Career Support and Development at Aalto
On this page, you will find information and tools to help you plan and develop your career path. For academic staff, a separate page on academic career support provides targeted tools and services for planning and developing an academic career.
Where to start?
When work feels meaningful and inspiring, we enjoy our work, and also achieve results. When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on which aspects of your work excite you and give you a feeling of purpose and meaning?
It's good to remember that professional growth and career development don't happen on their own. They require conscious reflection, planning, and the courage to make changes. We live in a constantly changing work environment where learning new skills and adapting are essential. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to even begin.
When planning your career, you can start by reflecting on questions such as:
- What kind of career plans or aspirations do you have?
- What skills would you need to develop to achieve your career goals?
- What are you best at?
- Where do you recognize areas for improvement?
- What are the best ways for you to develop and learn?
Aalto's services to support career development
If you would like a coaching partner to support your reflection, you can make use of Aalto's internal coaches. Below, you can explore the Career Station service for service personnel, career coaching for doctoral researchers, or solution-focused coaching available to all Aaltonians to support well-being at work and self-leadership. In some cases, individual or small-group work coaching may also be an option.
You can use the career design tools produced by Career Design Lab to support your reflection. Clarify what is important to you, what your strengths are, and how you can utilize them in your work. The tools from Career Design Lab are based on recent theories and research on career and life design, narrative identity, career sustainability, meaningful work, and methods from positive psychology and design thinking.
How to discuss development?
At Aalto University, we use the term "My Dialogues" to refer to the biannual discussions on work goals, development and wellbeing. My Dialogue is a crucial and concrete opportunity to discuss your development with your manager. During these discussions, you can identify and add new development goals or updated existing ones.
However, you don't need to wait for a My Dialogue session to discuss your development goals. It's beneficial to bring them up with your manager whenever they are relevant to you.
Many opportunities for career development
When considering development in your work and career, it's beneficial to focus on the continuous improvement of your skills, rather than just the traditional transitions from one career rung to another. This approach allows for career development within your current role or by moving horizontally to new challenges. Below, you will find some examples for developing your own work. Your manager is there to support you on your development path, providing a space to discuss and reflect on your career goals and ideas.
Job crafting refers to the process of adjusting your work to make it more meaningful for yourself. Through job crafting, you can shake up routines, try out new ways of working, and embrace everyday innovation. As the employee, or "crafter," you take an active role in considering the options for modifying your work. At Aalto, many positions allow employees to influence their work methods to some extent. You can explore ways to craft your job together with your manager.
Job crafting is a personalized endeavor that arises from each individual's unique starting point and needs. Consequently, it can vary significantly across different roles and situations. Below are a few practical examples, drawn from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health's "Työntuunaajan käsikirja" (only in Finnish), on how you might begin to craft your work. We encourage you to start with small experiments — even a modest insight can lead to experiences of learning and excitement!
How to craft your job?
Crafting the content or methods of work
- Seek out learning experiences by acquiring a new skill or taking part in a new project.
- Utilize your abilities in new ways. For instance, you could mentor a new employee or find ways to incorporate your interests into your daily work routine.
- Break routines by trying out different work environments or changing the usual order of tasks.
Crafting interaction related to work
- Enhance your interactions by learning about the work of employees from other units. Have lunch with new people for a change.
- Seek more feedback or ideas. Ask your manager how they think you're performing in your job. Engage in discussions and idea exchanges with colleagues or even people from different fields.
- Prioritize being present even during busy times. Focus on listening in your next interaction and pay attention to how it affects your own experience. Provide feedback to people when they perform well.
Crafting your perspective
- Understand the significance of your work. Reflect on why your work is important and what its deeper purpose is. Consider how your individual tasks fit into the larger picture.
- Be kind to yourself: Encourage yourself just as you would cheer on a friend. Acknowledge your accomplishments and celebrate your achievements.
