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We can talk about how your career development plan should be constructed, how it should allow for possible changes in career path along the way, but what do you actually put into it?

Anything you want. That may not be the answer you were expecting to hear but it’s the right one. There is no right and wrong content to your career development plan. It is for you to decide its direction. Only you can decide its goals so it is for you to decide what it is composed of. However, perhaps the following will help you make some of those decisions.

The point of you career plan is to help you outline what you want to do then break that outline down into achievable career steps. It doesn’t all have to be written in stone – some careers won’t allow that and a degree of flexibility is necessary because you will certainly meet obstacles along the way. However, you must start with where you are and at least a certain number of career targets. You must also write it down and refer to it.

First you have to look at your current employment position and your current qualifications. Then you need to look at what the next step is. What qualifications will help you achieve the next level or what courses should you take? If you are successful, what happens after that? How far can you sensibly and logically take that progression?

Are there things which you can do which are outside the generally accepted qualifications and courses for your career but might put you forward as the one best suited? Are there magazines you should subscribe to in order to become more knowledgeable about your profession? Are there websites or blogs that will keep you abreast of developments? How can you put yourself in a better position to succeed?

Each of those things is an element of your plan. Each should be written down and referred to. Most importantly, they have to be acted upon – otherwise you are going nowhere!

A final important element in any career development plan is your mental state. Not just your academic abilities but your motivation. How do you feel about the pursuit of your career goals? Are they really your targets or are they perhaps from someone else? Friends and family mean well, but they’re not you. If the goals are not really yours either they will be difficult to achieve.

Everybody gets down sometimes. Things don’t always go to plan. That’s life. At times like that it’s easy for your career development plan to have all kinds of negative feelings associated with it. Examining whether those feelings are real or passing is not easy to do but it is necessary. Maybe you just need a bit of positive reinforcement?