Whether you’re an experienced professional or just starting out in your career, it’s essential to have a career plan which keeps you focused on your career goals. A plan also helps you make effective career decisions and respond to new opportunities. While everybody’s career plan is unique, some common elements and strategies can result in effective career planning.
It involves taking a good look at yourself – your personality, values, skills, motivations and interests – so that you can understand what makes you tick. This can help you identify your ideal career or find ways to improve your current job. You may think you know yourself well, but most of us have blind spots, so this is a critical career planning strategy.
Taking a career test is a great place to start. There are several types of career tests on the market, which assess a range of factors like personality, interests or aptitudes. If taking a test doesn’t appeal to you, then there are other ways to increase your self-awareness. For instance, you could try journaling. Reflect on previous jobs you’ve had – what were the aspects of them that you enjoyed, and what did you dislike? What are the skills you enjoy using? What are your top ten interests outside of work? Using these prompts to journal your thoughts and reading back over them will increase your self-awareness about your preferred working style.
Invest time into networking.
The art of networking has numerous benefits — all of which can work towards improving and strengthening your personal brand. Whether it’s a breakfast round table or an evening mixer, make the time to connect with your industry peers. You could learn something new and reap rewards.
Seek feedback
Ask others to provide you with feedback. This could involve asking your boss about their opinion of your strengths and areas that need development – this is important if you are aiming for a promotion. You could ask for feedback at your next performance review or arrange a meeting with your supervisor to discuss your career plan.
You can also seek feedback from your colleagues and friends as well as others in your network. Ask them to give you an honest review of your strengths and key qualities. If you’re considering changing careers, you could also ask them what role or industry they could see you in. The answers could be very revealing. Remember, you are not bound to any of the feedback you receive, but you should take it into account when you’re crafting your career plan.
Engage a mentor or a coach.
Where do you see yourself at the pinnacle of your career? A mentor or professional coach can help you map out the anticipated steps from your current job to your pinnacle job. A well-matched leadership coach can also offer valuable insight into the formal and informal networks you should tap into to advance your career. Leadership coaches are specialized in exploration of skill set proficiencies and can talk through your talents and passions to align them with your career goals.
Seek jobs that promote growth.
According to Deloitte’s 2018 Global Human Capital Trends, 60% of employees believe their organizations do not effectively empower people to manage their own careers. If your current position is a dead end, don’t feel guilty for seeking new employment. Career stagnancy doesn’t allow you to develop and hone new skills and eventually breeds unhappiness.
Remain flexible
It’s important to remain flexible throughout your career planning. Things can change very quickly, and you need to be ready to adapt your plan. Reviewing your plan regularly and staying up to date with your industry means that you shouldn’t receive any big surprises, but the unexpected can still happen, such as sudden redundancy.
Some people avoid planning because they want to be spontaneous. However, having a plan puts you in a far greater position to react to changes than someone who doesn’t have one. You will likely have developed more skills, knowledge and contacts and be better prepared to pivot when necessary.
In conclusion, don’t wait, develop your career plan now. Invest time into substantial career planning and growth, now, to attain that coveted executive level position in the field you most desire. Building a prosperous career requires continuous development and revision to ascend the ladder. Infuse your career with action, don’t wait for the right time to plan, because the position you want could be offered to someone else.
My name is Chigozie Japhet. I am a content writer, and a brand strategist. I like writing, reading, researching and watching football, especially my team, Man United. i believe in working hard, and also in relaxation as all work without play, makes Chigozie a dull boy.
