IFSM 380 FINAL
Version: 0.0
Date: <ENTER DATE HERE>
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Presented by: YOUR NAME
IFSM 380: Managing and Leading in Information Technology
University of Maryland Global Campus
Worksheets adapted from: SBA Office of Disaster Assistance, Individual Development Planning Guidebook .
Instructions
You may want to refer back to the Week 1 Job Qualifications Self-Assessment for your assessment of your skills, knowledge, experience and education relative to the job posting that you reviewed.
Also all other assignments in the course may provide insight into areas you may want to develop.
You will also want to review the Individual Development Planning Guidebook published by the SBA Office of Disaster Assistance, from which the worksheets in this assignment have been adapted. The IDP Guidebook also provides important background information about how IDPs are used in the Federal Government and additional resources.
Although this assignment is not due until the final week of the course, Week 8, the materials are introduced in Week 4. It is to your advantage to work on the assignment gradually during the second half of the course and use the assignment as a part of a broader process of self-reflection about your individual personal and professional development.
As always, do not hesitate to contact your instructor for advice and guidance.
CURRENT CAREER ISSUES WORKSHEET
What are your career issues?
How much time and effort you need to spend at any one step in the process depends on your career issues. It is important to be clear about these career issues, so that you can develop an effective strategy for dealing with them. Career issues cover a broad spectrum, ranging from getting up to speed in a new job, to making a major career field change, or planning your retirement. The following is a list of statements that reflect the full range of career issues people face at one time or another.
Which ones are relevant for you now? Place an "X" in front of the statements that are true for you at this time.
☐ You are new in your job and must learn the basics to get up to speed and feel comfortable and productive.
☐ You have been in your job for a while and are striving for increased competence, in general.
☐ You need to improve your performance in certain areas of your current job.
☐ You need to update your skills or expertise to keep up with the changing technologies or state- of-the art knowledge in your line of work.
☐ Your job duties have changed recently (or will change), requiring some new skills or expertise on your part.
☐ Your job may be eliminated due to re-engineering or restructuring, and you want to begin "retooling" to be ready for future opportunities.
☐ You want to prepare for a promotion or move to the next higher level of responsibility.
☐ You want to broaden your skills or expertise to allow yourself more flexibility for future job moves.
☐ You want to change jobs within your current job category (minor career change), and...
☐ stay at your Organization
☐ leave your Organization
☐ You want to change job categories (major career change), and
☐ stay at your Organization
☐ leave your Organization
☐ You don't see much of a future if you remain in your current job, but aren't sure of your options.
☐ You want to plan your retirement.
☒ Other (add explanation below)
KNOWLEDGE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT WORKSHEET
Answer the following questions to identify what is currently going on around you and your organization. Note: If you are not currently employed, or you are not at all employed in an organization or sector that you wish to stay in, then you should respond to the following items with regard to the sector or job area you are interested in (e.g. cybersecurity, project management, data science). Some additional research may be required to anticipate future trends in a new area; this is very much part of the IDP process.
You should expect to write at least 4-5 sentences for each question. The space allocated below should not be considered a guideline for response length, the space will expand to the text you enter.
What changes do you expect to occur in the near future:
1. How is the mission of my organization/sector (e.g., bureau, office or division) changing? What other changes are occurring regarding our customers, services, work processes, organizational structure, reporting relationships and personnel? Is this a change of which I want to be a part or is it time for me to consider a move?
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2. What are the organization's changing needs regarding the workforce and what new expertise and skills will be required or desirable?
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3. What opportunities are available for developing this new expertise and skills (work experiences, training, rotational assignments, professional conferences, mentoring, etc.)?
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4. How might my role (job) change in my organization (field/industry sector)? How can I prepare for or develop new skills for these changes?
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5. New expertise and skills my organization (field/industry sector) wants/needs me to learn include...
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6. What new missions or projects in my organization (field/industry sector) appeal to me? What are the organization's (industry sector’s) future needs? What kinds of development activities would help position me for participation in another work project?
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KNOWLEDGE OF SELF WORKSHEET
You should expect to write at least 4-5 sentences for each question. The space allocated below should not be considered a guideline for response length, the space will expand to the text you enter.
