Where you’ve landed in your career is a result of the many steps you’ve taken in professional development. Maybe luck had something to do with it or perhaps people you’ve known may have helped you along the way, but there had to be some plan in place to get you from Point A to Point B. If you’d like to develop greater skills, choose a new career altogether, or narrow your expertise, you’re going to need a professional development plan.
What Is a Professional Development Plan?
Builders need blueprints. Orthopedic doctors need X-rays. Serious professionals need a professional development plan. This is a comprehensive and personalized document that highlights one’s skills and competencies, short- and long-term goals, and areas that need improvement. This document helps busy professionals stay on top of getting from one stage to the next through realistic and actionable steps of continuous learning and development.
Why Create a Professional Development Plan?
Life, work, family and what happens in-between can cause distractions. Creating a plan can help maintain focus, track progress, and reduce the chance of veering off track. Sharing this plan may open doors not even thought of or show the leadership team one’s seriousness to move forward in one’s career. Another good reason to create a plan is that it can boost motivation, develop a sense of urgency, and help with resilience.
How to Write a Plan
Although this may seem like a monumental task, it’s rather simple. The first and most important step involves an honest self-assessment, kind of a professional look in the mirror. It involves evaluating one’s current skills, interests, areas of expertise and knowledge – in other words, one’s professional strengths.
Next, set realistic goals based on identified strengths. These can be “bigger picture” or more comprehensive goals like getting a promotion, starting a new career, or starting a new business. Each goal represents an important step that needs to take place to achieve the big picture. Smaller goals include applying to become an LLC or talking to a mentor. Medium-sized goals include rearranging one’s current work schedule or making changes in one’s financial plan to go back to school. And then there are long-range goals that will take time, patience and money, like earning a higher degree or starting one’s own business.
Final Thoughts on Having a Professional Development Plan
Although luck and knowing the right people may help one’s career, it might be better to bet on something more stable and reliable, like a professional development plan. It can be not just a blueprint of the short- or long-term future, but a source of encouragement and commitment. Sticking to the plan and checking off accomplishments can go a long way in a professional’s career.