Career Development Plan

Introduction
An integral part of the performance review process is the Career Development Plan (CDP). The Plan
identifies your strengths and areas of development as they relate to your career goals. Creating a Career
Development Plan will help you develop strategies to maximize your opportunities for meaningful work
in the future.

Since your career encompasses all your work experiences, your career goals could include development
needed to fulfill your current role, and/or development needed to move into future roles. Use this plan
for both scenarios. When setting your career development goals, focus first on your current role. Any
development you require to meet your current performance targets or leadership competencies should
take priority for development planning (i.e. any performance management rating less than 3). Once you
are meeting your current role’s expectations, you can begin development planning for future career goals.

The Plan is designed to be self-directed. With support from your manager and the organization, you will
determine your long and short-term career goals, assess your own developmental needs, create your
development plan to reach your goals and follow through with your plan. Your career development plan
should be an integral part of the performance management process you undergo with your manager.

The Career Development Plan includes materials to help you think about, plan for and articulate your
personal career development. Completing this process will help you to ensure you have the knowledge,
skills, leadership competencies and abilities you need to successfully achieve your career goals.

Before you begin….

Revisit your most recent performance review to identify your career interests and training requirements.
Copy this information onto the Career Development Plan.

The Career Explorer is an interactive, self-directed tool to help you create a picture of yourself by
identifying your interests, values, and skills that you already have. It helps you gather and capture a wealth
of information about yourself and potential work opportunities. This information may be helpful when
building your Career Development Plan.

How to use the Career Development Planning resources:

1. The Guide: Read through the guide to help you complete the Career Development Plan.
2. Career Development Plan: Use this form to capture your action plan for your career development,
including: your status in your current role and your future career goals; your development goal(s); steps to
achieve that goal(s); timeframes; obstacles you’ll face; resources you’ll need; and how to tell when you’ve
succeeded.

You should share your completed Career Development Plan with your manager to help him/her
understand your goals and plans and identify opportunities to incorporate your career goals into your
performance management plan. Your manager may wish to use a copy of your plan when s/he has Talent
Review Meetings for your division/department.

Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 1

 The Guide
Step 1: Complete your Background Information

Purpose of this Your background information provides a context for where you should focus your
step career development. Your status in your current role and your career goals will
form the foundation for setting your development goals.

The link to Review your ratings, actual results compared to targets and leadership competencies
Performance (if applicable). Summarize that information into a few sentences and write it in the
Management space provided in Performance Summary section of the Career Development
Plan form.
How to determine Review your career interests and abilities to determine your career goals. Think
career goal(s), about both what you want your career to look like in the near future as well as your
strengths, and long-term goals.
areas for Your short-term career goals should be achievable in the next one to three years.
development The successful achievement of your short-term goals should lead to your long-term
career goals, which may take more than three years to complete.
Step 1 Example
Strengths and areas for development
Career Goals: Review your past performance and career goals to identify your strengths and areas
“Move into supervisory for development. To identify areas of strength, consider what knowledge, skills,
role in two-three years. and competencies you have excelled in during your career.
Move into Director
level role in 10 years.” To identify areas for development, consider what knowledge, skills, and
competencies you have struggled with during your career.
Areas of Strength: To help identify both of these think about feedback (Feedback-type information
“Excellent technical may include: professional assessments; 360; personality type indicators; client
expertise” feedback; leadership competency assessment) you have received (from peers,
“Leadership clients, direct reports, managers, etc.) regarding your abilities and performance.
competencies of
decisiveness and What is it telling you? How do you interpret this information? What common
strategic orientation.” themes do you see? Is there an area of critical need that stands out? Who can
validate this for you? Based on this information, decide on your developmental
Areas for areas. It could be a competency, a skill or talent that needs development.
Development: Based on your past performance, strengths and career goals, prioritize your areas
“Impact and Influence” for development.

What next? Add this information to Career Goals, Areas of Strength and Areas for
Development sections of the Background Information page of the Career
Development Plan.

Additional Performance Management Resources:

Resources http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.360.364
The Career Explorer
http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.162.303.329

Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 2

 Step 2: Set your Development Goal

Purpose of this Goal setting helps you determine your priorities, get organized, make big decisions,
step and realize your dreams. Goal setting gives you long-term vision and short-term
motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize
your resources. Ultimately, this step will help you clarify and understand the
direction of your career.

The link to Your Performance Management Plan/targets or objectives are one source for
Performance identifying developmental goals. At the same time, look for opportunities to
Management incorporate your development goals into your Performance Management Plan.

How to set a goal Now that you’ve identified your developmental needs, choose your specific goal(s).
Don’t focus on too many developmental goals at once. An effective plan should
focus on two or three goals.
Consider both your short-term goals (one to three years) and long -term (three or
more years) goals. Short-term goals may be directly related to your current job or to
a position you aspire to in the near future. Also consider organizational goals,
government’s direction, the department’s business plan and the team or group
objectives.
Note: Training is an action step to achieve a goal.

How to write a Write SMART Goals – resource link to Performance Management Handbook
goal The Goal should be specific enough so that you know exactly what you’re striving
Step 2 Example for, measurable so you can tell exactly when the goal has been reached, action-
“When in a group oriented to indicate an activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is
situation, be able to practical and can be achieved, and time (and resources) constrained meaning that it
present my ideas and has a definite deadline for completion and realizes limited availability of resources.
opinions in a manner Be as specific as possible and indicate what behaviours exemplify success in this
that impresses and area.
influences others.”
What next? Add this information to Step 2: Development Goal section of the Career
Development Plan. Use one page per goal.

