Individual Development Plan (IDP) Tools
IDP Resources
Planning Your Path to a Satisfying Career is a workshop on career planning held every semester by the Graduate School. The guided workshop will help graduate students and postdocs develop strategies for professional growth by:
- Learning strategies to explore a range of careers
- Identifying interests and skills relevant to their career goals
- Developing an action plan to strengthen skills and pursue their ideal career
- Preparing or expanding their Individual Development Plan (IDP)
The PhD Career Ladder Program is a program originally developed by SBU grad students that provides career exploration and planning in small groups led by peer leaders. Groups of no more than 8 Master's students, doctoral students, or postdocs go "up the ladder" of career development by following 7 steps in 7 meetings in what is essentially an extended IDP process. The program is run as GRD 510 Career Exploration with PCLP (0-1 credits, S/U) every semester as well as in the summer. Learn More
Online IDP Tools
myIDP : myIDP is an online, interactive IDP tool hosted by the AAAS, the publishers of Science, and is the leading online IDP tool for those in the biomedical or lab sciences.
chemIDP : chemIDP is another self-assessment and career planning tool developed primarily for chemists by the American Chemical Society.
imaginePhD: imaginePhD includes a self-assessment, tools for researching a range of careers, and an online tool for career planning originally designed for those in the humanities and social sciences.
Additional Career Tools
AAMC Mentoring Compacts : A tool for communicating mentoring expectations for both mentee and mentor, ideally for use at the start of a research appointment. Available for both grad students and postdocs.
American Psychological Association's Resource for IDPs: A step-by-step guide with resources for developing an IDP, primarily intended for those in psychology.
SBU Career Center: The Center offers numerous programs to help prepare grad students for their next career steps. Students can join Career Communities, take courses on career design and planning, get feedback on job application materials, and receive individualized career counseling.
IDP Templates
Templates
SBU FreeForm IDP Template : This template emphasizes three goal categories: Skill Strengthening, Career Exploration, and Scholarly Goals.
SBU Customizable Academic IDP Template : This template prioritizes skill development aligned with short- and long-term career goals and allows easy sharing with academic advisors/supervisors.
Additional IDP Templates
Duke IDP Template for Everyone
USC IDP Template for Humanities | Social Sciences | SciencesU
Wisconsin-Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research IDP Template Repository