Eds note: November is National Career Development Month, an annual observance dedicated to highlighting the importance of career development and planning. For the next several weeks, we will post relevant articles related to career development in Astronomy, Planetary Science, Physics, and science in general.
Crosspost: How researchers and their managers can build an actionable career-development plan
By Tomasz Głowacki
Having navigated both [industry and academia], I’ve realized that one area in which industry particularly excels is in providing employees with structured and specific career advice, tailored to their specific interests and goals. This is often done through a career-development plan, something that I think could also be effective for academics.
Making a plan is generally a collaborative effort, requiring buy-in from your manager or mentor. But this doesn’t mean that they have to initiate the process. Try to express interest in discussing your career path and invite them to share their suggestions. Involve them by showing how this exercise could enhance your effectiveness and engagement at work.
Be open about your strengths and weaknesses, and the direction in which you want your career to develop, and ask for their perspective on your work habits and performance. If, for example, you’d like to move towards more of a leadership role, say that you are a good organizer, manage your time well and help your team members to plan their activities. However, you might also need to learn more about giving feedback or improve your assertiveness skills.
Moreover, seek input from your team, collaborators, students and other faculty members (or 360-degree feedback, in professional-development jargon) to understand their perspectives.
Learn more about creating a career-development plan at
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