What is a Career Development Plan?
A Career Development Plan (CDP) is the road map that guides you from
Point A: choosing an occupation to
Point B: becoming employed in that occupation to
Point C: reaching your long-term career goals.
It is also referred to as an Individualized (or Individual) Career Plan or an Individualized (or Individual) Career Action Plan.
Select an Occupation
Creating a CDP is a critical component of the career planning process. Before you begin to draft your plan you need to select an occupation that suits your interest, values, and skills. To determine your occupational options or confirm your choices you could
• Complete a self assessment such as the Bridges Choices Planner http://www.bridges.com/ct
• Use the results of the self assessment to explore viable career options and choose (or confirm) your occupation
Set Goals
Setting goals is necessary for creating an effective CDP. Your goals should be something you want to achieve, a measure of your success. It is helpful to set short-, mid-, and long-term goals. These time lines help you check your progress and make changes if necessary.
• Short-term goals: these are goals you should be able to reach in 1 to 3 years
• Mid-term goals: these are goals you should be able to reach in 3 to 5 years
• Long-term goals: these are goals you should be able to reach in 5 or more years
Goals must be
• Conceivable – you must be able to express your goals
• Believable – you must believe you can reach your goals
• Achievable – you must have the interest, values and skills to reach your goal
Goals should be
• Definable – you should be able to define your goals within a designated time
period (i.e., short-, mid-, and long-term)
• Refinable – you should be willing and able to refine or modify your goals as
necessary. Flexibility and responsiveness is important.
Defining your Career Development Plan (CDP)
Now you are ready to draft your CDP. The components of the CDP are your chosen occupation, your qualifications for this occupation, and your goals for advancing your career.
Occupation
1. Your chosen occupation
a. Describe the occupation, why you selected this occupation.
b. Describe at least 2 companies with real job postings* Research employers and available positions. Include a brief description of the company/organization and how/why each company and position is a “good fit” for you. Consider such things as mission statements, values, work environment, location, etc.
c. Include copies of the job postings.*
*Web links are not considered real job postings. You may include web addresses as references, but you must include the job posting/description in your paper.
Qualifications
2. Your qualifications (Include your cover letter and resume specific to each job posting included in Step 1, above) – i.e., 1 cover letter and 1 resume specific to job #1, and 1 cover letter and 1 resume specific to job #2, etc. Your resumes and cover letters should be “customized” for each position.
Goals
3. Your short- term goals (Achievable within 1 year)
a. You’ve landed your first job (Refer to the positions described in Step 1, above).
i. Imagine you have successfully landed your first job Award yourself one of the positions described in Step 1, above. Identify the company and the position you’ve landed. Consider SMARTER Goals as you address the following
b. Performance – What do you anticipate accomplishing in your occupation/career and the time-line for achieving these goals?
c. Educational/Professional Development – What education and/or professional training is necessary to achieve your short-term goals or to help you reach your mid- and long-term goals?
d. Anticipated Barriers – List possible barriers to reaching your short-term goals and your plan for dealing with them (i.e., family responsibilities, required travel, relocation, other commitments, etc.)
e. Career Enhancements and Benefits – For example, networking, professional memberships, community involvement, etc. Be specific; include a list of organizations, clubs, professional groups, etc. and note how each is important to you in reaching your goals.
f. Measure of Success – How will you know you’ve achieved your short-term goals and are ready to move to your mid-term goals? For example, salary/wealth, title, personal life, etc.
4. Your mid-term goals (Achievable in approximately 3 years). Consider SMARTER Goals as you address the following
a. To what position do you aspire 3 years into your career?
b. Performance – What you anticipate accomplishing in your occupation/career and the time-line for achieving these goals?
c. Educational/Professional Development – What education and/or professional training is necessary to achieve your mid-term goals or to help you reach your long-term goals?
d. Anticipated Barriers – List possible barriers to reaching your mid-term goals and your plan for dealing with them (i.e., family responsibilities, required travel, relocation, other commitments, etc.)
e. Career Enhancements and Benefits – For example, networking, professional memberships, community involvement, etc. Do these enhancements and benefits change or expand at this range of your career? If so, how and what is the benefit of this change or expansion? Be specific; include a list of organizations, clubs, professional groups, etc. and note how each is important to you in reaching your goals.
f. Measure of Success – How will you know you’ve achieved your mid-term goals and are ready to move to your long-term goals? For example, salary/wealth, title, personal life, etc.
5. Your long-term goals (Achievable in approximately 5 or more years). Consider SMARTER Goals as you address the following
a. To what position do you aspire 5 or more years into your career?
b. Performance – What do you anticipate accomplishing in your occupation/career and the time-line for achieving these goals?
c. Educational/Professional Development – What education and/or professional training is necessary to achieve your long-term goals or to help you reach the next phase of your career?
d. Anticipated Barriers – List possible barriers to reaching your long-term goals and your plan for dealing with them (i.e., family responsibilities, required travel, relocation, other commitments, etc.)
e. Career Enhancements – For example, networking, professional memberships, community involvement, etc. Do these enhancements and benefits change or expand at this range of your career? If so, how and what is the benefit of this change or expansion? Be specific; include a list of organizations, clubs, professional groups, etc. and note how each is important to you in reaching your goals.
f. Measure of Success – How will you know you’ve achieved your long-term goals and are ready to move to the next phase of your career? For example, salary/wealth, title, personal life, etc.
6. What do you envision for yourself and your career after achieving your long-term goals? How will you spend the remainder of your career? What will your legacy be? How do you want to be remembered?
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