These are just examples of the questions you should ponder as you think about your career and your development. Be honest with yourself about your expectations and what truly matters to you. If money is important, are you willing to live in an undesirable location to attain the highest salary? Weighting each preference will help you achieve fulfillment. If you value living in the mountains or being near family, then chasing a higher salary that takes you away from these things may not make you happy. Honesty about what drives you will lead to more career satisfaction and probably to greater opportunities.

DEVELOP THE PLAN Now that you have decided the where, why, and when, the next step is the how. Your development plan should lay out the steps you need to take to develop to the next level. Don’t make your plan too lofty; focus instead on incremental steps such as tasks you can complete over a year or two. Remember that a development plan can be changed as necessary.  Your plan should encompass three important areas: technical skills, leadership skills, and management skills. Where you are in your career will affect how much weight you give to each of these categories. Many people are so focused on developing technical competencies that they fail to add soft skills to their development plan. Soft skills are essential; people who are highly competent in many technical areas under the umbrella of environmental health and safety may struggle to be effective IHs if they have poor communication skills or lack the ability to sell their ideas. 

In addition to the three types of skills, you should also consider the three types of action steps: work experience, mentorship experience, and training. A well-rounded development plan has balance; for example, you don’t want to spend one hundred percent of your time training. Similarly, spending all your time on work experience can lead to slower development, because all professionals need continuous learning for career growth.  Lastly, you must decide how to measure success for each of the items in your development plan. Defining success will help you get support for your plan. Think about what success will look like once you have completed a project or training program. Keep the end goal in mind as you’re putting together your plan. If you’d like to take a training course, think about the additional work you can take on or the opportunities that will be open to you once the course is complete. Be sure to include a target completion date; this will ensure that you’re always moving forward.  GET SUPPORT Once you’ve completed your development plan, work with your supervisors, mentors, and coaches to ensure their support. In most cases your supervisor will have a great deal of influence on your plan, but stay committed to what you want to achieve and not what a supervisor thinks you need to become. We each have our own career path, and the best policy is to be open in your discussions. A strong leader will support and guide you on your journey.  If you meet resistance to your plan, take time to understand your supervisor’s point of view. For example, there may be budget restrictions for outside travel or even a travel freeze. Always have alternatives in mind for each aspect of your plan, and don’t let short-term setbacks prevent you from working toward your long-term goals.  In my experience, it’s easiest to obtain support for skills related to work. Young professionals may underestimate the amount of development they gain from their involvement in day-to-day activities at work. Treat each opportunity as a learning event rather than just a to-do list. Taking time to review what you’re doing can open a multitude of development opportunities; for example, you might identify an improved method for completing a task or a more efficient way to finish a project. These kinds of discoveries are great development opportunities, and they show your organization that you have the leadership skills needed to advance your career. Your supervisor should give you opportunities to experience new projects and seek new experiences. Be open to volunteering for new teams and groups at work: many times, these types of projects open doors to new experiences and new interactions that help drive your career development.  For training and development opportunities that have a cost associated with them, it is critical to have a business case to support your request. Asking a supervisor for money can be a challenging proposition in today’s economy. You can demonstrate a business need by identifying an area that is under-supported or doesn’t have a subject matter expert. If you show that there is a gap in technical expertise or a risk that needs mitigation, your manager is more likely to be receptive to your request for training. When I was a young professional, I identified an opportunity to save my employer a great deal of money by bringing technical expertise in house rather than paying contractors. As a result, I secured money for training and travel, which ultimately led to a move up the career ladder within my organization. Look for opportunities that benefit both you and your organization, and have alternatives available so that you aren’t derailed when the business environment isn’t ideal. There are also many volunteer opportunities within the industrial hygiene community that can supplement development when you run into headwinds within your organization. Volunteer groups are a great way to develop leadership skills and work with colleagues from varying fields and businesses. For young professionals, volunteering also gives you a chance to interact with more senior professionals who can help you with your career and your development plan.  REVISIT THE PLAN Your development plan shouldn’t sit in a folder collecting dust. It is a living, breathing document, and as your career progresses, so should your development plan.  Revisit your plan often. Ask yourself if it is still valid and useful. Have new opportunities changed the direction of your development plan? Make sure you’re hitting your targeted timelines, but remember to be flexible: as with all things career related, sometimes the path is not what we expect. OWN YOUR PLAN Your career development is something you must own yourself. Don’t wait for others to direct your career; you may end up missing out while waiting for opportunities. But you should recognize that many people are available to help you along your path. I encourage you to reach out to the AIHA volunteers’ community, specifically the Mentoring and Professional Development and Student and Early Career Professionals Committees. These groups are focused on helping IH professionals achieve their career aspirations.   MICHAEL A. FINNAMORE, MSPH, CIH, CSP, CHMM, is the global director of Environmental, Health and Safety at Hillrom Corporation in Chicago. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science degree in public health with emphasis in industrial hygiene from the University of Utah. He has been an active member of AIHA for over twenty years and is a past chair of AIHA’s Mentoring and Professional Development Committee.  Send feedback to The Synergist.