It can be easy to feel left behind or to think that your career isn’t advancing as quickly as you hoped. So this year could be your year to spend time on career development and advancement.

Most career experts suggest that professionals should dedicate 10-20% of their time to development activities – that correlates to 200 hours a year.

The 70:20:10 model is a learning and development framework suggesting people learn best through 70% hands on experience on-the-job, 20% from others, through coaching, mentoring or their peers and 10% from formal training with courses and education.

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The model was created in the 1980s by three researchers working with the Centre for Creative Leadership in North Carolina. Morgan McCall, Michael M Lombardo and Robert A Eichinger were researching the key developmental experiences of successful managers.

The majority of your development should happen through real-world experience, which is where the 70% comes in. This includes stretching yourself with challenging projects, solving problems, learning from failures, or stepping into new responsibilities.

These hands-on experiences help you build practical skills and knowledge that you can immediately apply. If you are spending 200 hours a year on development activities, this should account for 140 of those hours.

The 20% section helps you gain insights and exposure to new perspectives and approaches through broadening your own views, and 40 hours should be spent learning from others.

The training aspect is the final part of the model, which is a more traditional form of learning with structured education helping you to deepen your skills and master new tools along with staying updated on industry trends. This should account for the remaining 20 hours or 10% .

Advancing your career

If you are looking to advance your career, it isn’t going to happen by itself. You need to be proactive and take the reins into your own hands and to dictate what direction you want to go in. Carrying out these simple steps in January will help kickstart the year with a focus on your career development and direction.

1. Define your goals: think about what you want to achieve over the year with regard to your career and outline your professional objectives using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Write it down and refer back to it often; this will help you to identify what success means to you, along with helping you stay focused and motivated.

2. Embrace lifelong learning: in Ireland, we are very lucky to have a wide variety of small courses and learning opportunities available, with some of them even being free through resources like Springboard. The job market is constantly evolving, so commit to continuously improving your skills. Is there a specific course you need to do to help achieve the goals that you have set for yourself?

3. Networking: building a strong professional network is essential. It is a crucial component of career growth. Attend industry events, engage on professional platforms like LinkedIn and connect with peers and industry leaders to uncover new opportunities, insights and knowledge.

4. Take initiative: it is essential to be proactive in your role. Volunteer for new projects, take on extra responsibilities, or propose innovative solutions to problems. Demonstrating initiative signals to management that you are ready for a leadership position and more responsibility. This will allow you to progress in your current role, along with adding to your experience and resume.

5. Find a mentor: it is important to get guidance from someone who understands the sector you are working in, but also isn’t in your own organisation. A mentor can share experiences and provide you with valuable feedback, they can also help you navigate challenges and identify blind spots. They also act as a sounding board when you come to a crossroad in your career or get offered new opportunities.

6. Learn to negotiate: a large part of career development is being able to stand up for yourself and ensure you are compensated fairly for your work and experience. Negotiation skills can be difficult to develop, as these are not really taught but they remain crucial for progression. Understanding how to advocate for yourself during salary discussions or promotion talks is a key skill for career advancement. The best way to learn is by doing – ask your mentor or someone who has good negotiation skills to help you.

7. Develop your soft skills: this is an area that a lot of people overlook, as they don’t realise the importance of having strong, smart skills, which are essential. These skills demonstrate your ability to drive career growth, enhance job performance and make you a valuable asset in the workplace.

Developing soft skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability – are hard to automate, and with the current threats of AI, it can ringfence the importance of a human element in your current role.

8. Work-life balance: one of the most crucial steps that is often overlooked is prioritising your wellbeing. A healthy balance of work and personal life prevents burnout and ensures you have the energy and support network needed for sustained success.

Career advancement can be tiring as you are constantly on the ball, trying to develop, learn and push yourself to reach your maximum potential, but we are also all human. Everyone needs to take breaks, have things to look forward to and remember that life is about living more than working.