Career Vision and Skills Gap Analysis

Stop guessing your next move—let a Personal Development Plan guide your progress. A while back, I mentored a professional named Rahul, who felt he was being repeatedly overlooked for promotions. We conducted a competency mapping session and discovered a key gap in his ability to work cross-functionally and lead diverse teams. 🧩 Rather than feeling discouraged, Rahul saw this as an opportunity. We built a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to close those gaps. By enrolling in relevant courses and taking on cross-departmental projects, Rahul not only improved his skills but also earned the promotion he had been aiming for. 👉 What is a Personal Development Plan (PDP)? A PDP is a roadmap for your career growth, detailing the specific skills you need to develop to advance in your role. Here are the Key Sections every PDP should include: 💢Self-Assessment: Identify your current strengths and areas for improvement based on feedback or a competency mapping session. 💢Goal Setting: Set clear, measurable goals for what you want to achieve in your career (e.g., leadership skills, cross-functional collaboration). 💢Action Plan: Outline the steps you’ll take to close the gaps, such as enrolling in courses, seeking mentorship, or participating in projects. 💢Timeline: Assign deadlines to each action item to track your progress and stay on course. 💢Evaluation: Regularly assess your progress through self-reflection or feedback from peers and supervisors. 💡 Key Action Points: ⚜️Use competency mapping to identify specific skill gaps. ⚜️Develop a Personal Development Plan to close those gaps. ⚜️Engage in practical experiences like cross-functional projects or targeted training. Feeling stuck in your career? Start building your personal development plan today and tackle those skill gaps head-on! #CareerDevelopment #SkillGaps #PersonalDevelopmentPlan #LeadershipSkills #CompetencyMapping #ProfessionalGrowth

5 years ago, I was stuck in a military security role, wondering how to break into project management. Today, I've built a successful career as a Senior Program Manager and help others do the same. Here's how I created a career vision that actually stuck: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝘆 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄) → My pivot moment came when I realized I loved building systems more than maintaining them → Instead of chasing certifications first, I defined my impact goal → Question: "What problems do I want to solve in 5 years?" 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 → I leveraged my military leadership experience → Identified transferable skills from security operations → Found project components in my current role → Created a skills transition map 3. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 → Volunteered for project-adjacent tasks → Shadowed successful PMs in my network → Tested if the day-to-day reality matched my vision 4. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 → Set quarterly milestone reviews → Created a skills gap checklist → Measured progress through real project impact The result? → Transitioned to PM role within 18 months → Doubled my initial salary within 3 years → Now leading $4B+ strategic programs 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? I didn't just plan my next role. I designed a career trajectory that excited me every morning. What's holding back your PM career vision? Share below. Follow Brian Ables, PMP, for practical tips and strategies to grow your career. ♻️ If this post helped you, repost it so others can benefit too.

A question every student should be asking: 'What skills do employers in my target field look for?' To land your target career, you need to understand what your target employers expects of new grads — and then develop those skills accordingly. Here's how to go about this. First, research. 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 Reach out to people in your target roles. Ask them: 'What 2-3 skills and knowledge are most important to your success in this role/field?' 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 Identify job postings for your target roles and then analyze them with ChatGPT: 'Copied below are 10 roles I am interested in; analyze them and give me a list of the top skills and knowledge I should build while in college to become a qualified entry-level candidate.' (Don't look at just one posting, but multiple.) 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 Check reports like the Job Outlook Report from National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). These reports outline the top skills and competencies employers look for in recent grads. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 'Skills employers look for in college grads' 'Skills employers look for in [your major] grads' — You've done the research. Now what? Study the results and do a simple gap analysis: 1. 'Which of these skills/knowledge do I already have?' 2. 'Which of these skills/knowledge am I missing?' Then, build an action plan to strengthen them. → They look for problem-solving skills? • Volunteer or work an internship • Participate in case competitions • Enroll in design thinking courses → They look for communication skills? • Attend local Toastmasters events • Use the campus speaking/writing center • Work a comms-heavy role (e.g., campus tour guide) → They look for leadership skills? • Become a leader in a student org • Serve as a tutor or a peer ambassador • Assume the leader's role in course projects If you're unsure how to develop the skills they look for, ask ChatGPT: 'I am a [class year] student studying [major]. Based on my research, my target post-graduate roles require me to have the following skills/knowledge: [S/K 1, S/K 2, and S/K 3]. Help me identify ways I can start to develop each of these skills through on-campus and off-campus activities.' — Now, you have an action plan. Follow through with the plan, and you are actively building a resume that caters to the exact preferences of the employers in your target field. The more purposeful you can be early on, the easier your post-graduation job search becomes.

