Career Planning for Success

A career plan is a practical strategy that allows you to determine your skills and interests, set career goals, and put actions in place that will help you reach them.

It’s a continuous process and it can be reviewed from time to time. It includes an overview of the following:
• Your current skills and experience
• Your career goals
• Your interests
• Your priorities
• Your intended actions

Why is career planning important?

1. Career planning is a great way to ensure your career is going in the right direction.
2. It facilitates your career goals with tangible actions and aims. At the very least, it’ll help you to answer career goal questions at your next interview.
3. By assessing your situation, you’ll additionally be able to determine and fill any gaps in your knowledge or experience that might be holding you back from your dream job.
4. Career planning will show you exactly when you’re ready for that next change.

Timing is everything. Emotional and impulsive decisions risk you leaping into a job just not right for you. Your next move must be a positive step, but you still can remain opportunistic. Correct career planning ensures you can measure the true value of opportunities, as they arise.

Career planning must be simple and enjoyable, as well as effective. Figuring out what career path to follow starts with knowing yourself and knowing your options.

Step 1: Get to know yourself: Identify your vision, values, interests, skills, traits and abilities. It will help you decide what you want from your next career move.

Then, think about your answers to these questions:

• Choosing a new career direction: Which of your core values are most important to your choice?
• Looking for new challenges at work? Which of your skills or interests could help you develop and advance?
• Considering going back to school? Which type of program would make the most of your strengths?

Step 2: Explore your occupational options: Explore your options and gather information about them. What choices do you have? What does each one involve? Are there other options you haven’t thought about?

• Choosing a career direction? Find out about the occupations that interest you. Try talking with people in those fields. Can you get direct experience by volunteering? What about working part-time or job-shadowing? Don’t forget to consider related occupations.
• Considering going back to school? Talk to people in the occupations that interest you. Ask how they gained the skills and knowledge they needed. Get their advice on the training options that employers prefer.

Step 3: Take action to achieve your career goals
Develop a plan to make your options a reality. Identify the short-term and long-term steps that you need to take. Create deadlines for the completion of each step. Identify things you can do to stay motivated. Then take the steps you’ve identified.

Examples of overall career goals are:

• Improving your networking skills.
• Switching careers.
• Starting your own business.
• Getting a promotion.
• Becoming an expert in your field.
• Assuming a leadership position.
• Earning a degree or certificate.
• Closing more sales.
• Landing a huge account.
• Learning a new skill.
• Winning an award.
• Becoming a manager.
• Becoming a mentor.
• Improving the company bottom line.
• Becoming more proactive.
• Growing the size of your customer base.

P.S:
Your career is yours, not your employer’s. If you want progression and better earnings, waiting and hoping is rarely a winning strategy. Accept ownership and take control of your career today by planning.