My company is sending me on a few training courses over the next few months. They are investing a fair amount of money in these and I would like to make the best of the opportunity. Do you have any advice for how I can do this? Getting the most out of your training is crucial and the following checklist will hopefully ensure that your time is not wasted: Before the course Think about the course objectives and how they can make a difference to your work. Decide what you want to get out of it and write it down. When getting ready remember that what you take with you in terms of attitude and motivation is more important than notebooks and pencils. During the course Be pro-active - the more you put in, the more you'll get out. Also don't hog the floor - let others have their say - you may just learn something. Use the course as a networking opportunity - often you can learn a lot from the chatting in the breaks. Don't try and make notes on everything, you'll miss half of what is being said. There is nothing worse than concentrating on writing everything down only to be given a pile of handouts at the end. After the course Write down an action plan of how you will utilise the new skills you have learned - and copy it to your boss. Follow up your network contacts and keep in touch. Update your CV with the date of the course and its content. Phil Sheridan is Managing Director of Robert Half. Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruiting firm providing placement services for accounting, finance and office support. There are more than 360 Robert Half locations in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information about Robert Half please visit www.roberthalf.co.uk