How to choose the right career development technique.?

1. Learning style

Put simply this is how you learn.
There are three main learning styles which include:

• visual – learn by seeing and doing;
• auditory – learn by hearing and listening; and
• kinesthetic – learn by touching and doing.

For example, visual and auditory learners may prefer a more classroom type of environment. On the other hand, kinesthetic learners may prefer career development techniques that is more hands on so they can learn by doing things.
What is your predominant learning style? You can take a simple test to find the answer.
When you are thinking about the career development techniques to select spend some time reflecting on your preferred learning style and pick the ones that match it.
At times you may have no option but to select career development methods that do not match with your preferred learning style. If this happens prepare in advance and think about what extra effort you will need to make during the event to get the most out of it.

2. Type of gap

This is your second consideration and relates to the nature of the career , skill or competency gap you have to close.
Spend some time reviewing your gaps to get an idea of which career development techniques will be most suitable in closing the gap.
There are three main gaps which include:

• Knowledge gaps
• Skill or experience gaps
• Leadership gaps

If you have a knowledge gap then you may have to consider some form of education and training to close the gap. Depending on your learning style you can choose from reading books, going through classroom training or learning through self-paced e-learning modules.
If you have a skill or experience gap then it might be best closed by some form of exposure to the situations. Depending on your learning style this could range from observing someone who performs in those situations at a high level to actually learning on-the-job.
Pay more attention to the types of career development methods you select to close your leadership gaps.
While people at all levels need to display leadership skills it gets more important as you go up in an organization. Spend some time and select the career development techniques that will help you become a better leader.

3. Nature of career change

This is the final piece and is related to the type of career change you are considering.
There are three main types of changes which include:

• further development in your present job;
• moving to a new job in the same area of work; and
• making a career change to a new job in a new area of work.

The career development techniques you choose should be closely related to the nature of the career change. For example, to develop further in your present job you usually need to perform at a higher level within the required set of competencies. This can happen through further on-the-job learning and being exposed to new and different situations.
Moving to a new job in the same area of work may involve some additional competencies that you need to become more proficient at. You will need to choose the relevant career development technique that will help you gain new knowledge and experiences related to the additional competencies. Depending on your learning style this could be a combination of both classroom and on-the-job career development techniques.
If you are making a career change then the gaps could be quite large and may involve completely new set of competencies. The mix of techniques you choose may well include a combination of formal education and training, work experience, gradual exposure to the new area of work and a period of intensive on-the-job learning.
As you go through this section reflect on your career gaps, your skill and competency gaps and use that information to select the appropriate career development techniques that best suit your situation.