To gain a better understanding of yourself, answer the following questions:
1. Of the new and recent developments in my organization or field, what interests me the most?
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2. What are my current strengths for pursuing these interests? What do I need to do to reposition my career so that I can get involved in these new developments?
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3. Is it time for me to consider working outside of my organization? If I am considering a complete career change, what experiences and learning would help reposition my career in the direction of my new interests?
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4. Of all the things I have done in the last 5 years (work and non-work related), what specific activities and functions have energized me the most? What developmental activities—work experiences, learning, skill building--would help me grow in or increase these energizing functions?
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5. Other things I would like to learn are...
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6. What non-work related issues do I need to consider that will likely impact my career plans (e.g., health, family, financial, and social)?
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INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE OF SELF AND WORK ENVIRONMENT WORKSHEET
You should expect to write at least 4-5 sentences for each question. The space allocated below should not be considered a guideline for response length, the space will expand to the text you enter.
To address the match between you and your career goals and organizational needs, answer the following questions:
1. In what areas do my interests and personal plans overlap with the changing needs of my organization? Any areas of overlap represent "first choice" development targets?
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2. What knowledge, skills or abilities are important for increasing or maintaining the quality of my performance in my present assignments?
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3. What knowledge, skills or abilities would help prepare me for opportunities or roles I might have in the future?
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4. Compared to the development needs suggested by these factors, other interests for development that are important to me include...
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GOAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEET
A development goal is a statement of a desired outcome or accomplishment that is specific, observable and realistic. Based on the data you have generated about yourself on the previous worksheets and your specific career issues, write some career goals for the next 1, 2 and 3 years and answer the following questions. You can use the list and definitions of competencies from pages 26-28 of the SBA IDP Guidebook to assist you.
Responses in this section may take the form of bullet points or lists.
1. What I want to accomplish and the competencies (knowledge/skills) I want to acquire or improve by this time next year are…
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2. What I want to accomplish and the competencies (knowledge/skills) I want to acquire or improve by the end of the second year are...
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3. What I want to accomplish and the competencies (knowledge/skills) I want to acquire or accomplish by the end of the third year are...
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4. What barriers or obstacles might prevent me from accomplishing my goals on time (e.g., time, money, and other commitments)?
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5. What can I do to overcome these barriers or obstacles? What resources are available to help me?
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METHOD FOR TAKING ACTION WORKSHEET
To achieve your career developmental goals, identify the actions you plan to take by placing an "X" in front of all applicable actions. In planning your career moves, consider all of the following possibilities.
Remember that "Up" is not the only way:
☐ Lateral Move: Change in position within or outside an organization, but not necessarily a change in status or pay.
☐ Job Enrichment: Expand or change my job in order to provide growth experiences for myself. Exploration: Identify other jobs that require skills I have and also tap my interests and values. Job rotation is an example.
☐ Downshifting: Take an assignment or job at a lower level of responsibility, rank, and/or salary in order to reposition my career for something new and interesting to me, or to achieve a better balance between work and personal life.
☐ Change Work Setting: No significant change to my job duties, but have a different boss, organization or employer.
☐ No Change: Do nothing, but only after careful consideration.
There are a wide range of potential actions for me to consider in order to achieve my goals. Put an "x" next to the actions that you might consider.
☐ New assignments in my current job Rotation to a different project/job
☐ Seek a mentor(s)
☐ Volunteer for a task force or process action/re-engineering team
☐ Obtain on-the-job guidance from someone who is more expert in a specific area
☐ Attend seminars/conferences (on-site and off-site)
☐ Attend commercial/contracted courses
☐ Experience self-paced learning (books, videos, computer-based instruction, etc.)
☐ Pursue an IT certification
☐ Conduct informational interviews
☐ Move to a new job within my organization
☐ Move to a new job outside of my organization
☐ Plan retirement
☐ Other (add explanation below)
Summary / Lessons Learned / Reflections on the Process
In this section, you should provide any lessons learned from this week’s assignment (also combined with earlier assignments in the course. Reflections on the process are also appropriate or how you might use the results of your work in planning your individual development and career progression. This section should be at least one page, a minimum of 400 words.
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