Through job shadowing, you can learn about another employee's role and working methods by gaining knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities and tasks associated with a particular job, typically by shadowing the employee for a couple of days. Job shadowing facilitates the spread of best practices and enhances collaboration between work communities. It can help map out career opportunities within your organization and provide new possibilities to enrich your own work.
How to Start Job Shadowing?
- Reflect on Your Development Goals for Job Shadowing: Consider what you hope to achieve through shadowing, such as learning new skills or gaining insight into different roles.
- Discuss Job Shadowing with Your Manager: Express your interest and engage in a conversation about job shadowing. It's important to clarify your goals and discuss the practical arrangements with your manager.
- Identify a Potential Employee to Shadow: You can also seek your manager’s help in finding a suitable person to shadow.
- Agree on Expectations and Goals: Once you've found someone to shadow, arrange a meeting with your manager and the employee to discuss and agree on the expectations and objectives for the job shadowing experience.
Roles in Job Shadowing
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In job rotation, an employee temporarily changes their duties and moves to work within their own or another service area, school, or department. Typically, after the rotation period, the employee returns to their previous position. Job rotation is a method of on-the-job learning that ensures the retention and enhancement of professional skills within the work community. It allows employees to apply their existing skills in different environments while also expanding their expertise through new tasks.
How Job Rotation Progresses?
- Express your interest in job rotation to your manager or HR representative. A good opportunity to discuss job rotation possibilities is during the annual My Dialogue session.
- Job rotation can involve two individuals temporarily exchanging roles. However, it is more common for job rotation to happen during absences, with a substitute sourced from another unit within Aalto.
- Typically, after job rotation, the employee returns to their previous or similar roles. However, occasionally, job rotation can lead to new job opportunities, or the employee may remain permanently in their rotated position.
Internal job opportunities at Aalto offer a chance for career development within the university. By taking on new roles, you can broaden your skills, challenge yourself, and advance in your career. See: Open positions
As a member of the Aalto community, you can set up a job alert to receive notifications about open positions that interest you. Follow these instructions to create a job alert.
Academic career support
Recommendations to support researchers' career development
Below you will find materials produced by the Unite! university network to support the careers of early-stage researchers.
Unite! is one of the European Universities networks funded by the European Commission, of which Aalto University is a member alongside eight other high-level European universities. Unite! aims to significantly enhance student and staff mobility and to promote the quality, inclusiveness, and competitiveness of European higher education.
In the Career Path Guide, you will find exercises and tips to help you reflect on and plan your career. The toolkit is aimed at early-career academics and provides strategies, exercises, and tips to support you in reflecting on, planning, and shaping your career with confidence, clarity, and sustainable long-term success.
The Unite! Development Needs Analysis (UDNA) form, supports researchers in creating a personalised plan for their growth. By evaluating their current skills, identifying gaps in knowledge, and targeting areas for improvement, the URDF outlines the skills, attributes, and knowledge required of exceptional researchers, from postgraduate students to experienced academic leaders.
Research is a dynamic and evolving field, and researchers need to continually develop their skills, knowledge, and expertise to thrive in their careers. The Unite! Researchers Development Framework (URDF) guide is designed to assist researchers in planning and achieving their professional development goals. It focuses on the acquisition of skills, abilities, and knowledge needed for excellence in research, impact, self-management, cognitive development, working effectively with others, and managing research.
Trainings to support career reflection
Explore below the open online courses available on the Aalto EE website.
- Future work online course is designed as a starting point for understanding the changing landscape of working life. You will explore how the roles of the individual, organisations and society have changed and how it affects how we work today and in the future.
- Design a meaningful career online course is crafted to help you navigate the complexities of modern career dynamics. Through a blend of creative thinking and practical strategies, you’ll learn how to build a career path that resonates with your personal values and goals.
- Finland works online course is designed to help you understand and thrive in the Finnish work environment. You’ll explore the roots and characteristics of Finnish work culture, learn how to balance work and personal life and discover effective strategies for job searching and career development in Finland.