What is career development? Why does it matter? Who is it for? Is it available on LinkedIn or elsewhere? Where can you find resources?
If any of these questions and more about career development have crossed your mind, you are probably not alone.
What is career development?
The definition of career development varies depending on the website you visit. Some definitions refer to actions taken by an individual to manage one’s career through professional development and goal setting, and training needed to achieve career advancement in the same organization or a different one.
Other definitions include a roadmap where a company invests in developing an employee as a future leader and a commitment to their internal mobility.
Whether you are guiding yourself or receiving guidance from within your company, everyone who is a working adult needs to manage their career.
Even if you are self-employed, you need to keep learning to grow, so you may want to engage in workshops or courses to upskill and reskill online or enroll in courses at a university or Google what you seek. You will find a plethora of learning opportunities.
Check out your local SCORE.org workshops, meetup groups, Eventbrite, industry groups, and more.
Don’t forget to explore opportunities through the Great Careers Group by registering for upcoming learning and networking opportunities at the bottom of the events page.
As a nonprofit leader who also runs a for-profit business, I invested three days this week attending an excellent online nonprofit conference by Community Boost. I have my calendar blocked for August 22, 23, and 24, 2023, for the next one.
Why does career development matter?
Career development may first start with an internship opportunity that might be available through a high school program, or it may be available or required in an undergraduate or graduate university program.
Your internship experience may lead to acquiring a first job, and professional development will continue throughout your career until retirement.
Along the way, you may discover you are a multipotentialite with many gifts, talents, and passions or a hybrid professional identity.
Nonetheless, to keep growing, you need to keep learning.
Who is career development for?
Professional development is for everyone who is a working adult. Everyone should participate in lifelong learning.
There are also jobs available for career professionals which, according to the National Career Development Association, include “college/university career center staff, school counselor, private practice career counselor, counselor educator, human resource professional, career coach, workforce development personnel, government/military and corrections counselors, and other career service providers.”
I am a member of the NCDA and am speaking on March 8, 2023, at the New Jersey chapter of the Career Development Association on Understanding the Applicant Tracking System. This workshop is a train-the-trainer program, and I am very excited to participate.
Is career development available on LinkedIn or elsewhere?
You can learn so much on LinkedIn. Rumor has it that only 3-4% of individuals on LinkedIn who actively publish content. I have learned so much from reading posts or newsletter articles, flipping through carousels, listening to LinkedIn Lives and LinkedIn audios, and attending events posted by others that lead to Zoom events or other platforms.
You can search by keyword topic for people, companies, groups, jobs, posts, products, groups, events, schools, courses, services, and hyperfocus on specific targets based on filters, You can also engage in Boolean searches.
Where else can you find resources?
Many resources are available on the NCDA.org page and the links above. Aside from Google, you might explore BING, ChatGPT, and other AI with your targeted questions and search. There is more information out there than you can even imagine. AI is mind-blowing (and no, I did not use it to write this article or any article … yet!)
Keep learning, as knowledge is power!
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn for bright ideas to manage your career.
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists three years in a row!
- Register on the events page for upcoming online career education events.
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL and the LinkedIn Company Page
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career education and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management. She is also the President of ChemPharma.net and is on the leadership team of the Thought Leadership Branding Club.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn profiles, Lynne is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
This article is also published on: vista.today, montco.today, delco.today, bucksco.today, and in the author’s LinkedIn newsletter. A list of articles can also be found in a Google doc.
