Career Planning - An Example of My Personal Development Plan

A common question in an interview is, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Unfortunately, this is a tricky question to answer for many of us. As the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar noted, "The problem is lack of direction, not time. We all have twenty-four-hour days."

So, how do we get some direction in our lives and careers? Career planning is essential if you want to achieve meaningful goals for your career development. According to Indeed.com, a career plan is a personal action plan and should include the starting point, the destination, the gap, and the route you plan to take to close the gap (Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).

Below is an example of my career plan utilizing a template found on Coursera.com at: https://blog.coursera.org/template-inside-how-to-build-your-career-development-plan/

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Career Development Plan

Summary Statement

My current position is as a master's student, and my goal is to obtain a career in instructional design focused on leadership development that allows me to become a consultant and coach in the realm of leadership development.

Goals

In 1-2 years, I will:

• Obtain a position and gain experience in Instructional Design

• Investigate organizations focused on leadership development that fit my goals.

• Identify skills gaps towards long-term goals and work towards improvement.

In 3-5 years, I will:

• Move into an ID role focused on building leaders within organizations.

• Build my portfolio towards a consulting/coaching role within an LD organization focused on developing leaders at all levels.

Skills audit

Current Strengths

• Communication skills, in-person as well as grammar and writing.

• Research skills, experience, and understanding of statistics and processes.

• Openness to opportunity and flexibility – looking to learn, open to ideas.

• Organizational and Time management skills

• Goal-oriented – focus on results and performance

• Technical – I have a background in IT and the technological industry

• Leadership experience in previous jobs

• Project management skills in previous jobs
  

Skills Gap Analysis

Goal	Skills	Gaps
Improve Creative Output	Improve ability to utilize creative ideas to aid in learner transfer and understanding.	Need to work on understanding what is possible, how to implement it, and ways to combine knowledge for the best possible outcomes.
Improve understanding of ROI	Ability to utilize resources to build a clear return on investment for organizations to use and track.	Understand costs and how to convert benefits to dollars.
SME communication and conflict management	Ability to moderate disagreements, keep discussions on point, manage different types of personalities within a room, and confidently call on knowledge.	Nervousness and lack of confidence in my current knowledge set as a newbie to the industry. Imposter syndrome looming.
Acquire technical experience with standard products used in the industry.	Ability to utilize standard products to develop courses, including LMS, Adobe, Video, etc.	Have mainly an introductory knowledge of each of these technologies. Increased experience and understanding of managing tools, and producing videos, animations, and games.

Resources

Current resources I can call on:

1. Masters in Instructional Design

2. Bachelors in Psychology and Computer Management Systems

3. ID Learning and Development Certification

4. A small network of experienced IDs, including relationships from Toastmasters, Teachers, and students currently working in the field.

5. Access to a more extensive network through the Walden University Alumni

6. Membership to ATD – Association for Talent Development

Resources to add

1. Certification in Adobe Educational Products

2. Training and experience in LMS, including Articulate and Canvas, much of which can be found on-demand as e-learning for free.

3. Attendance and Interaction with ATD local chapters

4. A mentor in ID that specializes in leadership development

Action Plan

Action Item	Associated Skill or Goal	Rational
Utilize current networking relationships to gain employment, including help with resumes, organization contacts, and advice.	Obtain a position in L&D as an ID.	Job experience is where most employee development occurs (Noe, 2020).
Continue education by obtaining a certification in Adobe education products and utilize online learning and videos for a deeper knowledge of LMS and development tools.	Improve current skills and acquire technical experience with standard products.	Formal education and certification can help add a skill I do not yet have that is desirable in the industry. Informal, self-paced learning allows learning as needed (Noe, 2020). Upskilling helps employees improve performance and prepares them for future positions (Noe, 2020).
Seek out my local chapter of ATD and join the network to learn and interact. Seek out a mentor in my network.	Improve creative output and understand jobs in my area and organizations focusing on leadership training.	Interpersonal relationships help increase knowledge about the industry and provide a support system throughout my career (Noe, 2020). ATD group mentoring and a personal mentor can help introduce me to more creative design ideas.
Seek out projects and volunteer work.	Gain a better understanding of SME management and ROI. Volunteer to work on my friend's project, who is building a CTO consultancy. Learn and practice ROI, speaking to leaders and SMEs	Although this work may not be paid, it does help provide experience in dealing with groups of leaders (CTOs) and building proposals with cost/benefit analysis. Volunteer and temporary assignments help to develop current skills in a new context (Noe, 2020).

Summary

A career development plan can help link your day-to-day actions to your big-picture goals. Action plans help you stay focused, adjust where needed, and move forward purposefully (Coursera Staff, 2023). Planning for your development prepares you for future roles and changes in your current job, market, or technology (Noe, 2020).

Although a career plan may change as you progress (goals change as well as actions), revisiting your plan and maintaining it with your intentions can pay off. For example, according to an article on Forbes.com, people who develop a career plan make less random decisions that lead to dead ends, are seen as more well-rounded employees thanks to closing skill gaps, and are more motivated to push themselves professionally (Baluch & Main, 2023). Career planning and development is a must for professional development.

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References

Baluch, A., & Main, K. (2023, May 1). How to create a career development plan. Forbes Advisor. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/career-development-plan/

Coursera Staff (2023, November 29). How to create a goal-oriented career development plan. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/articles/career-development-plan

Indeed Editorial Team. (2023, March 10). 5 steps to create a career development plan for yourself. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/steps-to-create-a-career-development-plan

Noe, R. A. (2020). Employee training and development (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.