Career Planning: The Great Way to Build Your Future

Everyone, from those just out of college to those who have been working in their field for years, can gain something from putting some thought into their professional future. Empowering employees to choose their career planning is also an excellent way for managers and team leaders to increase employee engagement and loyalty. The core issue of career planning is settling on a field and location that you’re passionate about working in. The remaining steps can be completed with the help of this detailed manual.

What Is Career Planning?

Choosing a future occupation and developing a strategy to get there is part of career planning. It’s not something you do once and then forgets about; rather, it should be an evolving process that you return to, significantly if you or the world around you have changed.

A person’s idea of career planning may differ significantly from another’s. However, thinking about what you value and what skills you have is an excellent place to begin. You can use that as a springboard to investigate whether or not a specific field of work, thorough job or specific role fits your preferences. Tests of aptitude, expert mentoring, formal courses, and formalized on-the-job instruction are all parts of the career planning process.

When Is the Best Time to Start Thinking About Your Future Career?

It is never too early or too late to start thinking about your future career. By graduating high school, you should have a general idea of what career path interests you. But if that isn’t the case, that’s fine too. Experience gained from college, vocational training, or even an entry-level job can be beneficial. As you decide on a specific field of work, you can strengthen your application and expand your professional network.

If you’ve already been in the workforce for a while, you can use the process of career planning to take stock of your accomplishments and setbacks. Taking stock of your past efforts and your future goals is an excellent place to start.

When It Comes to Your Career Planning, Where Do You Even Begin?

Is it time for you to take charge of your professional future? Your interests, skills, values, and preferences are the four main factors to consider when currently implementing a plan.

1. Think about what’s in your best interest

Pursuing one’s interests involves devoting significant time and energy. You’d want to learn more about them even if you weren’t getting paid to do them. Our hobbies or our chosen field of study at university can provide insight into who we are as people. Check out your digital and physical libraries, as well as any newsletters or subscriptions you may have.

2. Take a critical look at your abilities

Abilities are the things at which you truly shine. Natural abilities or those honed through experience and practice both qualify. These are the characteristics you can count on when you have to get something done.

3. Think about what’s most important to you

How you hope to make a difference in the world reflects your values. Take the career of law as an example. Which of these areas of law interests you more: prosecution, defense, in-house counsel, or IP law? Are you more interested in a career in criminal law or environmental protection law? Many different types of businesses can employ people with the same job title.

4. Sort out your likes and dislikes

Last but not least, picture your ideal workday. Where would you instead work: a glass office building in the city’s heart or a beachside cafe in Cancun? Do you have much free time to hang out with loved ones, or are you constantly on the go due to your job? How much money are you bringing in each year? You can use these preferences to guide your career choice and achieve the work-life balance you seek.

Plan Your Career in 7 Easy Steps

Setting career objectives can be a daunting task. However, once you have a plan in place, you can use it to expand your business and improve efficiency quickly. It’s essential to write down or otherwise record your thoughts so you can refer to them later.

So, how do you get started with career preparation? In 7 easy steps:

1. Self-evaluation
2. Try to find out more about your ideal occupation.
3. To find out the fundamentals
4. Find groups that share your ideals.
5. Investigate entry-level job postings
6. Go in the right direction.
7. Spread the word to everyone you know.

Now, let’s investigate these in more detail.

1. Self-evaluation

An individual’s self-evaluation is the starting point for the career planning process. You can take a test to determine your strengths and weaknesses, such as the Whole Person Assessment offered by BetterUp. Examining the intersection of your values and professional goals can be aided by taking a core values test.

Discovering your strengths and potential areas of success can also be aided by speaking with a coach or career counselor. Invest in some severe introspection at this stage, or you risk making career choices you’ll regret.

2. Try to find out more about your ideal occupation

Set some ambitious objectives now while the going is good. What kind of job would you have in an ideal world? Use LinkedIn to look for positions matching your perfect job description. Pay close attention to the required qualifications and duties outlined in the job posting. Which superior do they answer to? How formally educated are they? Which types of businesses are looking for someone with your skillset?

3. To find out the fundamentals

However, there may be indispensable requirements that must be met before you can land your ideal job. If you have your sights set on a career in medicine, you’ll need to attend medical school. Specifically, what are your current position’s absolute, must-have outcomes, and how do you get there? What are the chances you’ll have to go to college or change careers?

4. Find groups that share your ideals

Look at the hiring organizations as you explore available positions. Is it possible that you might one day work for those businesses? Some employees may place a higher value on the type of company they work for than on their job description. For some, what matters most is the field or the reason for the company’s existence. Determine the things that are most important to you and why.

5. Investigate entry-level job postings

When you know the job title and the company you want to work for, it’s time to start exploring similar positions within the organization. To get to the level of Director of IT, for instance, you should investigate all available positions, especially those that could lead to a report to the director. Where do you find the lowest possible bar to jump over? Potential jobs range from entry-level support worker to coordinator.

