Career development starts young … very young!
Children imagine what they want to be when they grow up. Ideas are tried on, developed, and set aside. New options are contemplated. As we move through our teen years, these musings can become more serious as we decide on:
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Post-secondary education
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Internships
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First real jobs
And so the process of career development starts — and never really ends until retirement (perhaps not even then).
Let’s look at how career development typically occurs and how this will impact your career planning processes. We’ll discuss the main factors affecting professional development and how to choose a meaningful career journey.
What is career development?
Career development is the lifelong process of learning new skills, finding purpose in your work, and advancing along in your career.
Career development is different from the development of specific skills, though it often includes this. For example, a career counselor might advise that you undertake some workshops particular to your chosen field. This would contribute to your career development.
Career development is also different from career growth, which is more about the big-picture vision you have for your career. To achieve your career growth goals, you need to develop your career by gaining new experiences and skills.
Why is career development important?
Career development is crucial for both individuals and organizations. It enables personal growth, skill enhancement, and career advancement, leading to greater job satisfaction and security. For organizations, investing in career development improves employee engagement, productivity, and retention. It also fosters adaptability, leadership skills, and overall economic growth.
Here are key reasons why career development is important:
5 steps of career development
Life is cyclical, and so is your career. Understanding the phases of career development will help you find your way throughout your career planning. Whether you’re fresh out of college or considering a career change, these phases apply.
What are the 5 phases of career development?
- Experiment with options
- Develop skills
- Pursue opportunities
- Level up
- Mastery (and boredom?)
Now let’s dive in a little deeper.
1. Experiment with options
During the career development process, some people get overwhelmed with too many options. But if you want to find a job you’re passionate about, career exploration is a key part of the process.
There are many ways to test out your career options. Just keep these two principles in mind:
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Be open when looking for opportunities to experiment. You might stumble across a career option you weren’t even thinking about.
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Remember, your career path doesn’t have to be linear. It's hard to plan for a career change, so there may be steps forward followed by steps back. The important thing is for you to get closer to the type of work you really want to do.
2. Develop skills
If you want to develop your career, you’ll need to build your skillsets. Whatever your career aspirations, you’ll need to have certain experiences to move forward.
Let’s say you want to transition from the accounting side of your industry to the sales side. You may know enough about your company’s product to manage account situations. However, you’ll need to grow your sales acumen. You can make a lateral move to a sales role at the same level as your former job.
Then, you can take advantage of development opportunities to grow your sales abilities. Over time you’ll gain the skills you need to succeed and get promoted.
3. Pursue opportunities
In other words … “get after it!” When you’re sufficiently skilled for new employment opportunities, ask for a promotion and new responsibilities. If your current role doesn’t have growth potential, start applying for new jobs.
Here are a few ways to look for new career opportunities:
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Get active on LinkedIn: you can reach out to recruiters or catch up with people from your network that are hiring.
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Use your other social media platforms: Instagram and TikTok are huge these days, and companies you follow might be hiring.
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Talk to human resources about your professional development goals: they might loop you in your company’s learning and development initiatives, which can help you get your next promotion.
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Work on career development planning with your manager: they’ll be excited to hear you’re motivated to grow in your role and might even offer some ideas to help you get ahead.
4. Level up
You’re closing your skill gaps and looking for new career opportunities. Now, it’s time to really focus on leveling up. What are your overall career goals? What do you want to achieve, both in the long-term and the short-term?
Here are a few ways to start taking career development to the next level:
5. Mastery (and boredom?)
Mastery of a role or a career is something many aspire to. Mastery is when we instinctively know the best way to navigate through challenges. We can do our jobs in our sleep because our years of experience have made it second nature.
You can choose to be conscious of that mastery and use it to level up yet again. Maybe you want to lead your company or start a business. Or maybe mastery makes you bored with your career. You could look for a new career path and start the cycle anew.
