Welcome to this week's episode of the Modern Mentor Podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Cook. And today's

episode is all about building your career development plan. Because yes, I think you need one. So let's talk about how you can

build it and rock it. The other day, a client said to me, I feel like I'm as smart as everyone I work for.

When is it going to be my turn to be the one in charge? Maybe you've never said it out loud,

but have you ever had some version of the same feeling?

I suspect we all have at some point. Sometimes the professional waiting game can feel eternal.

When do I get to be the boss? Or the one interfacing with the client? Or the one to decide or hire,

or teach, or lead the meetings? These aren't just idle questions. They're a little thing

I like to call career goals. They're the aspirations that drive us. But asking questions is only a start.

If you're going to meet your goals, you need a career development plan. So let's talk about what that is.

The words career development plan sound like they're describing something really formal

and specific, like a business or marketing plan.

But in reality, your career development plan can be as informal as you'd like.

As long as you define the purpose of your plan and you understand how it serves your career

goals, you can design and rock a plan

that will get you where you want to go. So let's talk about that. Career development is simply a

strategic set of actions you take to grow in your career by building your knowledge, skills,

and experience. And your career development plan is a written account of those actions.

Do you need a written plan? No, but it is a great way to stay motivated and committed to your

own career. A strong career development plan will position you to move further and faster,

expanding your definition of success and empowering you to achieve it on your

terms. So how do you build one? The good news is you only need two things to build a career

...