Career development is a process of self-assessment, goal setting, action planning and implementation. It can take many forms, from learning something new at work to pursuing a formal course of study in your field.
Developing your career isn’t just about learning skills that you can apply to your job; it can help you understand what type of position you want, how you want to manage people and what types of projects and clients you enjoy working with. It also helps you figure out what your value proposition is and how you can leverage it to achieve your career goals.
A career development plan should be as specific as possible to keep you motivated and focused on reaching your goals. It should also include steps to fill in any developmental gaps. For example, if you want to move up to a leadership role in your organization, it’s important that you start developing the necessary traits such as communication, self-confidence and ability to trust others.
You can find a variety of resources to help you develop your career plan, including online courses, mentorship programs and industry events. You can also seek out the career development office at your college, or reach out to advisors or faculty members who can offer additional guidance.
If you want to keep progressing within your current company, encourage employees to network across departments. They might learn from the manager of a different department how to reach their next goal, or they might meet someone from marketing who sparks an interest in graphic design that leads to a new project for them. Career development tips