Individual development plans are a tool that can be used to identify your long-term career goals and help create an actionable plan towards achieving them. Use the form included below to assess where you are, the skills you have, and what you want to develop and improve upon. After filling out the form, talk with your research advisor about your goals and brainstorm a plan for the year.

This is a form that can be adapted and evolve as time progresses. Feel free to edit the provided template to best suit your needs. If there is a specific portion that you don’t know how to fill out, ask your advisor and/or other mentors for advice. The form is grouped into more general “recommended” sections (applicable to everyone), and more targeted “optional” sections.

Once you fill out an initial IDP, revisit it at least once a year, and edit it or make a new one. Take note of what you have accomplished since the last IDP and how your goals may have evolved or changed. 

Download the IDP below, and see https://ctl.gatech.edu/resources/best-practices/IDPs for more resources.