Improve your career prospects with our goal-setting tips
posted 05 Mar 25
When evaluating your career options and considering how you can progress in your role, it’s worth looking at your development areas and what you can do to practically fill skill and knowledge gaps.
One of the best ways to do this is to create a Personal Development Plan (PDP). In this article we share some useful guidance on how to do this.
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For more advice on how to progress in your career, access our 2025 Thrive Hub
What is a PDP?
A Personal Development Plan is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a plan for your personal development.
It can be daunting sometimes trying to figure out where you’re going in the future. There are so many options, so many possibilities, it can almost be overwhelming. Like many things, it can be helpful to write it down.
By creating a plan for your progression, you can break it down into stages with realistic goals and ways to achieve them to make it more digestible.
How do I create a PDP?
The first place to start is to ask yourself: where do I want to be?
You don’t have to map out your entire career. It may be that you’re interested in:
- Getting a promotion in your current role
- Staying in your current role but developing your existing skillset or learning new skills
- Changing careers entirely
Once you know where you want to get to, you can start to map out how to get there.
“In today’s competitive job market, standing still is not an option. It’s vital to take control of your career by setting clear, actionable goals that keep you moving forward. Employers are increasingly looking for proactive professionals who continuously develop their skills. Having a solid PDP not only boosts your confidence but also makes you a standout candidate in a rapidly evolving workforce” says Emma Gregson, Director, Transactional Finance.
Break it down into manageable chunks
Let’s say you’re a Finance Manager and your goal is to be promoted to a Finance Controller. It may seem quite daunting looking at the gap that exists between where you are and where you want to be. By breaking it down into steps, it’ll be much more achievable.
Right now, your focus shouldn’t be on becoming a partner. It should be on developing the skills and knowledge you need to get you there. These may be:
- Commercial awareness and market developments
- Communication
- Information analysis and research
- Creative problem solving
- Leadership and influence
Or any number of other skills. No one knows better than you what you’re good at and what you need to work on. Here’s your chance to begin.
Work with your manager
Whilst your development is something only you can truly focus on, that doesn’t mean you need to do it entirely alone. Speak to your manager regularly about your development. They’ll be able to provide feedback on which areas they think you need to build, how best to do that and what support the company can provide you with. They’ll also be able to put you in contact with other people in the business you can speak to for more advice about progressing in the company.
One of the most important reasons for speaking to your manager is to make them aware of your desire for development. By making them aware, you will not only be able to voice your need for support, interest in vacancies and commitment to long-term progression, but also the need for time in the working day to complete your development tasks. With their support and backing, you’ll find learning and growing much, much easier.
Extra tips to support your development
Our 2025 Thrive Hub contains more information on enhancing your personal development, as well as many other topics that will help you achieve professional goals.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a new role, our free toolkit guides you through each stage of the job process from optimising your search, to creating a killer CV, to securing the job.
