What is included in career development?
Blog by
Paul Bongers
5 January 2026
Career development is often associated with taking a course or training program. That’s understandable, but it’s too narrow a view. In practice, career development is much broader. It encompasses everything that contributes to your growth, agility, and employability in a constantly changing labor market.
Career development helps you make conscious choices, adapt to changes, and look forward with confidence. This applies to starters, experienced professionals, and people who are ready for a new direction.
On the page about career development you can read how MEPD approaches this theme.
What are the main building blocks of career development?
Self-knowledge
Self-insight forms the basis of any career development. By reflecting on your talents, motivations, values, and interests, you discover what energizes you and what might suit you less well.
With that knowledge, you can make more targeted choices for positions, education, or your next career step. Self-knowledge helps prevent you from getting stuck in work that no longer fits you.
Education and training
Education and training are visible components of career development. Think of subject-specific courses, but also training focused on skills like communication, leadership, or time management. Research shows that employees who take trainings are 17% more productive and that companies achieve 218% more income per employee as a result [Devlin Peck, 2022].
MEPD offers various forms of development through training and workshops, tailored to practical and daily work situations.
Career planning
Career development becomes more focused when goals are made concrete. A personal development plan (PDP) helps to translate wishes and ambitions into practical, achievable steps.
Career planning provides structure and makes development a topic of discussion. It helps you deliberately work on growth, instead of simply responding to what happens to cross your path.
You can read more about this at the career program.
Feedback and evaluation
Development doesn’t arise only from learning, but also from reflecting. Regular feedback and reflection help provide insight into what’s going well and where adjustments are needed.
By reflecting on experiences and achievements, you accelerate your development and keep learning from practice. Organizations that evaluate regularly see a 41% higher retention [Artra.nl, 2021].
Networking
Networking is a commonly underestimated part of career development. Contacts inside and outside the organization offer new perspectives, insights, and opportunities.
By staying in dialogue with others, you discover possibilities you might not have thought of yourself. Networking supports both personal growth and career mobility.
Mentorship and coaching
A coach or mentor helps you recognize patterns, clarify choices, and take steps that suit you. Coaching provides space for reflection and personal development, alongside practical action.
At MEPD, coaching is used as part of development, for example through personal coaching. This helps to consider career questions in a broader context.
Work-life balance and sustainable employability
Career development can’t be seen separately from energy and balance. Those who consistently push past their limits will find it hard to keep developing.
Attention to work-life balance contributes to sustainable employability. Employees who manage their energy well stay motivated and productive longer.
What does career development look like in practice?
Career development can take shape in various ways. Examples from practice include:
- Temporarily working in a different position or role (job rotation).
- Moving up to another department or project.
- Coaching programs focused on direction and development.
- Training sessions or e-learning that can be directly applied at work.
Which form is suitable depends on the person and the stage of their career.
What can MEPD offer for career development?
At MEPD, we view career development as a personal and ongoing process. We combine insight, reflection, and concrete steps tailored to the situation of the employee and the organization.
Whether it’s about development, reorientation, or sustainable employability: our guidance offers peace of mind, structure, and direction. We think along with what fits now and what is needed for the future.
Would you like to know how MEPD can support career development within your organization or for you personally? Feel free to contact us via our contact page. We are happy to help.
Paul Bongers
Process Manager and Career Adviser
I now have over 25 years of experience with HR. From recruitment and selection to conducting hiring interviews and guiding employees who are looking for a new job, to carrying out development and reintegration programs.
