Career Development Plan

What Is a Career Development Plan?

A career development plan is a written listing of the short- and long-term goals that a worker has pertaining to the current and future jobs, and a planned sequence of formal and informal experiences to assist the worker in achieving their goals. The goals should be linked to the person’s potential.

Career development plans are usually optional. But they should be recommended to all employees, so that their long-term career expectations are realistic.

Top

Purpose of a Career Development Plan

Ultimately, the purpose of a career development plan is to assist a worker in achieving their goals. In doing so, an organization also increases the likelihood of retaining the employee, because the manager has helped the worker consider how to achieve career goals within the organization, rather than by leaving it.

The career development plan also helps workers set realistic expectations of career growth, by suggesting time frames for certain milestones to happen (like promotions) and identifying areas that a worker needs to develop before becoming eligible for the next career milestone. Note, too, that career development plans are just that; they do not represent commitments to the worker.

Top

Format of a Career Development Plan

• Long-term goals
• Short-term goals
• Development experiences in the short term (1 year) for the worker:
• Summary statement
• Education and training
• Job assignments
• Developmental activities

Top

Example of a Career Development Plan

Top

Process for Preparing a Career Development Plan

1. Meet with the worker to identify their long-term career interests. Specifically, ask the worker to state goals for the short term (1 year) and long-term (2-5 years). Also ask the worker about their current job: whether they are interested in receiving any special types of assignments, participating in any training courses, or contributing in new ways to the department. Record the information.

When asking the worker about short- and long-term goals, politely inquire about family and community goals, because these might affect work. For example, the manager might ask the worker whether or not they could consider relocating.

2. After the meeting, consider resources within your organization that can help the worker achieve his or her goals. Also consider helpful resources outside of the organization. The manager might also consult a human resources development specialist for assistance in identifying resources. Note that many managers use their own career development as a reference point for guiding the development of others. What worked for the manager might not work for the worker, however.
3. Prepare the plan.
4. Meet in-person with the worker to present the proposed plan, and based on feedback, revise it.
5. File the career development plan in the worker's personnel file.
6. At the end of a year, meet with the worker to assess progress against the plan, changes in career goals, and revise the plan.

To separate the performance plan and the career development plan in workers' minds, consider prepare these two in different months.

Top

Project Management | People Management | Business Management | Information Design Models, Processes, and Techniques | Home

(c) Copyright. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002. Saul Carliner. All rights reserved.