of leaving current employment and training opportunities increase employees' intention to stay in their jobs by enhancing job satisfaction and commitment. This is particularly important in industries like ours where retaining skilled personnel is increasing crucial.

6. Addressing knowledge gaps

We all have them and they can get in the way. This is especially true if you work in a small team and people do individual things in their own area. While it’s unreasonable to expect Kier from Accounts to be able to slot into the chair of Angela from Editing while she goes kite-surfing in the Bahamas for a week, the key is being adaptable and knowing as much about the roles around you as possible. And for individuals it’s a case of being able to keep up with the latest innovations so they can best handle the latest challenges.

7. Feedback and networking

CPD helps you benchmark yourself and quantify the areas where you can improve what you do. Depending on exactly what sort of course you put yourself on, workshops, seminars, and industry events can even be a useful way of meeting other people in the industry. Networking as a verb makes our skin crawl slightly, but building networks and making friends and colleagues in the industry is the sort of thing that can make a career in it that much more enjoyable.

Options abound

We recently published a comprehensive list of training resources covering three popular NLEs in the shape of Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer. That is just scratching the surface of the training that is available to you in everything from creating video, from pre-production to marketing the final result. Training prices range from free to really rather expensive, are offered by manufacturers themselves or private organisations, and can be as simple as focussing on one new feature in some software or encompass a whole craft discipline. You can self-start, self-fund, or persuade your bosses that the investment is worth it (direct their attention to Point 5 above).

In other words, there really are plenty of ways to slice this. One thing that is indivisible though; if you want to keep up with a rapidly changing industry, you’re going to have to engage with continuous professional development at some point. Even if it ends up being a bit more sporadic than continuous, it's still a very beneficial thing.

tl;dr

• Continuous professional development (CPD) is crucial in the video industry due to rapidly evolving technology, software, and tools.
• CPD offers benefits such as improved career opportunities, enhanced job satisfaction, and the development of both technical and soft skills.
• For employers, providing training opportunities can reduce employee turnover, address knowledge gaps, and improve team adaptability.
• Various CPD options are available, ranging from free to paid courses, covering specific software features to entire craft disciplines, offered by manufacturers and private organizations.