12 career development examples
Career development can take many forms, depending on individual goals, industries, and stages of a person's career. Here are some examples:
1. Pursuing higher education
- Enrolling in a graduate program (e.g., MBA, master's in engineering) to gain advanced knowledge and qualifications.
- Taking specialized courses or certifications (e.g., PMP for project management, CPA for accounting) to enhance expertise in a specific field.
2. Professional training and certifications
- Attending workshops, seminars, or webinars relevant to one’s profession.
- Earning certifications like Six Sigma, ITIL, or Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE).
3. Gaining work experience
- Completing internships or co-op programs to gain practical experience.
- Taking on challenging projects or assignments within a current job to build skills and demonstrate capability.
4. Networking and mentorship
- Joining professional organizations or associations related to one’s field (e.g., IEEE for engineers, AMA for marketers).
- Seeking mentorship from experienced professionals to gain insights and career advice.
5. Career coaching and counseling
- Working with a career coach to develop a personalized career plan.
- Attending career counseling sessions to explore career options and set goals.
6. Leadership and management development
- Participating in leadership training programs offered by employers.
- Taking on leadership roles in volunteer organizations or professional groups to build management skills.
7. Skill enhancement
- Learning new technical skills, such as coding languages, data analysis, or digital marketing.
- Improving soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving through training programs.
8. Job shadowing and rotational programs
- Shadowing a colleague in a different department to learn about other roles and functions within the organization.
- Participating in rotational programs that allow working in various departments to gain a broader understanding of the business.
9. Self-directed learning
- Engaging in self-study through online courses, tutorials, and reading industry-related books and articles.
- Using platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning to learn new skills at one's own pace.
10. Career transitions
11. Performance improvement
12. Entrepreneurial ventures
- Starting a side business or freelance work to develop new skills and explore business opportunities.
- Attending entrepreneurial workshops and networking events to gain insights into starting and running a business.
How to create a career development plan
Follow these steps to create a career development plan:
- Self-assess: Identify your interests, values, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Set SMART goals: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives.
- Research options: Explore career paths aligned with your interests and goals.
- Develop skills: Identify and acquire necessary qualifications through courses, certifications, or training.
- Gain experience: Seek internships, volunteer work, or challenging projects in your desired field.
- Network and find mentors: Join professional associations and seek guidance from experienced professionals.
- Create an action plan: Outline steps to achieve your goals with deadlines.
- Seek feedback: Regularly ask for input from supervisors, mentors, and peers.
- Stay motivated: Focus on your goals and celebrate achievements.
Review and update: Regularly reassess your plan to ensure it remains relevant.
How to develop your career within your organization
58% of companies think closing skills gaps should be a priority post-pandemic. That means many companies are putting robust learning and development programs in place, from tuition stipends to formal training sessions. You shouldn’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of free career development opportunities.
Here are a few ways to develop your career at your company:
- Take advantage of your company’s career development programs
- Create quarterly or monthly career development goals with your manager
- Keep track of your work accomplishments so that you can see progress over time
Ask for feedback from your manager and coworkers so that you can keep growing your skills
How to develop your career independently
Career development can be exciting. Just remember that work-life balance matters. Your career goals aren’t worth sacrificing your well-being. Here are a few quick ways to develop your career without getting your current company involved:
- Attend relevant conferences so that you can stay on top of trends and hear from industry leaders
- Build a solid network of people in your field so that you can trade career advice and help each other with job opportunities
- Take an online course about something you’re interested in, even if it’s totally unrelated to your current job
- Learn about different industries by volunteering, going to career fairs, or talking to friends who work in unique jobs
9 tips for successful career development
Career development is a big part of creating a career you’re passionate about. From learning new skills to embracing your natural talents, here are 9 ways to develop your career.
1. Embrace your strengths
The most effective path to growth is knowing your strengths. My favorite definition of strengths is from Marcus Buckingham.
