Professional development is the continuous process of acquiring new knowledge and skills that relate to your profession, job responsibilities or work environment. Professional development is for everyone and it is recommended that all UC staff members have a professional development goal that they are working toward.

Thinking about your career

Tools and resources

  • My UC Career

    This online development portal is available to all UC employees seeking to advance their career. Six self-paced modules help employees discover their internal UC career mobility options, highlight accomplishments, and identify how they can achieve their career goals within UC.

  • Professional development guide

    Guide to creating a vision of success, knowledge of the skills required to succeed, formal or informal assessments and an individual development plan.

  • Development plan: On the job activity builder

    This tool from will help you build your development plan by identifying on-the-job activities for developing specific competencies. Just select the competencies that you want to develop then create a development plan for them containing the recommended activities.

  • UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development (UC WI)

    The systemwide UC WI program is designed for mid-career women, both faculty and staff, who demonstrate the potential to advance their careers at UC.

  • UC Managing Implicit Bias Series

    A six-course online training series designed to increase awareness of implicit bias and reduce its impact at the University. The series reinforces the UC diversity, equity, and inclusion values that enable the University to attract and retain a top talent workforce, and it further supports the UC commitment to developing effective leaders and managers of people. It is intended to supplement existing location programs and resources.

  • UC Core Competencies 
    A foundational tool for the assessment and development of staff, managers and leaders

UC Extension

The continuing education arm of the University of California provides innovative learning programs to adult learners in California, across the U.S. and throughout the world. UC Extension provides knowledge and connections for people to achieve their personal and professional goals. In some cases, UC staff members may be eligible for reduced tuition, check the individual UC Extension’s website for more information.