It's December, and many people are actually thinking ahead to the new year. What will the future hold for them? With careful planning, your career will be in the control of your hands, and not the fickle fates of others. Planning your career is not just thinking about what you want to do in five years, or ten years, or even one year. What do you want NOW, and what do you think you'll want in the future? By preparing now for your own vocation, not only will you be able to take advantage of any opportunities that appear, but you just might be able to create and guide your professional progress for those opportunities to happen.
Where Are You Now?
You can't get TO anywhere unless you know where you are. So, where are you in your career? Just starting out? Almost ready to retire? Not sure? Whatever stage you think you're at, take a Career Assessment to help you really figure it out. Career Assessment tests help you decide not just on your Career, but help you to focus on what it really is you want to do. Check out Assessing Career Options for links to some free and pay-for sites. While these assessments are not designed to tell you what stage you're at, it always helps to focus in on what you want to do, and what you are good at doing.
It's not the stage that's important - but knowing your starting point will help you plan your next move.
Where Do You Want To Be?
Trick question. First, ask yourself if you are happy with what you are doing - the Career Assessment from the above paragraph will help you in this matter, but trust yourself and do a bit of self-assessment. Not happy but expect a promotion? Happy but worried about changes that might happen? Content with the way things are right now?
Once you've decided on how you are, now ask yourself - where do you want to be? Right where you are? Further up the ladder - be it the same company or a different one? Unhappy but determined to stick it out until you find something else? Realizing this is NOT the career for you?
So, where DO you want to be? Write it down. There's something about putting your thoughts on paper to make them real. And here your thoughts are your goals for your career.
When Do You Want To Get There?
It is not enough to decide on where (or what) you want to be. You need a timeline. When can you reasonably expect to get there? For example, if you have decided to change careers, do you need retraining or further education, and if so, how long will that take? At the bottom of your corporate ladder, but expect to get to the middle rung within a year? Do you really think that is feasible? Make sure your timeline matches the real world.
When you've decided on a reasonable timeline - put those dates beside your "want to be here" list. Now you've created the basics of your Career Plan!
Action!
Use this plan to help you decide on what to do. Note these are NOT resolutions, but plans and goals. Plans and goals will change as you do. Read over your plan, and start working on how to get there from here!
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Copyright December 10, 2007. Paym Bergson & Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use of this material will constitute an infringement of copyright.
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