Career Planning: The key steps

 

Career Planning: The key steps

Career planning is a constant thing, which is not something you once did and now your life will be set. To provide a metaphor, career planning can be like sex, you learn a lot by being on the road and not at the onset of the journey.

How important is career planning and does it really help someone? Well my take is, it is better to wander into the jungle with some plans in hand rather than aimlessly getting lost. It provides you with the next step. Although, it is not a panacea for all the woes in someone’s life and it can be a myth, if not done properly.

Career planning depends a lot on the stage of your life. The details and the direction will vary a lot depending upon where you stand currently. For a student or a fresher in job market the planning should be much more detailed with backing by lots of research. 

For a working person, there are two basics questions one needs to answer:

• Are you satisfied with your career
• Are you satisfied with your working environment

The answer in yes or no to both these questions will define the next steps.

Some wisdom words for career planning

1. Nothing happens until something moves: Just planning is not everything and taking initiative is the first step. 

2. Become internally who you want to be externally: If you want to pursue dancing as a career than start thinking like one, visualizing your life as a dancer and the path will become easier.

3. It is not the journey itself, but the destination that is important: The path may be tortuous, but keeping the focus on the ultimate goal will make life easier.

Now coming on to the main thing, we will outline the steps for career planning.

Steps for career planning

Assess your Strengths, Passions, and Skills: 

Where do you currently stand? The answer to this question will provide a good start. Think outside the current situation and think about your interests, hobbies and you will get the answer. Don’t make assessment based on the current situation.

1. Assess Transferable Skills

Every job and career has some transferable skills in it. For example an investment banker has to pitch his ideas to clients. So apart from crunching numbers he become good at relationship management and selling his ideas. Hence networking becomes a transferable skill in this case.

2. Create Your Career Story

In these times, many people change jobs and careers. Making a career switch does not mean that you have failed. Try to find the story that is in your career, how you went from one type of work to the next. What you have learned, what you can contribute now?

3. Meet with a Career Counselor, take professional help

It can provide and outside perspective that you were missing. You can even subscribe to career newsletters.Take a Career Test: Taking a career test will help you understand your aptitudes and interests. 

The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most popular career tests in the world. If possible, take professional help to interpret the result.

4. Add a skill

Learn a new language, take on a new technical challenge, do something related to your hobby, acquire new skills related to computers, pursue digital photography

5. Advance Your Education

If you have a bachelor’s degree, going on to get your master’s degree might be a good move in your career development. Make sure that you know why you want to spend the time and money to get this degree.

6. Update Your Resume

Keep your resume fresh and up to date.

7. Connect With Your Network

It is always a smart idea to keep up with your network of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. Ideally you should offer to help them and give them information before you need to ask for help. But don’t be shy to ask for information and leads if you have a good relationship.

8. Consult with family, close friends

They can be a better assessor for you, in time when you are stuck.

In the end make manageable career goals. Planning to become a CEO, while you are still a junior level is a good dream, but it will take you nowhere. That should be the long-term goal, but career planning is largely about short-term steps.

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