USF recognizes the importance of continually developing our employees to expand their skills and career potential. Career expansion doesn't always mean supervisory advancement; it can mean professional growth by gaining a deeper understanding of a specialized area.
Career development is a cycle of personal assessment, identifying goals and planning. This involves continuous learning. Each individual plays the most integral role in his/her/their own development process.
Use the tools located here as guides to personal assessment and career planning. The tools are useful for considering options that are available for career growth or progression.
Personal Assessment & Goal Identification
Who are you are professionally? Use the questions to gather information about your current knowledge, skills, abilities and interests.
1. Getting Ready: Reflect on your current job, future goals and untapped abilities.
A Series of Self-Reflection Questions: These questions can help you to begin thinking about your likes, dislikes, goals and abilities. Reflecting on these items can greatly assist you in your career development or job search.
What do you like most about your current job?
What would you like to do more of?
What do you like least about your current job?
What would you like to do less of?
What skills does your current job require? What is your current skill level in these
areas?
Two or three years from now, where would you like to be professionally?
What would you need to achieve now to accomplish this?
What new responsibilities or challenges would move you ahead?
Is there something more that you could do that would make a greater contribution to
your organization?
Is there a new task or role you could take on that would make better use of your talents?
What additional value could you provide? What would it take to "release" this?
What are you not "allowed" to do that you could do and would like to do?
What challenges would you like to face that might help you grow?
What would help you obtain more satisfaction from your work?
What changes could you make in your performance that would satisfy you more?
What new jobs, roles, abilities, etc. would you like to be better at?
What training, certifications, etc. would you like to obtain?
Source: Strategic Employee Development Guide, Robert Brinkerhoff and Rhonda Messinger
2. Take a Deeper Dive: View the video, Discovering Your Strengths (LinkedIn Learning 57 minutes) This course reveals how to uncover your strengths and talents, match them to job responsibilities, and develop a path to apply those strengths at work. Set yourself up for continued success with self-assessments and the ability to invest in yourself and make continual improvements as your career grows.
Need help accessing LinkedIn Learning videos? Learn about free USF employee access here.
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CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. This site provides a wealth of free resources, including self-assessments here.
Browse the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information covering many occupations.
Career Planning
After taking inventory via personal assessment, create a plan of action.
Once you've thought about where you are now and where you want to be in the future, a good action plan can steer you in the right direction. An action plan lays out the steps that you can take to achieve your big picture goal in the future.
View the video, How to Develop Your Career Plan (LinkedIn Learning 24 minutes).
- Need help accessing LinkedIn Learning videos? Learn about free USF employee access here.
Everyday Opportunities
In addition to formal training, consider everyday learning opportunities that might add to your experience, such as job shadowing. Remember that every workday is an opportunity to build your professional reputation. The way that you interact with co-workers, supervisors, students and community members is viewed by many people and one of them may be a potential employer. Use each day at work as an opportunity to develop a positive professional profile.
Formal Training Opportunities
One of the many great things about working at a public university is the opportunity for educational growth. At USF, there are many options, including the following:
Free Access to LinkedIn Learning
USF Employee Learning in Canvas
Live Webinars through HR Learning & Talent Development