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Learn about the latest podcasts, leadership and development education, and events happening!

Development nerds newsletter

The Highs and Lows of Being in L&D

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If you’ve been in Learning and Development (L&D) for longer than it takes to microwave your lunch, you already know: this job is a wild ride. One day you’re launching a program you’ve spent six months building, learners are engaged, leaders are praising it, and your feedback form has you tearing up with joy. The […]

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Development nerds newsletter

What Does a Career in L&D Really Look Like?

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You’ve seen the LinkedIn posts.“Just launched a leadership program!”“Facilitated a values-based onboarding session with 80 people!”“Feeling grateful to do this work!” And hey, genuinely, love that for them. But if you work in L&D, you also know that’s just the highlight reel. What doesn’t make the feed? Getting a Slack message at 5:42 p.m. asking […]

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Development nerds newsletter

What L&D Professionals Do?

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And Why It’s Time to Stop Saying “I Train People” If you work in Learning & Development (L&D), you’ve probably said this at least once: “I train people.” It feels simple. Harmless. Accurate enough. But it’s also the reason so many L&D professionals are misunderstood, undervalued, and underused. Saying “I train people” is like a […]

Podcast

Development nerds newsletter

Become a Business-Critical Partner in L&D

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(The Shift That Changes Everything) This is the moment everything changes. The moment you step into business-critical Partner in L&D. If you’ve made it to Part 4 of this series, then you already know, L&D can’t keep waiting. The shift we’re talking about isn’t something to put on next year’s goals list. It’s something that […]

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Measure L&D impact; ROI

How To Measure the Impact of L&D

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(Way Beyond ROI) Let’s just be honest for a second, most L&D measurement? It’s garbage. Yes, we track things. We collect data. We report on course completions, engagement rates, and maybe a few knowledge checks. But let’s be real… does any of that actually prove impact? You could have a 98% completion rate and still […]

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Candice Mitchell; Talent Development Nerd

Align Learning with Business Strategy

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Why Training Should Come Last, Not First Most L&D teams have this completely backwards. They start with training. A manager asks for a leadership course, so they build it. A compliance policy changes, so they create something new. Someone says, “We need a workshop,” and before you know it, the learning team is sprinting to […]

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Candice Mitchell; Talent Development Nerd

Choosing the right L&D qualification for your career

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Why This Decision Matters If you’ve been exploring professional development in Learning & Development (L&D), you’ve probably wrestled with a big question: Do I need a certification to succeed? We’ve tackled that before, and the answer? It depends. But today, we’re going a step further, because once you decide you want to invest in learning, […]

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The Best Certifications for Learning and Development Professionals

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Let’s start with the main question: Do Certifications Really Matter in L&D? If you’re an L&D professional, or thinking about becoming one, you’ve probably wondered: Do I need a certification? And: What are the best certifications for Learning and Development Professionals? And… Will it help me land a job? Will it make me more credible? […]

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Candice Mitchell; Talent Development Nerd; Talent Development Academy

Do you need certifications to succeed in L&D?

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Learning & Development: A Real Profession with Real Skills If you work in Learning & Development, you’ve probably had to explain, more than once, that no, an off-the-shelf compliance module is not a leadership development strategy. And yet, one of the biggest questions I hear is: Do you need certifications to succeed in L&D? If […]

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Candice Mitchell, Talent Development Academy, Talent Development nerds

How Integrated Talent Strategies Drive Business Success

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Imagine a rowing team where every member has an oar—but while some pull forward, others row in circles. Despite the effort, the boat barely moves. This scenario mirrors many businesses today when Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, and Talent Development work in silos. When these three functions join forces, they create integrated talent strategies that not […]

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