WEST CENTRAL COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE INC.

Career Preparation
Module 3: Personal Development Plan
Learning Objectives:

At the end of this module, you expected to:

• Understand what a personal development plan is.

• Use a SWOT analysis.

• Know how to carry out a SWOT analysis.

• Construct a personal development plan.

Activity 1: Answer the following questions.

1. What is your inkling about Personal Development Plan?

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2. Is it necessary to have a Personal Development Plan? Why?

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Introduction:

To achieve success and happiness in your education, career, and personal life, you should
continuously improve your knowledge, skills, and experience. This is known as personal development,
which is a continuous lifelong process.

Personal development is beneficial for you as an individual and also for businesses and
society as a whole. If you are making the most of your abilities and skills, this will positively impact
your life and others around you. According to the NHS, learning new skills can improve your mental
wellbeing, as it gives you a sense of purpose and boosts your confidence.

A simple and effective way of keeping track of your personal development is by completing a
personal development plan. If you don’t have a plan, it will make it difficult for you to focus, and you
are unlikely to meet your goals – whatever these may be. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail
to plan, you are planning to fail”.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you find yourself now. It is never too late to start
your personal development plan. Most people have completed one at some point during their
education or careers. If you haven’t, there is nothing to worry about, and there is no time like the
present to start planning.

This Module will help you learn what a personal development plan is and how a SWOT analysis
can help you identify things that could help or hinder your progress. It will also give you tips on how
to write a personal development plan and what to do after you have completed it.
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What is a Personal Development Plan?

A personal development plan, which is also known as a PDP, is an action plan that you
can use to identify:

• Your individual goals and what you want to achieve.

• Your strengths and weaknesses.

• The areas you need to improve and develop to meet your goals.

• What you need to do to achieve your goals.

• Anything that could hinder your progress.

A PDP is a form of self-evaluation and self-reflection that is typically used in higher education
and the workplace. However, it can also be a beneficial exercise in your personal life. For example,
you may want to learn a new language before travelling overseas, and a PDP can help you achieve this
goal.

In the workplace, a PDP is completed as part of an employee’s Continuing Professional

Development (CPD), which is defined by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
(CIPD) as:

“A combination of approaches, ideas and techniques that will help you manage your own
learning and growth”.

Employers will sometimes use PDPs as part of their appraisal process, which is known as a
Performance Development Review (PDR).

Benefits of a PDP

The benefits of a PDP are:

• It provides you with clear goals.

• It helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• It improves your employability.
• It improves your performance.
• It increases your motivation.
• It helps track your progress.
• It improves your sense of purpose.
• It enhances your mental wellbeing and reduces stress.

Overall, a PDP gives you the best possible chance for success and maximizes your potential.

Using a SWOT analysis

You can use a SWOT analysis as a starting point to help you create your PDP. SWOT stands
for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. You can use these four areas as a framework
to identify what could help or hinder your personal development. If you don’t analyze your SWOT, it
is unlikely you will succeed in achieving your goals.

When you are conducting your SWOT analysis, you should look at your current situation and
ask yourself various questions relating to these four areas.

Some example questions are:

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Strengths

• What are you good at?

• What advantages do you have over others?
• Do you have any resources available to you that others do not?
• What do others say about your strengths?
• Do you have any achievements you are proud of?

Weaknesses

• What skills do you struggle with?

• What areas do you need to improve upon?
• What holds you back?
• Do you have any bad habits?
• Do you avoid certain tasks due to a lack of confidence?
• What do others say about your weaknesses?

Opportunities

• Is the industry you are in/looking at in a promising position?

• Is there an undeveloped niche in certain markets that you can tap into?
• Do you have contacts in your network who could assist you?
• Can you take advantage of the mistake’s others are making?
• Is there an opening for a position not advertised externally yet?
• Is there a project you can assist with that will help you develop different skills?

Threats

• What could derail your success? E.g., competition, finances, changes in

technology and any other obstacles.
• Is there a risk of your weaknesses becoming threats?
• Are there any external changes beyond your control that could be a threat?

It is important to be as honest as possible when answering these questions, particularly when

looking at your strengths and weaknesses.

How to carry out a SWOT analysis

I have very good attention to detail, which allows me to identify things that others
Strengths
miss.

I find it difficult to speak in public, particularly larger audiences, and I will try and
Weaknesses
avoid it when I can.

There is a networking event next month, which will allow me to gain some new
Opportunities
contacts. It will also help me with my communication skills.

As my role requires training, my lack of confidence in public speaking could hinder

Threats
my progress and even threaten my position.

The above is just an example, and you are likely to have far more detail in your own SWOT analysis.

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A SWOT analysis aims to:

• Promote your strengths.

• Reduce your weaknesses.
• Exploit the opportunities available to you.
• Minimize threats to your success

How do I write a personal development plan?

