Career Development Definition, Importance & Overview

Before start discussing this topic, let us tell you what career development is first. Career development is a series of activities or the on-going/lifelong process of developing one's career. It also refers to managing one's career in an intra-organizational or inter-organizational scenario. Career development involves training on new skills, moving to higher job responsibilities, involves training on new skills, and moving to higher job responsibilities.

Career development is connected to the goals and objectives set by an individual. It starts with realizing self-actualization and self-assessment of one's area of interest. Then the interests are matched by the available career options. But first, that individual needs to train himself to achieve the skills needed for the career path chosen by that person. Then after acquiring the desired competency, that person has to perform well to achieve the goals set by him/her.Career development helps an individual to grow not only professionally but also personally. It helps to learn new skills like leadership, time management, communication and management and etc. it will help individuals to shape their careers.

Importance of Career DevelopmentCareer development has many advantages, such as attracting top talent, job satisfaction, retaining employees, financial returns, etc. Every employee is working in an organization looking for a career development that will take him in the right direction. A career should be planned in a way that moves forward. It provides the framework with skills, goals, awareness, assessment, and performance, which helps an individual to move in the right direction and achieve all goals in life. Good career planning is always useful for individuals to succeed in the field.

Career Development StrategiesThe development of one's career depends on many factors. Strategies to improve someone's career can be driven either by the company or that individual.By CompaniesTraining by companies can help employees learn new skills. Companies help in providing many opportunities to develop leadership, management, etc. This is all done through the training period by the company.By EmployeesIndividuals can boost their careers on their own. This can be done through constant evaluation of their skills using techniques like taking the help of professionals.

There is no doubt about that the job-hopping mentality has become more common, organizations recognize this trend and take counteractions to foster an atmosphere of growth where employees are able to recognize the opportunities for gain and advancement that exist within the organization. They help employees chart a path that may carry them through the entirety of their working life, knowing that when they hire an employee, it’s benefiting both the employee and employer if this new position is seen as a career and not simply a job.

Uncertainty and its relevance to career development There is no doubt that the world of work continues to change at a very high rate. Many people still underestimate the uncertainty that constitutes a modern career and that the ability to thrive in this uncertainty will define success for both the organizations and their employees.