Career planning is an exercise that is well worth the time invested in it because it sets you going on the path that leads to where you would like to go. This exercise provides you with a lot of clarity regarding your career objectives as well and it best done before you embark on your job search.
Often most people get stuck at the very beginning of the planning process itself. There seem to be too many choices that are throwing themselves at you with all kinds of material gains, fame and wealth, comfort and luxury, glamour and beauty. From acting to singing, writing to banking, software programming to business, choices confuse you. Naturally feelings of self-doubt might creep in at this stage. Am I good enough for that, you may ask, or how do I become successful at this. After some time of pondering over many career paths you may end up thinking that maybe you are no good for any of these things after all.
Here is where a bit of career planning helps. There are two ways of starting off. One is to find out what you really like doing and do it irrespective of the gains and growth patterns and the second is to find out what really motivates you, find out which among the careers gives you what you want and build up competencies for it. Either way you will get what you want—in the first method the journey itself is your reward (though many will discourage you on this path, but don’t worry, many have tread this path and quite successfully at that too) and in the second you are carefully working your way to your reward which could be clearly spelt out to be a consequence of your work or occupation.
Whichever path you choose, it is most important to know your individual strengths and weaknesses. Sit down and assess yourself honestly. Think of all your accomplishments, of all the compliments you got, of all the work that really inspired you, of the times when you worked with passion at and jot them all down. You will find that as you note down your victories, your achievements etc., a pattern will emerge. You can find that you are good at organizing, at making people comfortable, at leading, at solving puzzles, at physical activity, at playing music or games. Each of these represents a career option by itself or throws up some characteristic in you—qualities that could be good assets in your future career options.
Now list out things that motivate you, that you aspire for, your dreams—things you would want more than anything else in the world. Find your fit between the person you are and the dream you wish to achieve. As this picture gets clearer you become more aware, confident and purposeful. Attributes that serve you well along the way. You have now formed a sharp picture of yourself with specific saleable qualities.
Based on your aspiration level and your aptitude, you can also identify the careers that offer the kind of lifestyle or returns that you wish. If you wish to frequently travel and be in command of a dynamic business you can zero down to careers in marketing with a goal to set up your own firm or to head a large company. It is best to be honest with yourself at this stage because most people take decisions based on glamorous misconceptions about certain careers and later change them. For example, if you wish to be an airhostess, check out the sources available to the kind of work that is associated with being an airhostess. Only if you really enjoy doing that kind of work and the rewards that come with it must you opt for it. Else look further for what really fits you. Growth, rewards, recognition and most importantly job satisfaction and a good quality of life come from one thing—loving your job.
Having decided on a particular direction, build competencies. Specific careers need specific education and training. Whichever area you choose to be in, you will fare well if you strive to be the best in it. Leave your individual brand on it. Learn the ropes by acquiring information, by taking up courses, by taking up internships and summer jobs, by learning the economics of the job, by adding special skills that help in handling the job with greater proficiency.
All careers without exception would certainly require a good writing and verbal communicating ability so please work on that, a pleasing and well-mannered personality, a professional work ethic and good inter-personal skills. Work on these important soft skills along with as you plan your career. A final word! If you have a goal then be clear about it and start walking towards it. You will learn along the way. You will acquire skills and competencies that help you along. The important thing is to start the journey.
Career Planning Tips
Determine your values: Simply put: what is important to you? Do you value freedom? Do you like autonomy? Or working as a member of a team? Do you like structure? Or lack of structure? Working a lot of hours? Or working flexible hours? Do you want a job with a significant paycheck? Or a job that provides significance to your life? These are all crucial questions that you must be able to answer because they will impact both your short and long-term happiness. Often people are able to answer these questions with greater conviction once they have experienced a sampling of various work environments and situations.
Know your strengths: Study, after study reveals that the real key to success is fully utilizing our strengths, and shying away from activities which reveal your weaknesses. People tend to make the mistake of trying to convert weaknesses into strengths. Those efforts are futile. Your time should actually be spent increasing and utilizing your strengths, which are the foundation for your core competency.
Research, Research, Research!: Too often people choose the wrong careers because they don’t know the myriad of vocations that exist within their field of study. This often results in misemployment and disenchantment. Time spent properly researching the profession that you intend to undertake, and the field you wish to enter, is vital. Part of this research should include conducting informational interviews with people who do what you would like to do for a living, visiting sites that contain blogs that are written by people in your chosen field, and reading trade magazines that contain stories about the movers and shakers in your industry.
Create your plan: The most important benefit of having a plan is that it gives you a sense of direction in helping you reach your goals. In real life career planning, we choose the paths that we believe will take us to our destinations, but we have to be open to embarking upon new paths which may emerge in the course of our journey. Just as having a plan is important, so is the importance of planning to be flexible. It will keep you open to a realm of possibilities and help you arrive at your rightful destination.
Channel your passions: The importance of passion is well-documented: “Follow your heart,” “Do what you love,” and so forth. It’s absolutely true! The key factor here is to channel your passions sooner than later—though it’s never too late to do what you love—there are distinct opportunities that are afforded to the young; capitalize on your youth! There is no sense in delaying the pursuit of what you are passionate about. Everyone has passions, but not everyone channels them properly. Untapped passion and talent is like the bud of a flower that never fully opens to achieve its full beauty and splendour. As long as you channel your passions into something—for work which you are paid or not—you are nurturing it so that it may bolster your career momentum, or can be parlayed into an alternative career.
Get some experience: Simply put: there is no substitute for experience. You need to get as much of it as quickly as you can. Interning is a win-win proposition for you and a prospective employer because they get free labour, and you get valuable experience. Without this experience, you remain idealistic if not unrealistic about the true-to-life rigours of the profession, and of the industry you want to work in. Gaining experience will help to confirm your interests and pursuits, or help to re-direct them. Interning is by far the smartest thing to do in a tight job market while you seek full-time employment.
Get a mission critical ally: Everyone knows the importance of networking. But everyone does not know the importance of having mission critical allies. First, if you don’t have a mission (a plan that you prioritize over everything else in life) then you don’t need a mission critical ally. Mission critical allies are those who we forge valuable relationships with that include mentoring and support.
