What’s an individual development plan and why do I need one?

For postdocs who are looking for employment, an IDP can help.

An IDP, Individual Development Plan, can help postdocs to define and pursue their career goals. For postdocs with a STEM background, visit myIDP for more information. If you lean towards the humanities or social sciences, ImaginePHD is a great resource. Both IDP templates are free. No matter where you are in your postdoc journey, there’s never a bad time to work on your plan – especially if you are thinking about a career pivot.

How does it work? Start by creating an account and logging in. Then, go through the exercises that will identify your skills, interests and values. This will give you a list of careers that match your highest scores. This is good information and will give you something to think about. 

But don’t stop here. 

The IDP then instructs you to read books and articles about these career paths, attend events and network with people who are in these jobs. This is a bit of work, but trust me, it’s better to do this sooner rather than later. Spend a few months researching these career options and logging what you learn into the platform. After you’ve done this research, you’ll get to decide on a Plan A and Plan B for your career path.  

Next, the IDP helps you identify career advancement goals, skills goals and projects that will help you ramp up your marketability for these careers. It will prompt you to make SMART goals — Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-bound goals. It also requires you to seek out mentors who will help keep you accountable for these goals. 

The whole process takes about a year. And working your way through the IDP process is a great thing to discuss in your regular meetings with your supervisor and mentors. 

Is it a lot of work? Yes, but it’s a great way to organize yourself in preparation for when you are on the job market. 

Stay tuned for future Lunch & Learns on this topic.