“Strengths are those things that make us stronger and give us energy. Keep track of yours (and your kryptonite).”
For several weeks, keep a record of activities that leave you energized when you are finished. Include activities that make you feel drained as well. Look for patterns in both so that you can move your career towards (and away from) what you discover.
2. Identify your talents
It is difficult to identify talents in ourselves because they come to us so naturally. We often assume everyone else is equally capable.
Here are two ways to start seeing your natural talents:
- Ask others what they think. They see your talents objectively, and those that care about you will tell you the truth.
- Notice when you see others struggling with tasks you think are simple. Chances are you have a talent in that area.
3. Get to know your authentic self
I love the exercise called “I AM …” It involves finishing the sentence “I am …”, ideally with one word that describes who you already are … not who you hope to be.
Create a list that is 30-50 items long. Now start to filter it.
Which ones are learned or self-limiting beliefs? Which ones are rooted in who you are as a person? Which ones connect to your talents and passions? This exercise will help you get to know your true self. That will ultimately help you with your career development planning.
4. Express your “edge” clearly
The outcome of the “I AM” exercise is to be able to concisely express what you were born to offer most authentically to the world.
Everyone tells you to define your niche clearly. In my opinion, it is most important to broadly know the space in which we are most effective and energized.
As an example, I define my personal “edge” as: “I am a dynamic listener who facilitates progress for others through taking separate ideas and concepts to help synthesize new ideas and approaches.”
I currently choose to narrow where I offer that edge to coaching.
5. Turn around your “Yeah … but” thoughts
We often know where we want to go, but we then tell ourselves why we can’t get there. For example: “Yeah, it would be great if I were to return to school for an MBA … but I’ve got a young family who needs my time and my earnings.”
Listen to your “yeah … but” thoughts and then turn them around as they are unstated needs.
Returning to the example:
“For me to return to school, I will need to seek agreement with my partner on how we will manage the time commitments and any financial impact.”
6. Know your skill gaps
As your preferred career option becomes clearer, it is important to be objective about how we align with the required skills and experience.
Get clear about the competencies of the target position. Document what you have now and what you need to gain to be fully competent in the new position.
It isn’t necessary to have a “green light” on every required competency. But it is important not to have any reds and to have a plan to move through any yellows. For significant career changes, this plan may have a non-trivial timeline attached.
7. Map out your career development plan
For such timelines, build a 5-year plan and plot it over a reasonable timeline.
Life’s obligations (and a need for balance) still exist, so we need to plan for the shift. Plan how you will allocate your most limited resources: time and energy. Think about these questions as you create your plan:
- How are you allocating your time right now?
- What time and energy do you need to meet your career goals?
- What will you shift to make room for achieving your goals?
- What other actions will you need to begin to take as the gaps are closed?
8. Stay fluid throughout your career
We must remain open to what we discover throughout the phases of career development. As things change, we need to adjust our expected outcome accordingly.
Career progressions are like that. We are better off if we are not locked into a single outcome but rather open to all outcomes that give us what we are looking for. Success appears in surprising places.
9. Own the process
I don’t know where I heard it or saw it — perhaps in a training video – but when someone said that they needed a career manager, they were informed they already had one … “you’re it!”
Don’t give ownership of your career development to anyone as only you can manage your career.
However, once you’ve embraced that, be open to including others on your “board of directors.” Find mentors, job shadow, seek input, and network. But above all, own the process yourself.
Career development starts now
Whether you’re a new job seeker, a college student, or a seasoned professional who has already experienced a level of career success, it’s not too late to start paying attention to your career development.
Of course, the earlier you can start, the better. But as they say, better late than never!
Consider speaking with a career counseling expert. They’ll be able to assist you in getting on the right path toward meaningful employment.
At BetterUp, we’re passionate about growth and transformation across organizations. So, if you feel like you could use a bit of guidance, partner with a dedicated BetterUp Coach to help you pave your way.
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