Career and Personal Development Evolves Over Time
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the simple definition of development as
- the act or process of growing or causing something to grow or become larger or more advanced.
- the act or process of creating something over a period of time.
You too, will grow and become more advanced over a period of time and as you do you will be asked to make decisions that pertain to your personal development and career development. Every teen and adult is expected to be able to make important academic and career decisions throughout their lives, the kind of decisions that will have a significant impact on the overall quality and level of satisfaction of their life.
For a variety of reasons, most people are never really taught or even interested in learning how to make effective life-impacting academic and career decisions. For decades in our society it’s been assumed that people will just be able to make those kind of decisions when the time comes. So often those decisions end of being made hastily without much advanced preparation. It’s important for people to understand that making important academic and career decisions isn’t like solving problems that they watch during a TV program that can be solved in 60 minutes with four commercial breaks.
A person’s career development and personal development both involve processes that evolve over time and become more advanced as an individual matures and their interests and abilities become better defined. That usually occurs following a gradual advancement of growth through a series of progressive activities that take place in a person’s life.
Personal development is a significant component of the overall career development process that evolves throughout a person’s teen and adult years. It is important to commit time and energy to completing a number of recommended developmental activities each year. A list of these tasks can be found in the Be Life Ready guidebook available online. By completing the suggested activities, you will acquire valuable information about yourself and the world of work which you’ll need before finalizing your academic and career choices. Since tasks are developmental you may want to repeat some of them in multiple years as they become appropriate to you.
If you are a teen start early in middle school and continue developing your personal skills throughout high school. Adults will find that the majority of recommended activities will be helpful and pertinent to them as well.
Making good academic and career choices definitely is something that should evolve over time in order to produce the best possible outcomes.