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Career centres and personal development modules often promote personal development planning (PDP) to build focus, motivation and agency. Although PDP tools have value, the mindset of a static career plan does not prepare students for today’s volatile job market.

Structured PDPs can narrow perspectives and reduce adaptability, leading to missed opportunities in an already competitive labour market. Instead of teaching students to create a plan and follow it, we should equip them with reflective skills that enable quick adaptation and the ability to spot opportunities. Here’s how I’ve done this:

1. Use the PDP as a starting point, not the destination

I still ask students to complete a PDP but I frame it as a starting point for evaluating their current state, not as an end goal or part of a checklist for success. We explore the pitfalls of PDPs and their value as tools that establish a sense of direction and the start of continuous conversations.

I use a gap analysis exercise in which students compare the skills and experiences they use in their current roles with those required in jobs they’re interested in. I have them list 10 jobs, record the skills requested, and identify themes based on those jobs. This exercise helps them prioritise and remain flexible, rather than locking them into a rigid path.

2. Let academic literature take centre stage

Personal development in an academic module should go beyond filling out a table of SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals or following a prescribed reflection model. Instead, students need to understand the theories behind goal-setting, learning, motivation and performance.

For example, Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham’s goal-setting theory supports many aspects of SMART goals, explaining how motivation increases when goals are specific and challenging. However, contrasting theories, such as John Krumboltz’s Planned Happenstance, emphasise curiosity and openness to unexpected opportunities. This career theory rejects rigid, linear career planning and instead promotes adaptability and openness to unexpected opportunities. It views uncertainty as a normal part of career progression and encourages individuals to actively create and recognise chance events through actions like networking and exploring new interests. For students navigating volatile job markets, this approach fosters agility and helps transform unforeseen events into meaningful career steps.

These discussions about differences and contradictions help students see the nuances: when structured goals are useful and when adaptability matters more. The real value lies in choosing a model that fits their current context, not blindly following an idea.

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3. Prioritise critical reflection over career-planning

My module is not about creating a career plan. It’s about developing critical reflection. This skill enables students to pause, notice and evaluate new possibilities before making decisions.

I start by clarifying what critical reflection means: pausing to take stock, evaluate experiences, and decide on next steps. To help students structure their thinking, I introduce Donald Schön’s reflective practice, which emphasises flexibility and the idea that reflection can occur during an event or after. Having students think through experiences and build self-awareness of when they are "reflecting in action" and remembering something from theory is useful.  

I also present Graham Gibbs’ reflective cycle, which guides students through a continuous process of describing experiences, exploring feelings, evaluating, analysing the use of theory, and drawing conclusions that inform future actions. This model is particularly useful for those who prefer a structured process or want to build self-awareness by paying attention to emotions. you can introduce it as a structured process until students learn the model. 

I also introduce Gary Rolfe’s framework, which connects past experiences with theory and future actions, encouraging students to link what happened to what they will do next. With this model, I lean heavily on reflective prompts to deepen analysis and encourage students to answer the “so what?” questions:

• “How can you evaluate your thinking based on theory?”
• “What did you learn from this process?”
• “Why is this significant?” 

By showcasing multiple models, I stress that there is no single “right” approach; students can choose what resonates with them. Some may prioritise quick, in-the-moment reflection using Schön’s model, while others may value Gibbs’ focus on feelings. When students develop the habit of pausing and evaluating and use a toolbox of career theories, they become better equipped to make informed decisions throughout their lives.

Exploring career theory is not about prescribing a single model but about fostering adaptability through continuous and accessible reflection. Reflective practice is more than recording thoughts in a journal. It involves intentional pauses to examine experiences through different lenses and developing the habit of deciding on next steps. It solidifies knowledge retention and allows students to notice important nuances, which is ever more important for employability.

Michelle Civile is senior lecturer and advanced teaching practitioner of skills and behaviours at the University of Exeter.

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