By Betsy Haley
NAVAIR Public Affairs

When you think about the type of work that interests you, areas within NAVAIR where you would like to gain experience (such as rotational assignments), or where you want to direct your career, the decisions can become overwhelming. The developmental process is very personal because it begins by analyzing your individual career goals, and determining how to prepare yourself for further professional growth. The Career Development Community (CDC) would like to help.

The NAVAIR CDC is comprised of the Career Development Office (formerly known as NAEI), NAVAIR site career development divisions, and the competency training leads. The CDC is here to help all NAVAIR employees with their career development. Today, as ultimate support to the Warfighter becomes even more important, the CDC is striving to deliver the highest quality holistic employee development. The CDC is reinventing its approach to provide accessible and consistent products and services in support of the developmental needs of the Command and its workforce.

“The NAVAIR Career Development Program enables employees to make informed choices about their careers,” said Mary Glotfelty, director, Career Development Office. “The process involves continuous learning and personal growth. The process begins by setting your personal career goals and outlining your path. In the past, the purpose of the individual development plan (IDP) was misunderstood. When used appropriately, the IDP is a powerful planning tool, on all levels, for career development. We encourage every member of the NAVAIR workforce to create an IDP to set their career path,” said Glotfelty.

The Career Development Program supports the NAVAIR Career Development Model, which identifies four critical areas of development: functional/technical, management, leadership and team skills. The model encourages mentorship as a facilitator for learning and growth, while also promoting learning through traditional and non-traditional learning activities.

To assist employees, the Career Development Program will provide clearly defined career paths, offer guidance in setting career goals, assist with career planning coaching, support alternative learning solutions and encourage mentoring.

“One of our most significant milestones is the development of the new NAVAIR Career Development Web site,” said Glotfelty. “The Web site guides employees through the development process and also provides the tools needed to identify specific goals and create a plan for achieving them. The Web site specifically addresses employee career development, developmental opportunities and training, and employee resources for development,” Glotfelty said.

The Career Development Web site is designed to become the command-wide career development resource center and the primary tool for employees’ career development needs. The site is evolving and updated as new tools and information are available. Improvements to the site are due to feedback directly from the workforce, such as the Quality of Work Life survey.

To visit the Career Development Web site link to https://careerdevelopment.navair.navy.mil or contact the CDO by email at [email protected].