An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a written plan that outlines an individual's career goals and the steps needed to achieve them. It can be used to identify skills to develop through activities like training, education, or job changes. The document discusses how an IDP can help focus efforts, obtain resources, and serve as a career action plan. It provides guidelines for creating an IDP, including setting goals, identifying skills to learn, planning next steps, and tracking progress over time. Filling out an IDP form can help clarify goals and develop a timeline to work toward them through specific action items.

1. Individual Development Plan
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3. “an Individual Development
Plan (IDP) can be a helpful tool.
A well-prepared IDP might
include occupational
exploration and research,
professional development,
skills training, formal education
or a job search campaign.”

4. What is an IDP?
• A written plan that outlines what career goals you want
to accomplish and what steps you can take to meet
those goals.
• A tool you can use to identify, organize and plan your
career.
• A tool for creating a personalized plan that best reflects
your career aspirations, whether you want to plan for
professional development, promotional opportunities
or retirement in the next few years.

5. Why have an IDP
• To focus your professional efforts and identify
individual work goals.
• To use as a communication, development and/or
planning tool.
• To assist in obtaining resources, (e.g., scholarships, fee
assistance or training funds); some departments
request an IDP as part of their professional
development program.
• To serve as your career action plan for skill building,
professional development and career management.

6. Guidelines – Consider the following guidelines for
creating and implementing your IDP
Know the Purpose of Your IDP
• Prioritize and develop a plan of
action to reach your short- and
long-term career goals.
• Focus your personal efforts in the
areas that you have selected.
• Identify, outline and use
resources.
• Create an action plan that is clear
and achievable.

7. Put Your IDP into Action
• Discuss your IDP with your
supervisor and other appropriate
individuals such as a career
counselor. Use this time to state
your goals, clarify expectations
and agree upon modifications as
needed.
• Work your plan - take a first step.
• Evaluate your plan along the way
and modify it as needed.
• Expect obstacles and work to
overcome them.
• Celebrate your successes along
the way!
Guidelines – Consider the following guidelines
for creating and implementing your IDP

8. How to ...
Since the IDP asks you to
identify and write down
your goals, what do you do
if you don’t feel ready to set
goals? One possibility is that
you can use the IDP to jump
start your goal setting. If you
are not sure what your
career goals are then you
might try the following

9. Ask yourself
What areas of my work do I want to
develop?
• What areas of my work do I need to
improve?
• What are some short-term goals for
taking on new tasks and responsibilities
in my current position? What skills do I
need to acquire?
• What might be some long-term career
goals and what skills would I need to
develop to achieve those goals?
• What are new demands in my job (or
career) that require me to gain
additional skills?
• What direction is my department going
and what do I need to grow with it?
• • What can I do to find out about other
career opportunities?

10. Consider these ideas to get you started
• Talk with your supervisor.
• Attend career management courses and
workshops. (e.g., the UC Davis Staff
Development and Professional Services “Career
Management Academy” which includes four
assessments)
• Schedule a confidential session with a career
counselor.
• Meet with a mentor.
• Read career development books.
• Set realistic priorities – what’s achievable in the
next three months? This year? Within 3 years?
Then develop a timeline and concrete action
steps so you can mark your progress. Be sure to
celebrate your successes along the way.

12. Filling out IDP Form
My Goals – Section 1: What are my overall goals that I want
to accomplish in this time period?
• Write down the overall goals you want to accomplish in the
short-term (next three to six months); mid-term (next six
months to two years); and long-term (next two to three
years).
• You can have more than one goal.
• Examples: Develop skill in computer graphics; Learn about
Kuali Financial Systems (KFS); Find out how to become a
Student Affairs Officer; Figure out career direction; Start
the “Developing As A Supervisor” certificate series.

13. Filling out IDP Form
Skills and knowledge to be learned – Section 2: What
specifically do I need to learn?
• You can identify what skills and knowledge you want to
develop; write them down.
• Sometimes, it is appropriate to use the IDP as a time
management tool for a project; for example, maybe your
goal is to revise the procedural manual in your department.
In this case, you don’t need to learn a new skill, but it is still
your work goal for the upcoming year.
• Write down the project you need to complete and in the
Next Steps section, detail the specific action steps you need
to take.

14. Filling out IDP Form
Next Steps – Section 3: How am I going to acquire the skills and
knowledge?
Write down specific action steps you need to take to gain the skills or
acquire the skills and knowledge you identified, for example:
• Enroll in Dreamweaver 8: Level 1.
• Go on informational interviews to find out what skills are needed to
become an Analyst I.
• Job shadow a Student Affairs Officer; Enroll in the Student Advising
certificate series.
• Talk with my supervisor regarding my IDP.

15. Resources – Section 4: What resources do I need?
What resources do you need to complete your goals?
• Often a resource may be as simple as getting release
time to take a course.
• However, other resources you may need include: funds
to pay for outside training, education, memberships,
conferences; coverage for your duties; temporarily
adjusting your work schedule; getting support from
your supervisor or support network.
Filling out IDP Form

16. Time Schedule – Section 5: What is my time
schedule?
• Write down the date you plan to start working on
this goal and the date you plan to finish, for
example, if you are taking a one-day workshop,
then just put down the day of the workshop in
both columns. If you are taking the “Developing
As A Supervisor” certificate series, write down
the day of the first class in the start row and the
day of the last class in the finish row.
Filling out IDP Form

17. Completion – Section 6: When have I
completed each step?
• Check off and date your progress as each
specific step is completed. Congratulations!
Filling out IDP Form