6. Go in the right direction

Discover which intermediate objectives will bring you closer to your desired position. Changing careers might necessitate first enrolling in a training program or university. It may be as simple as sending out resumes if it’s merely the next logical step in the career path you’re already on. Talk to your boss about your aspirations if you want to stay with the company but are ready for a promotion. By working with them, you can map out your next steps for professional growth and begin taking on additional responsibilities.

7. Spread the word to everyone you know

Getting as much assistance as possible is the last step in career planning. Share your career aspirations with your boss, coach, and the other brunch attendees. Many people enjoy lending a hand, especially if doing so allows them to show off their knowledge or network. Developing professional connections and demonstrating eagerness for advancement should be high priorities.

Additional Suggestions for Constructing Your Career Plan

Once you’ve set your sights on a stylish new job title, you’ll likely be eager to pursue it. The seven career planning phases provided here will provide you with a solid foundation. There are, however, a few other things you may do to assist you in moving on. Here are some career planning suggestions:

• Volunteer. Getting paid employment in your industry may be difficult, but that doesn’t mean you can’t gain experience. Offer to volunteer part-time for an organization that shares your objectives.
• Consult with your college. Typically, universities, honor organizations, and professional schools maintain alum networks. You should contact them or the organization’s career center. They may also provide financial aid and job exploration assistance.
• Participate in internships. Seek out opportunities to collaborate with organizations and individuals you admire. Even brief internships might provide valuable experience for a future job interview. In addition, you will be the first to know about any new full-time openings.
• Build your talents. Consider enrolling in online courses and certification programs that correspond to your job objectives. Demonstrating your dedication to learning new skills will encourage you to stand out when applying for jobs.
• Evaluate your resume. You may want to review your resume and cover letter templates if it has been a while since you actively seek employment. Update them on your most recent achievements, credentials, and position.
• Develop your professional connections. Attend several seminars and networking activities. Join the appropriate professional organizations in your field and peruse their job listings. Enhance your LinkedIn profile and, if you’re feeling adventurous, connect with people in the professions and sectors you’re interested in and request informative interviews.

Why Is Career Planning Essential for Companies?

Employers should also be concerned with career development. Employee engagement and retention will increase if you assist employees in advancing their careers. In addition to preventing burnout and increasing job happiness, you may avoid burnout by providing employees with larger goals to pursue.

Organizations that disregard career planning will hinder the professional growth of their employees, which will cause them to seek employment elsewhere. If you create a structured method to help your team members plan their careers, they will realize you care about their development. In exchange, they will be loyal, and you will benefit from their long-term professional development.

What Employers Need to Know About Career Planning

Consequently, how can you assist your staff in their career planning? Here are many suggestions to help you get started.

1. Provide Possibilities for Career Exploration

Employers must acknowledge that the interests and objectives of their employees may evolve. Provide possibilities for cross-department work shadowing if you wish to assist staff with career planning.

For instance, if your employee works in marketing but is interested in data analytics, you could allow them to shadow an analyst for a day. Then, you may offer them the necessary training to make the switch if they decide they would love that job route. In this manner, you will maintain your employee and help them find a job they enjoy.

2. Enhance Interdepartmental Networking

Encourage and facilitate cross-departmental talks to help staff learn more about promotion opportunities inside your organization. Perhaps they will have coffee with a top manager, inspiring them to pursue that position.

Or, perhaps, they will meet someone in marketing and discover a hidden passion for graphic design. In either case, it will enhance their career planning and give them more reasons to remain with your organization.

3. Offer Staff Opportunities to Acquire New Skills

Suppose one of your employees has made a career plan and is aware that they must acquire a specific talent to reach the next milestone. You can assist them by contributing funds for employee development or establishing talent development initiatives. You can also create learning pathways to help individuals improve their skills, such as online courses or mentoring and coaching programs.

As an employer, you should provide your employees with all the resources necessary for career planning. Assist them in exploring their job possibilities and acquiring the skills needed for continued development. They will be appreciative, and your firm and staff will profit.

How Managers May Facilitate Career Planning for Employees

Your team’s engagement and productivity will increase if you assist them in developing a long-term career path with the organization. How can you best help your staff members develop long-term professional goals as a manager?

If managers want to aid their direct reports in their career development, they should do the following:

1. Whether once a month or three times a year, make sure you have a one-on-one meeting with every team member to discuss their professional future.
2. Follow up with them and put them in touch with the resources they’ll need if there are any skills they want to acquire or career paths they’d like to investigate.
3. Encourage them to make the most of the career growth chances already available to them at your organization.
4. To aid your team in creating effective career plans and deciding on future steps, you can share career advice based on your own experiences.

Conclusion

Even if you’ve lucked out at times in your career, you can expect your current position and prospects to be influenced to some degree by your deliberate choices. When you put time and effort into planning your career, you’re investing in yourself and giving yourself the best possible chance of landing on the path to success.

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Read more: Career Planning

Source: BetterUp