Did you know that November is National Career Development Month?
This month-long awareness campaign – spearheaded by the National Career Development Association in 1967 – highlights the importance of personal career development and planning as well as the importance of employers providing tools for their employees’ development.
Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting what employees, employers and recruitment consultants can do to help.
In this first part we’re featuring how employees can help with their own career development…
Career development and Employees
Research conducted in 2022 by Gartner suggests that only one in four employees is confident about their career journey. They also found that one-third of employees understand how to progress in their career path over the next five years and less than half of employees feel their manager’s feedback supports their career goals.
Whether you’re starting your first job, navigating your long-term career trajectory or approaching retirement, investing in your career development is always important.
There are several ways in which you can invest in your career including:
Setting goals – set realistic short and long term goals for yourself. BUT remember to make sure that they are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
Seek out new learning opportunities – Take advantage of any learning opportunities that you may come across – this can be a free course online, reading an industry specific book or even a discussion with someone in your personal or professional life.
Develop your personal and professional network – Career development isn’t an isolated process. Lean on and develop your networks so you can ask advice in order to achieve your goals. Perhaps even ask someone knowledgeable in an area you are interested in developing to mentor you.
Ask for feedback – Make sure you ask questions so you get different perspectives and feedback. You cannot develop or change without understanding where you might be failing or falling short of a goal.
Career development is a lifelong process, so make sure you take a moment this month to reflect on your career goals. Seek out the tools to help nurture your development and make strides towards a more fulfilling career
Please get in touch to find out what tools we can provide to help elevate your career!
