Career Development Canvas

About

We all know the importance of having a clear career path, or at least heard of it (I hope). But sometimes, as a team manager or even an individual contributor, you might not always know how to practically implement a proper roadmap to create, and most importantly, develop a clear career path.

As mentioned in a Forbes article;

"... when career paths were dim or nonexistent, individuals tended to be less motivated, less focused, more uncertain. Though there are of course many types of employee motivators, monetary and non-monetary, the possibility of career advancement is an especially powerful one."

This template was created so that anyone can create a clear career growth plan, for yourself and/or your team, and have an easy way to track your progress as you develop the career that you want!

So who is this for?

I designed this miro template as a way to create an easy-to-use framework/ roadmap that anyone can use, for yourself or your team that you manage, to develop one's career and easily track progress and To Do's on the road to growth and achieving what you want in your career.

This can be used by yourself but I feel that it becomes a lot more effective when used with one's manager/mentor so that both of you can keep your growth trajectory in mind and tie in your daily responsibilities and tasks to what you want to learn and experience to achieve your professional goal.

How to use

1. The first step is to write down your career goal in the top left section titled 'Want'.

2. The next step is to write down your 'Why'. The purpose and reason that drives you and motivates you. Try to get as specific as possible. Go Five deep if you must (Ask why 5 times).

3. In the bottom left section, People I need to connect with, write down who you would feel is essential to connect with to help you along this path. It can be someone within or without your org (mentor) that you can approach for advice or tips or perhaps even sponsor your career development. As you connect with and create regular catch-ups with these mentors you can track progress via the Miro Kanban board.

4. In the bottom middle section, Skills I need to learn, make a list of skills you will need to learn in order to achieve the career you want. For example, if you want to become a UX designer write down the skills necessary for this profession. You can learn about the skills you need from the people you connect with.

5. In the bottom right section, Experiences I need to have, write down the actual tasks and experiences you should have that would enable you to take on that desired career. You can also learn what experiences you need from those you connect with (mentors).

6. The frame that is beneath the Career Development Roadmap can be used for when you have your discussions with your managers or mentors you've decided to connect with to help you develop the right skills and experiences necessary

The hope is that this template can be used to help develop a positive culture of growth and development across the entire team and organization. Happy growing!