{"id":149,"date":"2025-07-23T12:48:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T11:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/the-cardiff-researcher\/?p=149"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:07:29","slug":"mind-the-gap-assessing-and-addressing-your-development-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/the-cardiff-researcher\/mind-the-gap-assessing-and-addressing-your-development-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Mind the Gap! \u2013 Assessing and Addressing your Development Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to planning for a successful academic career, the usefulness of understanding what you don\u2019t know, or what you can\u2019t yet do, should never be underestimated!<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a previous blog (Managing your Research Career<\/a>), we discussed how career management frameworks, such as GROW, can aid you in comparing the knowledge and skills you\u2019ll need to achieve future career GOALS with those you possess now in your current REALITY, thus helping you reveal any gaps that might exist. Known as a \u2018Training Needs Analysis\u2019 (TNA) or a \u2018Development Needs Analysis\u2019 (DNA), this activity will allow you to identify your OPTIONS for development so that you can plug those gaps and plan a WAY-FORWARD to career progression.<\/p>\n

As a researcher at Cardiff looking towards an academic career, you should be aware of the expectations placed on both your current role and<\/strong> on the future roles to which you aspire, within the academic context outlined in The Cardiff Academic<\/a>. These expectations, along with the criteria for our Academic Promotions Scheme<\/a>, can support your career development by providing you with a clear indication of the level at which you should be operating at each stage of the academic career ladder and the activities which are commensurate with each of those roles. Having this information will help you set the goals you\u2019ll need so that you can either work towards developing within your current role to maximise your performance, or prepare for your next role by building your track record and ensuring you can meet all the necessary competency benchmarks when the time comes.<\/p>\n

How to plug the gaps…<\/h2>\n

So, what do you do if your TNA\/DNA does reveal gaps in your knowledge and skillset? Well firstly, don\u2019t panic! Everybody has them! Remember that you are at an early stage in your career and nobody expects you to know everything. You should, however, be pro-active in addressing any gaps you identify, particularly those that are important for you to do your current role. You can do this effectively by engaging with Continuing Professional Development<\/a>, or CPD.<\/p>\n

CPD is defined as the intentional maintenance and development of the knowledge and skills needed to perform in a professional context. This might mean honing the knowledge and skills you already possess in order to improve your performance, developing your current knowledge and skills to a new level to help prepare you for an expanded role or possible promotion, or acquiring completely new knowledge and skills ready for a change in role (whether that\u2019s within academia or in a different sector entirely).<\/p>\n

The CPD you undertake should be strategic rather than ad hoc. It can be very easy to sign up for just anything, especially if you\u2019ve been in post for a long time and you feel you\u2019ve already done everything relevant on offer (and if that\u2019s the case for you, in the next blog we\u2019ll look at what actually constitutes \u2018development\u2019 so that you can be more creative with what you undertake). As mentioned in a previous blog, aim for activity with a purpose<\/strong> when it comes to CPD. That isn\u2019t to say you can\u2019t be responsive to sudden need, opportunity, or curiosity if you wish, just make sure that you prioritise time for the \u2018must haves\u2019 if your resources are restricted.<\/p>\n

Seeking advice and feedback from trusted sources, such as your line manager or a mentor, will help you get started on and\/or keep you on track with your CPD journey. They can make sure your assessment of your knowledge and skills is accurate, your aspirations are realistic and achievable, and that you stay focused on your goal. And of course, you can also seek guidance from the Researcher Development team on what development opportunities are available to you, so get in touch if you need to<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Planning your CPD<\/h2>\n
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Your CPD should be primarily self-directed, and your CPD plan should be bespoke and specific for you and your situation. When planning your CPD, make sure you include a mechanism for review so that you can trace your progress through your plan and ensure it remains relevant and fit-for-purpose with regards to your changing needs. Importantly, always include time for reflection after engaging with CPD (What did you learn? How can you apply it? Has it revealed any other gaps?), and keep a written record of all CPD and the learning you take away from it. It’s surprising how quickly we can lose track of what we\u2019ve done!<\/p>\n

Cardiff University has a number of resources and frameworks in place to assist with your CPD planning, in addition to wealth of external resources that are also available to you.<\/p>\n

Internal resources and frameworks to help you plan your CPD<\/h4>\n