A job searcher wanted to transition into a high-impact data role. However, they faced a clear gap between their current skill set and the industry requirements. While they had foundational knowledge, they struggled with: - Structuring their learning, - Managing their time efficiently, - And aligning their skill development with real-world expectations. They needed a clear and actionable roadmap to bridge the gap between their existing knowledge and their career aspirations. The key challenges included: ⭕ Lack of a structured approach to developing essential meta and technical skills. ⭕ Inefficient time, energy, and emotional management, leading to inconsistent progress. ⭕ Basic SQL knowledge that needed to be advanced to handle industry-level data tasks. ⭕ Uncertainty about how to build and showcase industry-relevant projects. We implemented a 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 1) Meta skills roadmap - Focused on time, energy, and emotional management to improve consistency and productivity. - Established daily habits for structured learning and self-discipline. - Set up a progress tracking system to measure growth and make necessary adjustments. 2) Tech skills roadmap (if the client had extensive experience, we skipped foundational steps): - Advanced SQL development: Structured learning plan to move from intermediate to advanced proficiency. - Project-based learning: Focused on building projects aligned with real-world scenarios. - Industry-level exposure: Integrated collaboration with tech leads, stakeholders, and project managers. 3) Building industry-ready projects - Developed industry-level projects showcasing problem-solving skills. - Engaged in paid freelancing to gain real-world experience. - Collaborated with a tech lead, stakeholders, and a project manager to simulate real job conditions. Key Takeaways: -> Having a roadmap makes it easier to stay focused and track progress. -> Managing time and energy is just as important as technical skills. -> Daily habits lead to long-term success. -> Real-world projects help build confidence and credibility. -> Working with a team improves collaboration and problem-solving skills. By following a structured Meta and Tech Skills Roadmap, The job searcher effectively bridged the skill gap and positioned themselves for high-value career opportunities. Follow Jaret André to learn how to land the job you will love.

If you're still searching by job title, stop. Job titles come and go. But skills? SKILLS are the currency that will get you ahead. The people who are succeeding in this environment are those who: ✅ Communicate their skills quickly and clearly ✅ Connect their skills to a diverse array of functions ✅ Adapt and apply their skills in different environments ✅ Fill their skill gaps strategically to meet current demands Think about it. There are job titles that exist today that didn't exist a year ago. And, there will be job titles a year from now that are completely new. Not only that, but a job at one company may be called something completely different at another company. That's why a focus on skills is the smart move. Aren't sure how to talk about your skills? A good place to start is with a skills audit. Here's how to do it: 1️⃣ Define the focus of the audit  ↳ Are you exploring a career pivot?  ↳ Preparing for a promotion or job search?  ↳ Identifying training needs? 💡Why this works: It keeps you focused on your immediate goal and avoids less relevant skills 2️⃣ Include all skill categories  ↳ Skills we DO (accounting, writing, coding)  ↳ Skills we ARE (traits like patience, initiative)  ↳ Interpersonal skills (communication, conflict resolution) 💡Why this works: It's important to include all types of skills to convey who we are as a professional. 3️⃣ Review your professional history  ↳ Look at your resume  ↳ Consider your achievements  ↳ Review job descriptions and appraisals 💡Why this works: You can identify and recall skills that you may take for granted 4️⃣ Highlight skills that match your target roles  ↳ Reference job postings to find alternate terms  ↳ Identify strengths you to include on resumes and interviews  ↳ Put skills into ChatGPT and ask it to identify any gaps 💡Why this works: Your can use your skills as search terms to identify roles you might not find otherwise, and fill gaps to make you a better candidate 5️⃣ Become fluent in your skill set  ↳ Craft a targeted "Tell Me About Yourself" statement  ↳ Weave your skills into stories you can use in interviews  ↳ Practice & record yourself discussing your skills 💡Why this works: It avoids confusion around job titles that may not translate, and allows you to speak the language of your target industry and role. A skills audit like this will help you enormously when it comes to talking about what you bring to the table, whether you are networking or in an interview. 🎉You've got this and I've got you!🎉 ♻️ Share to help others identify their skills 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more career strategies 📌Need a change? DM me to chat!

Job searching doesn’t have to be hard. Think of it as matchmaking, Aligning the skills you have with what employers need. The better the match, the higher your chances of landing the role! But how do you know if you have the right skills for your target job? 🤔 Here’s a 3-step skill analysis to help you get started: 1️⃣ Self-Analysis - Reflect on your current skills and experience. - Identify where you excel and where you feel less confident. 2️⃣ Job Analysis - Analyze 4–8 job descriptions of roles you’re targeting. - Highlight the key hard skills (technical expertise) and soft skills (communication, leadership, etc.) that appear most often. 3️⃣ Identify & Bridge the Gaps - Compare the required skills with your current skillset. - Create a plan to upskill—this could be through online courses, certifications, or practical experience. 💡 Pro Tip: Employers don’t expect perfection. They’re looking for candidates who are adaptable, eager to learn, and ready to grow with the role. Take charge of your job search journey, one skill at a time. The results will speak for themselves! #jobsearch #resume #linkedin #careerbranding #upskilling ---------------------------------------- 👋 Hi, I’m Sridevi Ravichandran! I’ve helped 2,000+ professionals achieve their career goals through expert resume writing and career coaching. Explore my Career Branding Program, designed for mid-senior professionals, executives, and aspiring leaders. With over 500 success stories, this program equips you to secure top leadership roles through 1:1 personalized coaching. 👉 Book your free 15-minute discovery call today via the link in my Featured Section, and take the next step toward your career breakthrough!