All PDPs are different. How you write yours will depend on whether you are completing one for
personal, education or work reasons. A PDP is also specific to you and based on your individual goals.
Therefore, your PDP and what you include will be different from anyone else’s.
In education and work, PDPs are likely to be in a specified format. Employers may also have
their own procedures and processes for conducting PDPs as part of an annual appraisal (PDR). In
these instances, you should follow your employer’s procedures when completing your PDP.
Regardless of the reason why you are completing a PDP, here are some general steps you can
follow to help you write yours:
Step 1 – Complete a SWOT analysis

You should complete a SWOT analysis as the first step of your PDP and as a self-assessment.
That way, you can:
• Identify what could help or hinder you in achieving your goals.
• Evaluate your existing skills, knowledge, and interests.
• Identify if you have any transferable skills that could help you achieve your goals.
• Use the results when setting your goals.
You can use our free SWOT analysis template to help you. Please hyperlink here if you want to
use the template and/or delete this sentence.

Step 2 – Set your goals

Think about the things you really want to achieve in your education, career, or personal life. To
meet your overall aims, you should set goals so that you can fulfil your objectives.

Make a list of your goals and ensure they are SMART, which means they should be:

•Specific
– Your goals should be specific and precise rather than generic.
– You should state exactly what you want to achieve or change.
– An example of a generic and weak goal would be – I want to be a better public
speaker.
– An example of a SMART goal would be – I will attend a training course on presenting
to help me improve my public speaking skills, as I lack confidence in this area, and it’s
holding me back.

•Measurable
– Having a quantifiable goal will make it easier to track and achieve.
– For example, I will compare three different courses for content and price. I will enroll
on my chosen course within one month.

•Achievable
– Your goals must be realistic and attainable.
– Ask yourself whether you can achieve them in a certain timeframe.
– For example, I have got the funds available to pay for the course. I also currently work
part time, so I have enough time to study.

•Relevant
– Your goals should relate to your overall aims and longer-term ambitions.
– For example, a lack of confidence in public speaking is one of my weaknesses, and I
feel it is holding me back in my career and personal life.
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•Time-bound
– Set realistic timescales to achieve your outcomes.
– Ask yourself when you want to achieve your goals by.
– Split your goals into short term, medium term and long term.
– For example, I will complete my course within the next three months. I will also
evaluate whether it has improved my public speaking skills.

Having SMART goals makes it easier for you to achieve them and updating your PDP when you
have completed them.

Step 3 – Create your action plan

Once you have your clear SMART goals, you should break them down into action points, which
will make them more manageable. You can put these points into an action plan with your priority
goals at the top.
There is no requirement for your PDP action plan to be in any particular format. It can be
handwritten or typed and tabulated or free-flowing text. Whatever format you choose, you should
ensure that it is easy for you to produce, follow and update.

Step 4 – Detail the strategies and resources for achieving your goals.

You now have your list of goals in your action plan, but how will you go about achieving them?
Now you should write down your strategies and resources you need to achieve your goals.

It can include:
• Further training, e.g. enrolling on a course.
• Research, e.g. websites, journals, and books.
• Hands-on experience, e.g. volunteering.
• Taking on new projects or responsibilities.
• Professional advice, e.g. from a mentor.
• Guidance and shadowing during supervision.
• Speaking to people in different roles.
• Time needed for the strategy to be effective.

Step 5 – Assessing your progress

Finally, you should note in your PDP how you will monitor and assess the progress of your
goals. For example, you may be continually assessed throughout a course, and you would use the
assessment results as milestones for achieving your goals.

Summary

Personal development (whether it is for education, career, or personal reasons) is important, as

it helps you achieve your desires and fulfil your potential. If you are achieving what you want in life, it
will improve your mental wellbeing and overall happiness, which will have a far-reaching positive
impact.

If you complete your PDP properly and use it in planning and achieving your goals, you are
more likely to succeed in your career and life in general. If you don’t have a plan, you are likely to
procrastinate and flounder. Remember what Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail to plan, you
are planning to fail”.

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Activity 2: Make your personal SWOT Analysis. (Use separate sheet of paper)

Name: ____________________________ Course: _____________ Date: __________

Strengths Weakness

Opportunities Threats

Activity 3: Make your own Personal Development Plan ( Use separate sheet of paper)

Name: ______________________________ Course: ___________ Date: __________

My SMART goal(s) Strategies Resource Assessment / Target Date

in achieving Required Monitoring Progress Achieve
my goal

Assessment:

1. What is your realization upon completing your own SWOT analysis?

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After constructing your Personal Development Plan, what will you do?
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Well done! You are now ready for your next Module.

“You fail only when you give up.”

Apple O’Bryan

Source: https;//cdponline.co.uk

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