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BLM has always given employees opportunities to develop or improve their skills so that they can perform at their highest potential and advance according to their abilities. Although training and developmental opportunities increase employee chances for advancement, BLM believes that career development involves more than training. It involves matching one's interests and potential with the opportunities for career progression within the organization. To do this, you need information about the following:

1. Jobs within BLM
   
2. The variety of work performed
   
3. The qualifications and experience required.

Career information in this section can help you assess your career options or potential on the basis on your knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) or those KSAs you may wish to acquire.  Work closely with supervisors, your personnel office, and career counselors. Use materials and ideas given here so that you can search out realistic opportunities for your career advancement.  Career development is mainly the responsibility of the person, but BLM recognizes its responsibility to provide good information and preclude the setting of unrealistic goals and expectations.

Developing an Individual Development Plan   [Top of Page]

One way to design your career development is to establish an individual development plan (IDP).  An IDP is a written plan or schedule that sets forth, with some specificity, goals and actions that will aid in your overall career development. (See servicing personnel office for sample IDP.).  IDPs are a method of systematically planning for training and experience to develop the skills and knowledge you may need for career growth.

Your IDP should be designed to meet developmental objectives for either improving your current performance or preparing you for positions of greater responsibility. Rather than haphazardly chancing time and money on what may or may not be useful learning experiences, the IDP allows both you and your supervisor to set developmental objectives and plan experiences that will support those objectives. The IDP is not a binding contract but is rather a flexible ongoing development plan that should be updated as often as needed.

Responsibility for initiating, maintaining, and administering the IDP is shared jointly by you and your supervisor. If your needs for training and developmental assignments are not being met or they change, you may need to take the initiative to work with your supervisor to review your career goals.. No one has a greater stake in, or a greater responsibility for, your career than you do. The IDP process involves both the supervisor and the employee.

Your supervisor is a significant information resource, coach, and counselor in the IDP process. Therefore, both you and your supervisor should assess your developmental needs by your career goals, the organization's needs, and realistic career opportunities within the organization.

Use your IDP to plan training and developmental experiences (details, special projects, on-the-job training.). Your IDP can change from year to year. Its main purpose is to help you set reasonable goals, assess your strengths, and chart developmental activities and training.

Training Opportunities    [Top of Page]

As an employee, you must be alert and responsive to your training and developmental needs. You, along with your supervisor, must pursue training opportunities that are related to your job and that interest you. A wide variety of training opportunities are offered, many of which BLM pays for. Check with your supervisor for further information on training that may be helpful to your career.

BLM recognizes that employees are its most important resource and is committed to helping employees develop both professionally and personally. To achieve this goal BLM's Leadership Excellence Program gives employees orientation and leadership training at suitable junctures in their careers.

The Bureau's policy is to give you the skills and knowledge to enable you to perform at an optimum level in your job. BLM has the National Training Center in Phoenix, Arizona, which will meet many of your technical training needs. To register for an NTC training course, you will need a training number. NTC provides training using many delivery methods: Traditional classrooms, interactive television by satellite, web-based, computer-based, and self-study. Courses offered by this facility (and other government sources) can be found on the NTC homepage on the web (www.ntc.blm.gov).

Many offices also offer educational grants or awards to help employees prepare for career changes. The amount of the grants or awards and the selection criteria varies between offices. You should check with your servicing human resource office regarding these types of educational opportunities.

You and your supervisor will usually determine your training needs during your performance review. Your supervisor and local training coordinator (if available) can help you identify training sources that will best meet your needs.