What is Career Development
Career development involves taking correct actions to produce and increase skills and to get ready for upcoming job opportunities, is meant to encourage the growth and self-improvement.
Career Development Programs
The most common career development programs offered by organizations are:
- Mentoring
- Coaching
- Job rotation and
- Tuition Assistance
Mentoring
Mentoring is a developmentally oriented relationship between senior and junior colleagues or peers. Mentoring relationships, which can occur at all levels and in all areas of an organization, generally involve advising, role modeling, sharing contacts, and giving general support.
Coaching
Employee coaching consists of ongoing, sometimes spontaneous, meetings between managers and either employees to discuss the employee’s career goals and development. Coaching need not be the ordeal many managers think it is. The secret is to take advantage of what some HR consultants have called “coachable moments” i.e. opportunities that occur in the midst of ongoing work for valuable career counselling.
Here are five common cues from employees that can open the door to coachable moments:
- An employee demonstrates a new skill or interest.
- An employee seeks feedback.
- An employee expresses an interest in a change in the organization.
- An employee is experiencing a poor job fit.
- An employee mentions a desire for development opportunities.
Job Rotation
Job rotation involves assigning to various jobs so that they acquire a wider base of skills. Broadened job experience can give workers more flexibility to choose a career path.
Tuition Assistance Program
One of the career develoopment programs by organizations is tuition assistance programs to support their employees’ education and development. Tuition and other costs of educational programs (ranging from seminars, workshops, and continuing education programs to degree programs) may be entirely covered, partially covered, or covered contingent upon adequate performance in the program.