Career Development
Understanding Career Development
- Career development refers to the process where an individual manages their own career in an intra- or inter-organisational scenario.
- It encompasses activities that improve skills, raise awareness of opportunities, enhance employability, facilitate decisions, and enable career goals to be reached.
- These activities could be initiated and provided by the individual, their employer, or even professional organisations.
- To act in their own best interest, employees should actively participate in their career development and not rely solely on their employers.
Benefits of Career Development
- Career development benefits both individuals and organisations.
- It helps individuals achieve personal career goals, improve self-esteem, gain financial stability, and attain job satisfaction.
- Organisations benefit from having a motivated workforce, reduced employee turnover, enhanced company image, and the ability to attract and retain top talent.
Factors Influencing Career Development
- A variety of factors can influence career development, including personal values, opportunities available, level of ambition, and skills or qualifications obtained.
- Life circumstances or events can also impact an individual’s career development, such as the necessity to relocate or changes in personal commitments.
- An individual’s physical and mental health could also play a role in shaping their career path.
Role of Employers in Career Development
- Employers can support employees’ career development through various initiatives like training programmes, providing opportunities for growth, or offering mentoring schemes.
- Employers may also provide information about career development options, give feedback on performance, identify development goals and provide opportunities to achieve these goals.
- It’s crucial for employers to recognise the importance of career development as part of their efforts to retain talented staff and maintain a competitive edge.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a part of career development where professionals enhance their abilities and knowledge through training, courses or work experience.
- CPD is often a requirement in professional fields to ensure individuals are keeping up with current standards and developments in the industry.
- It provides opportunities to develop new skills, increases competency, and enhances career prospects.
Role of Recruitment, Selection and Employment
- At different stages of a person’s career, the recruitment, selection, and employment process might be encountered multiple times.
- How an individual handles these situations can have a huge impact on their career development, whether it’s a matter of applying for promotions or taking on new roles in different organisations.
- Mastery and understanding of these processes are, therefore, integral parts of career development.
Career development is essential for job fulfilment and success. It involves gaining new skills, experiences and knowledge, which ultimately enhance employability and job satisfaction. Consideration of career development informs personal goals and choices, and is also highly pertinent to the recruitment, selection and employment processes in businesses.