Career Resources
Individual Development Plans
An individual development plan (IDP) is a way to create a general roadmap for your career. The IDP process gives you the opportunity to identify your unique set of skills and strengths along with your areas for improvement and development as a scientist, and is a way to clearly communicate your long-term career goals with your mentor.
A yearly IDP is required of all postdoctoral trainees at the Penn State College of Medicine.
The myIDP website is an online tool from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) that helps postdocs identify their unique interests, abilities, and values.
myIDP includes:
- A list of 20 scientific careers with a prediction of which ones are right for you
- A tool to help you with strategic goal setting, with the option to set reminders
- Articles and resources to guide you through the IDP process