What is career development?
Blog by
Paul Bongers
30 December 2025
Almost everyone encounters moments in their career when you wonder if you are still in the right place. Maybe you want to grow in your job, notice your energy is decreasing, or are unsure about your next step. In many of these situations, career development plays an important role.
But what exactly is career development? And why is it so relevant, both for you as an employee and for organizations?
What does career development mean?
Career development is the process in which you consciously and purposefully work on your professional growth. It’s about making choices, developing skills, and reflecting on what suits you, now and in the future.
Career development can take various forms, such as:
Knowledge development: taking trainings, courses, or educational programs.
Developing skills: working on professional expertise or soft skills such as communication and leadership.
Self-awareness: discovering your drivers, talents, and ambitions.
Career planning: thinking about next steps, within or outside the organization.
This means career development goes beyond just learning. It’s an ongoing process in which you actively work on your employability and future.
You can read more background on this topic on the career development page.
What does career development look like in practice?
Career development takes shape in everyday situations. Some recognizable examples:
An employee taking a project management course to move up to a leadership role.
A marketer who discovers through mentoring that data analysis better matches his talents and makes an internal switch.
A healthcare worker who learns to work with digital file systems through training, making work more organized and enjoyable.
In all these situations, it’s about consciously developing and making choices that fit someone’s talents and ambitions.
Why is career development more important now than ever?
The labor market is changing faster than ever. Digitalization, automation, and social changes mean that roles are constantly evolving. Because of this, it is important that employees continue to learn and that organizations facilitate this.
Research by Gallup (2020) shows that organizations investing in career development are 11% more profitable and retain their employees twice as often as organizations that do not [Gallup, 2020]. It also shows that as many as 94% of employees stay longer when given opportunities to develop themselves [Deel.com, 2023].
This makes career development not a luxury, but a necessary foundation for sustainable employability.
What are the core elements of career development?
Although every journey is different, there are a number of essential elements that always return:
Self-knowledge: knowing who you are, what you can do, and what is important to you.
Setting goals: determining direction both in the short and long term.
Taking action: learning, practicing, asking for feedback, and gaining new experiences.
Evaluating and adjusting: regularly reflecting on your development and adjusting your course if necessary.
These steps ensure that career development remains concrete and practical.
Why does career development require ongoing attention?
Career development is not a one-time decision but a process that evolves with your life and work. What fits today might feel different in a few years.
By regularly reflecting on your development, you keep doing work that suits you and maintain control over changes. For organizations, this means investing in motivated employees, sustainable employability, and a future-proof workforce.
What does MEPD mean in career development?
At MEPD, we guide employees and organizations at every step in career development. From career orientation and personal coaching to targeted programs and sustainable employability.
Our approach is personal and realistic, with attention for both the individual and the work environment. This leads to not just insight, but also direction and confidence in the next step.
Would you like to know how MEPD can support career development? Feel free to contact us via our contact page. We’d be happy to work with you.
Paul Bongers
Process manager and career advisor
I now have over 25 years of experience in HR. From recruitment and selection to conducting hiring interviews and guiding employees seeking a new job, to running development and reintegration programs.