Additional Competency Dictionary for Leadership Roles in the Public Service of Nova Scotia
Resources http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.360.364.370#MCP_New
The Career Explorer
http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.162.303.329

Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 3

 Step 3: Write Your Action Steps

Purpose of this Once you have a well-formed Goal, you need some direction to follow to achieve
step this Goal. The creation of Action Steps gives you a list of the important things that
need to be done to achieve the Goal. It’s an action plan that allows you to track
your progress towards the goal. This is where you detail your project plan for your
own development.

The link to Your Performance Management form or appraisal may be a source of action steps.
Performance
Management

How to determine An Action Step should have three main parts:

action steps Action – what action will be taken?
Context – when, and where, will it take place?
Step 3 Example
Results – what will be the result of this action?
“Attend monthly
meetings with Ms.
Super Presenter and Types of developmental activities or actions that can be used to build skills and
accompany her in 3 competencies include:
situations when a major
presentation/meeting is • Practical on-the-job experience (joining a committee or project team)
taking place.”
• Coaching/mentoring sessions
• Special assignments (cross-functional team, task-force)
“Make at least 3
presentations or chair 3 • Increased responsibility
meetings with her in
• Self-directed study or reading
attendance and receive
feedback.” • Training
• Job transitions – change in work, people, location, scope

What next? Add this information to Step 3: Action Steps section of the Career Development
Plan.

Additional Competency Development Resource Guide:

Resources http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.360.364.370#MCP_New
Corporate Training and Development Programs

Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 4

 Step 4: List your Obstacles and Solutions

Purpose of this To help ensure that your career development goals are not sidetracked, it is helpful
step to consider the obstacles you may encounter in reaching your goals and identify
possible ways to overcome these obstacles.

The link to Operational needs must be considered when planning for development. Certain
Performance goals or target dates may not be realistic given operational demands related to your
Management current position.

What’s an An obstacle is anything that may pose a barrier to achieving your career
obstacle? development goals, such as:

• Limited time to devote to development

• Lack of financial support
• Lack of feedback or encouragement
• Manager is unsupportive of development

How to overcome Identifying what resources are available to you will help to increase the probability
obstacles and of successfully achieving your career development goals. You need to think about
identify solutions what types of resources you might need and where they will come from. There are
usually a number of potential solutions for overcoming a barrier, such as:
If you cannot take on additional developmental assignments due to your existing
Step 4 Example
workload, a potential solution would be cross-training with another team member.
Obstacle: “No time for
development.” If your budget for training courses is limited, potential solutions could include
choosing low cost options such as online learning or reading a book.
Solution: “Schedule
If you think your manager may not be supportive of your development, a potential
time in your calendar
solution would be to choose developmental activities that will directly benefit your
specifically for
manager and your department, such as taking on a project that is under-resourced
development and
or in trouble, or a task from your manager’s workload.
ensure your manager
supports this time Other resources that may be available as part of your solution may include:
commitment.” • Motivational support and/or coaching from a mentor
• Assistance from your department HR Consultant or HR Development
Consultant
• Time to work on your development
• Feedback and advice from those who are skilled in the areas you are seeking to
develop
• Corporate guidelines and toolkits for training and career development:
www.gov.ns.ca/psc/innovation/ or
http://www.gov.ns.ca/PSC/default.asp?mn=1.360.364
What next? Add this information to Step 4: Obstacles and Solutions section of the Career
Development Plan.

Additional Corporate Training and Development Programs

Resources Competency Development Resource Guide:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/default.asp?mn=1.360.364.370#MCP_New

Nova Scotia Government Career Development Plan 2006-07 5

 Step 5: Evaluate your Progress

Purpose of this By evaluating your progress, you will be able to establish when you are successful in
step meeting your training and career development goals.

The link to Your developmental goals and high-level action steps should be recorded in your
Performance Performance Management Plan for evaluation, especially those related to training
Management for your current role.

How to… Evaluation is closely tied to goal setting. By setting S.M.A.R.T. (specific,
evaluate measurable, acceptable, realistic, and time-specific) goals, you will ensure that their
achievement can be evaluated. If you do not think you will be able to evaluate a
Step 6 Examples goal, it probably isn’t meeting one of the S.M.A.R.T. guidelines.
“1. Receiving positive
feedback from mentor In addition to your own self-evaluation, you should have another source for
on at least 2 evaluation. In most cases, this person would be your manager. However, in some
presentations” cases, you may wish to have a ‘mentor’ provide you with additional evaluation
feedback on one or more of your goals. Another evaluation criteria may be the
“2. Successful target date you set for your action step(s).
completion of
certificate program by a Keep in mind that your Career Development Plan is not a one-time activity,
specific date.” rather a document that records an evolving process. It may need to be revised
“3. Receiving a as the year progresses, if you experience changes in your role or responsibilities, or
satisfactory if significant changes to your objectives are required. Regular review and tailoring
performance appraisal of your plan is necessary to make your development as effective as possible.
from Ex. Dir in the
following leadership The performance management process at the beginning of the year (goal setting),
competency: Impact and at the mid-year and year-end reviews should be used to formally revisit your
and Influence, level C: career development plan. This will help to identify opportunities where your career
calculates impact of goals can be aligned with your performance management objectives.
actions or words.”

What next? Add this information to Step 5: Evaluation section of the Career Development
Plan.

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