6 Steps to Build a Personal Development Plan for Career Success

Are you a fresh graduate looking to land your first job? Or, maybe you have had a bunch of unsuccessful job applications recently. Whichever the case, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to make yourself a suitable candidate for your dream job. Aside from looking for more opportunities and polishing your CV, you can also use this time to build a personal development plan. As a life-long learner, self-improvement should always be part of your personal and professional goals. 

What is a personal development plan?

Now, you must be wondering, what is a personal development plan? In a nutshell, it is a self-evaluation system for highlighting your strengths, identifying your weak points, mapping out your objectives, and improving your skills. It will serve as a guide to setting the right short- and long-term goals, sticking to a realistic timeline, and staying motivated to get to where you want to be in the future.

Who needs a personal development plan?

Whether you are a fresh graduate or an experienced employee, you will benefit from having a personal development plan. When done properly, it can help add value to you, both professionally and personally, through developing your skills and competencies. It may even help you use your hobbies and interests for exploring other career paths!

If you are a fresh graduate, then you can use your education as a good foundation for this plan. On the other hand, if you already have some years of working experience, then you can tailor your personal development plan around your work history.

Now that you understand what a personal development plan is, you might wonder: “What are good personal development goals for work?” “What do you write in a personal development plan?” “How do I use this plan to increase my chances of getting hired in my dream company?” So if this is your first time to learn about this strategy, the following steps will give you some ideas.

A step-by-step guide to creating a personal development plan

1. Set your goals and priorities.

Every plan begins with establishing goals and setting priorities. For this, think about the things you really want to achieve in life and set them as your long-term goals. Dream as big as you want! 

Even if you are a fresh graduate, your goal can be as big as becoming a manager or department head of your dream company. If you have been working for years, maybe it is time to think about putting up your own business.

If your long-term goals seem difficult, complicated, or overwhelming, don’t worry. They won’t (and shouldn’t) stay that way. Your personal development plan is there to help you break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks and steps. This is where priority setting comes into the picture. Identify which of these chunks and steps are short-term goals. These things and tasks are those you can start doing right now to make your long-term goals happen.

2. Do a SWOT analysis. 

The SWOT analysis will serve as the backbone of your personal development plan. SWOT, which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, will help you determine what helps or holds back your self-improvement. Its goal is to boost your strengths, take advantage of opportunities around you, manage your weaknesses, and reduce threats to your success. Without it, you might have a hard time achieving your long-term goals.

As you can probably already tell, this step also takes one of the biggest chunks of your personal development plan. So, you have to carefully and honestly assess your current situation based on the four areas mentioned above. Ask yourself questions like:

STRENGTHS

• What am I good at?
• Which fields, tasks, or skills do I excel in?
• What resources or abilities do I have that others do not?

WEAKNESSES

• What tasks do I struggle with? 
• What skills am I missing?
• Which personal and professional areas or aspects do I need to improve? 

OPPORTUNITIES

• What are the current opportunities in my chosen field?
• Who are the people in my network that I can ask for help?
• In my current workplace, are there any projects or learning opportunities that can help me develop new or different skills?

THREATS

• What holds me back from working on my goals? (e.g. finances, lack of tech knowledge, competition, etc.)
• Are there any bad habits or weaknesses that can hinder me from achieving my goals?
• Are there any external factors beyond my control that may become threats?

3. Set your deadlines.

So, you have done your SWOT analysis. You have set clear goals and priorities. The next step is to set your deadlines. And remember: Make sure these deadlines are realistic. 

For example, if you want to pursue an academic career as a professor, you need a sensible timeline to base a reasonable deadline for yourself. Research on how long it would likely take for you to fulfil all the requirements to make that happen, from enrolling and finishing a graduate course to applying for teaching jobs. 

Also, you can take a look at your short-term goals and how long it will most likely take for you to achieve each of them. Ask your peers, professors, and managers about their own experiences to help you set realistic timelines for each task. Set deadlines according to your priorities. And, make room for setbacks and delays. Grounding yourself with reality factors will help you avoid getting discouraged when you hit pitfalls and challenges.

4. Develop your technical and transferable skills.

Of course, everything that you came up with from all that planning and analysis needs to be put to good use. This is where all the action happens. Look out for short courses and learning opportunities you can take to learn new technical skills or upgrade your current abilities. 

If you are looking to move up in your current company or organisation, find out if any additional training or workshops will help you qualify. Take advantage of online learning platforms to help you get better at crucial transferable skills like time management, communication, and creativity.

Finally, use this step to address whatever it is that keeps you from achieving your goals. Rewire your thinking, get rid of bad habits, eat and sleep better, cut down on unnecessary spending, and use your time wisely!

5. Reach out to your support network. 

Networking can be overwhelming especially if you are a fresh graduate. But, that doesn’t mean that you don’t already have a support network. You don’t have to do everything by yourself, and you are surrounded by people who can help you. 

Maybe you have a friend who can help you come up with an effective time management strategy or study routine. Maybe you have a mentor or professor who you can ask about learning opportunities. Or, maybe some of your relatives can connect you with a company with jobs that fit your passion and qualifications. 

List them down in your personal development plan and make sure to reach out to them. Who knows? All you need to do is ask! 

6. Track your progress.

Finally, don’t forget to monitor your progress. Looking at how far you have come will boost your confidence and get you motivated to move on to the next task. Reflect on your achievements so far and evaluate the areas where you didn’t do so well.

If you notice that you are not meeting your goals within your set timeline, identify the roadblocks and update your plan accordingly. If everything goes according to plan, take pride in your hard work and keep the momentum going.

It is never too early or too late to put together a personal development plan. Let it be the anchor of your life goals. Use it to keep you focused to make your dreams happen. Remember that wherever you are in your development plan, you are already a much better individual than when you started. Keep going and trust the process!

Does your personal development plan include keeping an eye out for employment opportunities? Create or update your JobStreet profile today and search for #JobsThatMatter. Don’t forget to check out the Career Resources hub for more tips on job searching and career advancement.