How do I create a career development plan? 

So you’re starting to think about your career development and the steps you want to take but you have no idea where to start? Well, you’re in the right place! In this post, we will break down how to create a career development plan!

It can be really helpful to have a clear roadmap of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. Navigating a career and figuring out what you actually want to do can be SO overwhelming! But hopefully, these steps are a stepping stone in the right direction.

Before we get started, it’s important to remember that a development plan can be used for short-term or long-term goals. Whether you want to map out the next 10 weeks, 10 months or even 10 years, getting it all out on paper can be a helpful tool.

Step 1. Where are you right now?

This is a great place to start. Where are you right now? This is the perfect chance to reflect on your current role and identify any strengths or motivations you have. At this stage you can also map out your level of education and if you think anything might be missing to help you progress to the next stage of your career.

Some great questions to ask yourself at this stage:
What am I doing when I feel the most excited at work?
What motivates me?
What are my strengths?

Step 2. Where do you want to go?

Seems like a pretty open-ended question but now is the time to really establish your end destination. What is your end goal or your dream career path? Is there anything that could be stopping you from achieving this?

To start this level of thinking, pinpoint where you want to be in your career in the next 5 years. Think big, envision future opportunities mixed together with aspirations and jot down anything that comes to mind.

We’re asking you to think about big questions which can be a little daunting so let’s take it back a step and consider some smaller or more realistic goals. Is there anything you can immediately do that helps you take your next step? An online class or certificate? Attending an event to network?

Step 3. What’s stopping you?

When putting pen to paper and really thinking about your career, it’s very common to come across gaps in your experience or skills that you ideally need to fill. But that’s okay! The point of a plan is to set out steps to help reach the end goal.

Once you’ve identified where you want to be in 5 years do some research into what those jobs/organisations are looking for. Job descriptions will set out requirements they are looking for which will help you to clearly visualise the skills you have and what’s missing.

Now you can plan out how you’re going to fill those gaps – maybe there are online courses or training that you can do in your current role? It’s worth having a conversation to understand the resources you have!

Once you’ve considered these steps, you can start to map out a plan and set some tasks, goals and deadlines to help you identify how you will achieve your end goal. Remember to think SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound)!

Following these steps can be a really great starting point when considering your career path. Working is a big part of our life so it’s important that you’re satisfied and most importantly happy!

If you’re searching for a new role that offers career development and progression check out our open roles!