Career planning is a fundamental aspect of attaining satisfaction and success in any chosen career. Regardless of whether one aims to be a contracts administrator in a small construction firm or the finance director of a multi-national corporation, developing career goals and outlining the necessary steps to achieve them is critical. Planning a career is a basic yet key principle in business used by successful people, and therefore, it is imperative to apply the same principles to manage one’s career by creating a career development plan to control the direction of the career.
To set career goals and create a plan with clear and actionable objectives, there are seven steps that one needs to take:
- Explore the possibilities – research and explore the occupational preferences to determine the qualifications, typical career paths, and specific skills required. This will give you a greater insight into your identified occupation/s.
- Compare options – objectively assess the options and narrow them down to identify the occupation that aligns with your professional and personal ambitions, skills, interests, and values. Then, define what you want to achieve in this chosen profession.
- Establish short-term goals – create a set of short-term actions that will set you down the path towards your career objective.
- Establish long-term objectives – plot out a realistic career progression pathway that defines the jobs and their increasing level of skills, responsibilities, and seniority that will allow you to reach your ultimate end goal.
- Develop an action plan – formulate an action plan or personal development plan that will help you achieve your career goals.
- Execute your plan – follow the action plan diligently, continually assessing progress and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.
- Evaluate and adapt – regularly review and evaluate your career plan to assess whether you are on the right track, whether it needs adjustments, and what else you need to do to achieve your career goals.
Setting career goals is not enough; one needs to develop an action plan or personal development plan to ensure that the set goals are achieved. The personal development plan must include short-term goals focusing on learning, experience, skill development, ideal next job, and professional membership, which will lead to long-term objectives, such as a roadmap for advancing your career to get to your ultimate end goal.
In conclusion, effective career planning requires a well-defined process that involves exploring possibilities, comparing options, establishing short and long-term objectives, developing an action plan, executing the plan, and evaluating and adapting as necessary. By following this process, individuals can gain clarity and focus, remain motivated, and achieve their professional goals.
