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Professional & Organizational Development

Navigating your UW career

Last Updated: October 29, 2026

Because each person has a unique situation, skill set, and career objectives, career paths vary widely and there’s no set formula for professional development. Typically, employees who take responsibility for planning their own development and actively seek growth opportunities are the most successful in achieving their goals.

Career Development Month: November Lunch and Learn Series

Join POD for one or all of these free lunch and learn sessions designed to facilitate your career growth at the UW.

Resumes for UW Jobs: Tuesday, Nov. 3, Noon–1 p.m.

There are many resources, templates, and advice for resumes and much of it is conflicting. What is best for your resume when applying for another job at UW? What do the recruiters vs. hiring managers need? Should you use AI or not? Join Melissa Nzuki, UW Human Resource Employment Specialist and Campus Recruiter, for a hands-on workshop designed to help you strengthen your resume for UW job applications. You’ll work through practical strategies and make real-time updates to your resume, leaving with actionable improvements that can increase your chances of landing an interview. Register now. 

Networking as a UW Employee: Monday, Nov. 9, Noon–1 p.m.

With almost 60,000 staff across UW and UW Medicine’s entities, all contributing to a collective mission that has world-wide reach, it can be challenging to get a full grasp of anything outside of one’s day-to-day. Especially in a hybrid environment and with many competing priorities, the way we build networks has changed. Whether it’s to learn more, advance your career, find a mentor, or just connect with others, this session will help you with practical steps to build a network here at UW. Facilitated by Skyla Savitch, Learning and Career Development Consultant with POD. Register now. 

Career in 2026 Panel: Wednesday, Nov. 18, Noon–1 p.m.

We know career paths are often non-linear, and we are all working in an ever-changing environment. So what does career even mean anymore? From a recent survey, over 76% of current UW employees are looking to grow their career at UW rather than look elsewhere. In this session, hear from a panel of UWHR professionals on what “career” may look like and advice for reaching your own career goals at UW. Register now. 

  • Moderator: Skyla Savitch, Learning & Career Development Consultant, Professional & Organizational Development
  • Panelists:
    • Josh Kemper, HR Manager, Labor Relations
    • Pranika Laing, HR Strategic Partner, Office of the Vice President
    • Claudia Munoz, Recruiter, UTemp Staffing
    • Trista Truemper, Senior Policy and Legislation Analyst, Policy & Workforce Strategy

Career Development Month: Your guide for November

Week One: Gratitude and connection 

Person scheduling with a planner

Start your exploration by focusing on connections you’ve made in your career, an exceptional manager or colleague from your past and how you can continue to connect and grow through professional relationships. 

  • Furthering your connections by committing to one of the following actions this first week:
    • Ask someone in your field or in a role or area you aspire to for an informational interview
    • Reach out to someone you admire to see if they might be interested in mentoring you
    • Spend some time on LinkedIn connecting with new people and expanding that network. 

 Week Two: Reflect on your career path 

Many careers grow organically — and haphazardly. Take some time to reflect on your career path, where you might want to go next and what actions you can take. 

 Week Three: Know yourself 

Self-awareness is key to understanding what you do well and enjoy, what challenges you may be ready for and how you better position yourself for success.  

  • Take a personality test to learn more about yourself and how you may work in teams
  • Evaluate your own tendencies and find tips to motivate yourself and others through this hour-long LinkedIn Learning (UW employees have free access)
  • Use the Yoodli AI coach to help you prepare for presentations, difficult conversations and job interviews 

 Week Four: Invest in yourself and your career 

  • Consider pursuing a POD certificate to advance your knowledge and skills in Human Resources Administration at the UW or Supervisory Skills at the UW — and earn the equivalent of six months of experience 
  • Find a book or article to develop further in an area of interest or need; use the POD reading list as a starting point through UW Libraries:
  • Check out upcoming live and self-paced POD classes and save the date for when registration opens for Winter 2027 POD classes on December 14 

Career development tools and services

Person using a compass and map

  • This step-by-step Career Planning Resource (PDF) provides a framework for your career planning and development, with worksheets to complete at every step.
  • One-on-one coaching can help you overcome challenges, realize your full potential, and maximize on-the-job success.
  • Through the UW ARC 360 program designed for specific roles at the UW, gain insight into others’ perceptions of your abilities along with new directions for your development.

Additional resources

  • Start your job search close to home, using the complete listings of open positions at the UW.
  • You have access to hundreds of journals through UW Libraries. This resource can provide you with both scholarly publications and trade publications regarding career development, business, higher education and professional development.