Career planning is the process of establishing career objectives and mapping out the necessary steps to achieve them. A well-thought-out career plan is essential for realizing both short-term and long-term goals. Here's a step-by-step guide to career planning:
1. **Self-Assessment**:
- **Interests**: Understand what you love doing. Tools like the Holland Code (RIASEC) can help categorize vocational interests.
- **Skills**: Assess your strengths, weaknesses, and competencies.
- **Values**: Know what's essential to you in a job (e.g., work-life balance, high pay, job security).
2. **Research Potential Careers**:
- Identify industries or roles that align with your assessment results.
- Research job requirements, responsibilities, career progression, salary, job outlook, etc.
- Informational interviews can be beneficial at this stage.
3. **Set Career Goals**:
- **Short-term goals**: What you aim to achieve in the next 1-2 years (e.g., obtaining a certification, securing a particular internship).
- **Long-term goals**: Where you see yourself in 5, 10, or 20 years.
4. **Develop an Action Plan**:
- Outline specific steps to achieve your goals.
- Determine the skills, qualifications, and experience you need and how to obtain them.
5. **Pursue Education and Training**:
- Depending on your desired career, you might need formal education, training programs, or certifications.
- Continuous learning and upskilling can help maintain competitiveness.
6. **Gain Experience**:
- Look for internships, part-time jobs, freelance opportunities, or volunteering to build relevant experience.
- Networking can open doors to unadvertised opportunities.
7. **Develop Soft Skills**:
- Skills like communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork are valuable in almost every career.
8. **Stay Updated**:
- Regularly review and adjust your career plan.
- Stay informed about industry trends, emerging jobs, or new skills required.
9. **Seek Feedback**:
- Regularly consult mentors, peers, or superiors for feedback on your performance and advice on career progression.
10. **Stay Flexible**:
- While it's essential to have a plan, be open to unforeseen opportunities or shifts in your interests or the job market.
11. **Work-Life Balance**:
- Prioritize your well-being and balance professional aspirations with personal needs.
12. **Review and Adjust**:
- As you grow and the world changes, your career plans might need to adapt. Set periodic check-ins (e.g., annually) to review and adjust your plans.
A well-structured career plan not only provides direction but also imparts a sense of purpose and motivation. Consider seeking guidance from career counselors or mentors who can provide valuable insights and perspective. Remember, career planning is a continuous process, and it's okay for your goals and plans to evolve over time.
2. CAREER PLANNING
is a deliberate process of
knowing WHO you are so that you can
be sure of WHERE you want to go or
WHAT you want to be at some
defined point in the future.
3. FIVE STEPS OF CAREER
PLANNING
1st Step: Self-Assessment
2nd Step: Explore Work/Career Options
3rd Step: Narrow Down List of
Work/Career Options
4th Step: Decide or Choose the Best Option
5th Step: Set a Career Goal
7. Where to explore
Look at opportunities within your
organization and its subsidiaries
Look at career opportunities in
other organizations and in other
industries
Look at entrepreneurial and self-
employment opportunities
Look at jobs/careers of people
you know of those you read about
or see
8. 3rd
Step: Narrow Down List
of Work/Career Options
List down three to five
career options that is
match with your interest,
personality, needs, values
and skills, on one hand and
the opportunities and
limitations, on the other.
9. 5 Career Options Sample
1. Field engineer or IT Specialist
2. Pursue graduate
3. School instructor
4. Hardware business owner
5. Company Manager
10. Kinds of Career Paths
Steady State
– requires a life long commitment
to one career and is characterized
by a steady improvement in
knowledge and skills.
11. Linear
- constant upward
mobility in which
there is a steady
increase in power,
responsibilities over
the work of others,
and financial rewards.
12. Transitory
- constant seeking for variety
or independence. Jobs tend to
be short term and mobility is
generally lateral.
13. Spiral
- regular changes, usually every
five or seven years. Mobility is
usually lateral, and may be
initially downward.
14. 4th
Step: Decide or Choose
the Best Option
This step will let you choose
the best from among the
list of 3-5 options.
– Description of your ideal job
– Personal Mission Statement
– Job Requirements or
Qualifications
15. 5th
Step:
Set a Career Goal
This process will
give you focus
and it will
motivate you to
overcome
obstacles that
will keep you from
achieving your
goal.
16. What makes a goal good?
1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Attainable
4. Relevant
5. Time-bound
6. Action-oriented
17. Barriers to Goals and Plan
Self-imposed or psychological barriers
• Negative self-image
• Negative attitude (bitterness,
selfishness, rebellion, crab mentality
etc.)
• Negative emotions (anxieties or fears)
18. • Victim mentality (feeling of
incapacity)
• Intrapersonal conflicts (torn
between two or more values)
• Personality traits (indecisiveness,
aggressiveness, competitiveness)
• Habits (procrastination, cramming)
• Negative thought against other
people (biases and prejudice)
20. 1. Keep an ongoing file of all your
accomplishments.
2. Be prepared for any contingency by
maintaining an updated resume.
3. Sharpen your communication skills.
4. Build a network.
5. Become indispensable or close to it.
6. Remember that professional education
and self-development are never-ending.
7. Prepare for an alternative career.
8. Work on being pleasant and courteous.
21. The purpose of life, after
all, is to live it, to taste
experience to the
utmost, to reach out
eagerly and without fear
for newer and richer
experiences.
- Eleanor
Roosevelt
