10 Career Planning Tips for People of Any Age or Career Stage
Career planning isn’t something you do once and then put aside. Given that the typical worker will change professions – not jobs – five to seven times in their lifetime, career planning is an activity you should engage in at least once a year.
A career management strategy is required to succeed in a continuously changing workplace. Employers are constantly looking for the best personnel to recruit, hire, and retain. Consider yourself a company with a product to offer, and devise a plan for selling your worth at work.
Here are 10 actions you can do right now to create a career plan that will bring you where you want to go professionally:
- Maintain an up-to-date résumé
One of the most crucial aspects in preparing for your career’s future is to be ready to seize opportunities when they arise. Regardless of your sector or degree of experience, understanding how to create a resume and keeping it current is a great yearly practice - Make career planning a weekly occurrence.
Schedule a day or weekend at least once a year to genuinely concentrate on what you want out of your work. - Consider your job progress since the previous career planning session.
According to research, contemplation enhances productivity and performance, so take some time to consider your present circumstances and the direction you wish to pursue. Are you satisfied with your job path so far? What might you have done differently or better? What can you do differently in the future? It’s much simpler to build a strategy that fits your objectives and your lifestyle when you understand yourself and what you really desire.
You may continue to advance your career by investing in your professional development, such as talking to your boss about job shadowing other people in your firm to learn about new occupations, or attending various training sessions and seminars. You may widen your experience by making lateral movements or by finding a mentor in a different area.
- Consider what you enjoy, detest, need, and want from your job.
Our preferences and dislikes vary with time, so it’s always a good idea to consider what you’re passionate about in your life and profession. Make a list of your favourite and least favourite aspects of your employment. Hopefully, you still love many of your work activities, but if not, it may be time to start looking for a new job or career.
It is also critical to have a clear and meaningful aim that is emotionally appealing. What do you really need from your job? Making a difference? To achieve financial independence?
- Keep a record of your accomplishments.
Most of us do not maintain a record of our professional accomplishments; yet, this is not only essential for constructing your CV, but it is also beneficial for career planning. Learning to keep track of and write about your professional successes can be useful as you move toward your next career objective. - Determine your transferrable talents.
Perhaps your job title is Business Analyst, but you have extensive project management expertise – abilities that might be transferred to other positions. Consider your ambitions and how the talents you have today might be beneficial in a new career if you think beyond your present work title. Make a list of transferrable abilities to include in your CV.
Also, conduct some studies on the talents you will need to acquire. If you want to be the VP of Finance, for example, what experience and abilities do you need to earn in the following year or five years to be eligible for that position? Then devise a strategy for accomplishing your long-term professional objective.
- Set professional objectives.
While it is possible to be successful in your work without establishing goals, it is possible to be even more successful with goal setting. What are your short-term (within the next year) and long-term (over the next five to ten years) professional objectives? You’ve certainly heard of SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Always make a list and share it with someone. This will assist you in developing a feeling of responsibility.
Another important aspect of career planning is evaluating and updating these objectives on a regular basis – and generating new ones after your old ones have been met. So, every time you get down for a career planning session, pull out this list and go over it again.
- Look into additional educational or training options.
Never pass up an opportunity to learn and develop as an employee and as a person. Finding training options, classes, or seminars that can assist you to advance your profession is a part of career planning. Take advantage of any professional development chances that your firm may provide. This is free money that may help you achieve your objectives. - Use people as a resource and learn from them.
Develop contacts with executives both within and outside your business, attend job-related seminars, and look into additional opportunities. The more extensive your network, the more possibilities you will have to learn from those who have achieved success. You may organise informative meetings with coworkers or bosses to learn more about other prospective career paths — people are often eager to provide advice if you ask. - Push yourself beyond your comfort zone
Identifying and resolving an organisational issue in your firm is one of the finest methods to boost your career. If you can identify an issue inside your business, offer a solution, and put it into action, you will not only raise your exposure but will also develop your talents.
