New seasons offer a wonderful opportunity for reflection and new beginnings, new goals and aspirations. When it comes to your career, spring is a great time to take a step back and think about what you’ve accomplished in the past year, and what new things you’d like to usher in with the change of season.
Luckily, several new and improved development opportunities have sprouted up to help you grow your career this spring. No rain required! Check out all the details, below.
“Learn, see, and do” with the IT Experiential Development Program
The IT Experiential Development Program (IT EDP) is evolving, thanks to valuable feedback from past participants and hosts. The program now offers three enhanced experiential learning opportunities for you to explore:
- Informational Conversations are casual, exploratory conversations to learn about a role, team/organization, or program that interests you. With a minimal time investment, you’ll come away equipped with new knowledge to help inform the next steps in your career development. Check out available Informational Conversations.
- Meeting Observation gives you the chance to see a team in action. In just a short amount of time, you’ll have a better understanding of a particular team, project, or even a group of executives. Great exposure opportunity! Check out available Meeting Observation opportunities.
- Short-Term Development Assignments offer a complete immersion opportunity as you learn to do the work of a particular role or team. Hands-on learning is the very best way to gain new knowledge, experience, and skills. With a Short-Term Development Assignment, you’ll spend up to 20 percent of your time working with another team/organization. New Short-Term Development Assignments are coming soon; we’ll send announcements when available.
“These three opportunities look similar to what they have always been, but are tweaked just enough to provide that extra bit of clarity that participants and hosts are seeking,” explained Brittany Cripe, IT EDP program lead. “Our hope is with the extra clarification and guidance, folks will get even more value out of these learning experiences.”
Learn more about IT EDP and review eligibility guidelines
New! Just-in-time feedback and problem solving with Flash Mentoring
Hot off the presses, a new option is here for those who can appreciate the benefits of mentoring, but don’t have the time or interest in participating in a full fledged mentoring relationship.
Flash Mentoring provides one-time guidance on a specific issue or topic area. Rather than meeting regularly with a mentor for several months, Flash Mentoring is quick, focused, and short-lived. You’ll gain advice and feedback that is immediately applicable to your current situation.
“We are thrilled to offer this twist on traditional mentoring,” Brittany said. “There are so many people who cannot commit to a full mentoring relationship, but that shouldn’t exclude them from having access to guidance and support when they need it.”
Flash Mentoring is great for mentors too, because it offers an opportunity to give back and support others in a way that works best for them, with less demand on their time.
“We hope the addition of Flash Mentoring will widen the pool of mentors in the IT Community,” Brittany added.
The team is still working out a few backend logistics, but you can expect Flash Mentoring to be up and running within the next week or so. Announcements will go out when it’s ready to go, including a link to the website and instructions for how to participate.
Questions and suggestions
If you have questions or suggestions about IT Experiential Development Program, Flash Mentoring, or any other professional development-related topic, contact UIT Organizational Effectiveness Specialist Brittany Cripe at blcripe@stanford.edu, or UIT Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Dani Aivazian at daivaz@stanford.edu.
