Top 10 companies in the US for professional development opportunities

Continuing professional development (CPD) for several industries is vital to ensure that you’re not left behind in the digital era.

Learning doesn’t end when you graduate, so for those who have several years of working experience, it’s especially important to be sure that your skills are current so you don’t lag behind those who have recently graduated.

Rather than hiring new staff, CPD allows existing staff to upskill or reskill and advance knowledge within their respective professions. It also allows employees to take on more responsibility and earn a higher salary while achieving job growth.

As many professionals seeking CPD opportunities are working full-time, online courses are usually the most cost-efficient and convenient way to upskill.

During a pandemic, it’s also important to upskill through CPD courses as the job market is becoming increasingly competitive. If you’ve been furloughed, spending some time on professional development courses can get you hired faster as you will stand out among other job candidates.

More and more companies today recognise the value of continuing professional development programmes for their staff as it offers them the opportunity to make a more meaningful impact on the business. Some tech giants offer their own CPD courses while others choose external training providers.

Comparably recently released the annual Best Companies for Professional Development 2020, which represents the highest-ranked companies for professional development from employees who anonymously rated their career growth opportunities.

The ranked list is divided into top 50 large companies (more than 500 employees) and top 50 small/mid-size companies (less than 500 employees).

Comparably analysed anonymous survey feedback from employees working across 60,000 U.S. companies large and small, and the rankings are based on their ratings of the opportunities to learn and grow inside organisations.

Employees were asked questions such as whether they felt challenged at work, how often they got valuable feedback on how to improve, and whether they had a mentor.

It’s not surprising that companies like Apple, Gitlab, and Microsoft are on the list, as they are known to offer in-depth training and certification programmes.

Consider applying for a job with these companies if you are an individual looking for professional development opportunities so that you can leverage on their training and certification programmes to upskill yourself.

Here are the top companies for professional development, ranked from highest to lowest.

Top 10 companies for professional development

Large companies:

1. GitLab – San Francisco, California

2. Apple – Cupertino, California

3. LexisNexis – New York, New York

4. Microsoft – Redmond, Washington

5. Insight Global – Atlanta, Georgia

6. Sage – Atlanta, Georgia

7. HubSpot – Cambridge, Massachusetts

8. Zoom Video Communications – San Jose, California

9. Bell – Fort Worth, Texas

10. Whole Foods Market – Austin, Texas

 Small and medium-size companies:

1. Salsify – Boston, Massachusetts

2. GoSite – San Diego, California

3. Verisys Corporation – Alexandria, Virginia

4. Contentstack – San Francisco, California

5. EQRx – Cambridge, Massachusetts

6. Fuel Cycle – Los Angeles, California

7. Newsela – New York, New York

8. Assurance – Bellevue, Washington

9. Branch – Redwood City, California

10. TaxJar – Woburn, Massachusetts