Developing Myself for My Next Role

To create your personal development plan, begin by assessing your current status using the SWIM method: Strengths, Weaknesses, Interests, and My Values.

• Strengths: Refer to the selection criteria for your role, seek feedback from colleagues and managers, and reflect on previous PDRs to identify areas of strength and contribution.
• Weaknesses: Pinpoint areas for improvement by recognising challenges and desired skill enhancements.
• Interests: Compile a list of professional and personal inspirations to uncover motivational patterns.
• My Values: Define your core values and consider their impact on your career trajectory.

Utilise Oxford’s Career Weaver for comprehensive exercises that help you explore your values, strengths, skills, and motivations at work.

Now that you've evaluated your strengths, it's time to explore your options. Follow these steps to broaden your horizons:

1. Prioritise Your Goals:

   • Reflect on what you seek from your career now and in the coming years. Consider factors like personal fulfilment, challenges, reputation, and financial rewards.

2. Explore Interesting Roles:

   • Begin by researching potential roles and gather job adverts that catch your interest. Save the role descriptions and selection criteria from these adverts. You can explore opportunities through:
     • The University's jobs site.
     • General job boards such as jobs.ac.uk.
     • Social platforms like LinkedIn.
   • If you're unsure where to start, seek guidance from a trusted confidant, your network, manager, or mentor.
   • Talk to people who know about the roles that interest you. Ask them what the role involves and the routes others have taken to get where they are.

3. Conduct a Gap Analysis:

   • Compare your strengths and skills with the requirements of the roles you're considering. Identify any areas where you may need to enhance your skills.
   • Don't be discouraged by gaps. Consider your broad range of experiences, including previous roles and voluntary work, which may demonstrate your suitability for the role. Remember, meeting all essential criteria perfectly may not always be necessary. Sometimes, being good enough suffices. You can even utilise opportunities for learning and personal development as evidence of your motivation.

Drafting a detailed plan increases the likelihood of achieving your goal. Follow these steps when creating your plan:

1. Define Your Career Objective: Select one of the identified options and outline your career goal.

2. Reflect on Conversations: Consider discussions with critical friends, your manager, or mentor. Reflect on potential routes discussed to attain your goal, including:

   • Applying for vacancies or secondments.
   • Exploring informal secondment opportunities.
   • Taking on new responsibilities within your current role for essential experience.
   • Pursuing work shadowing opportunities to clarify your next steps.
   • Engaging in self-directed learning.

3. Prioritise Pathways: Determine which of these avenues is most likely to propel you towards your goal.