Career and Self Development

Proactively develop self and career through continual personal and professional learning. Developing an awareness of strengths and weaknesses, learning to navigate career opportunities, and network. Seeks to build relationships within and outside organization and current profession. The ability to navigate and explore job options, understand and complete the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Sample Behaviors

  • Show an awareness of own strengths and areas for development.
  • Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback.
  • Develop plans and goals for one’s future career.
  • Professionally advocate for oneself and others.
  • Display curiosity and seek out opportunities to learn.
  • Assume duties or positions that will help one progress professionally.
  • Establish, maintain, and/or leverage relationships with people who can help one professionally.
  • Seek and embrace personal and professional development opportunities.
  • Participate in further education, training, or other events to support one’s career.

NACE Center for Career Development and Talent Acquisition®

Developing Career and Self Development

  • Meet with a CAP Mentor and Career Coach
  • Complete the Strengths Finder assessment
  • Attend events in HireWarrington
  • Participate in networking events
  • Read books and journals relevant to your field of interest
  • Job shadow professionals
  • Seek a mentor in your field
  • Complete career interest assessments
  • Identify your personal values and goals
  • Develop technical and functional skills
  • Create a career timeline from internship to retirement
  • Identify career opportunities that align with your strengths, values, skills, and goals

What does growth look like?

LevelTypeDescription
1Exposure
  • Recognizes the value of self-reflection and goal setting in career exploration
  • Classifies one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values, and experiences relevant to career goals
  • Identifies potential careers and next steps for career exploration
2Interaction
  • Uses one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values, and experiences to explore career options and map necessary next steps
  • Selects a list of career options based on one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values and goals
3Participation/ Proficiency
  • Integrates one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values, and experiences in communication to develop relationships with stakeholders potential career areas
  • Differentiates between career options to select an opportunity best aligns with one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values and goals
  • Carry out the responsibilities in an internship or other relevant work setting
4Expertise
  • Assembles a network of professionals aligned to one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values, and experiences and career options
  • In an internship setting, advocates for experiences aligned to one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values and goals
  • Reflects on the development of one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values and goals to determine areas necessary for further professional growth and career goals
5Mastery
  • Creates and/or recognizes opportunities for networking and mentoring among and outside of one’s professional network
  • Self-advocates for opportunities for continued growth and skills, strengths, knowledge, values and goal development related to one’s career options
  • Creates opportunities for continued development of one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, values related to one’s career goals