Are you someone who has recently finished your studies or are you someone who is not very satisfied with your current work? Then you need career planning. The process of Career planning is very important in the life of every human being as it determines what kind of work they are going to be doing for the rest of their lives. This article further elaborates on the importance & steps of career planning & development. Let us have a look at what career planning is –
What is career planning?
Career planning is the process of self-evaluation & research via which people can conclude what kind of work they want to do in their lives & what they would gain by doing so. The process is a continuous one where one tries to understand yourself, then your goals, motivation, understanding your skills & figuring out where they fit. You may be starting this process from the scratch or maybe restarting this process, either way, it is a very important process & you must get it right. Let us see why:
Importance of career planning
Career planning is a step-by-step process of understanding one’s self & then looking for a career appropriate for your personality & more. You need to look at your short-term & long-term motivations & look at how they can be put into your professional life. Furthermore, it is a continuous process, you may be looking at career planning throughout your life, so you must take the process seriously.
Furthermore, there are good & bad career planning. The result of both of these are very understandable & it is recommended that one always put the right time & effort into career planning. With the right career planning, you are not bound by external factors & can move in life as you want to.
Career Planning and Development
Here are the steps via which you can plan your career & ensure that you choose the right career path:
Self-Assessment
The first & most important step of career planning is self-assessment. This means making two lists for yourself. The first list should be of all your strengths & weaknesses. Make a clear list & write down even the vaguest ideas & opinions you have about your strengths & weaknesses. Then you need to make a list of all the things that you deem essential in your life. It can be – a stable job, a stable income, maybe you want to travel & work, a job in a particular location, a job in which you see growth & more. You can also take a Career Aptitude Test that can help you determine clearly what kind of work you are suitable for & more.
Research
The next step after this is to do lots of research on the kinds of career paths that fit your breif. It is important to look at everything in the most detailed way. First, you need to look at if the career you have chosen is the right one to go into and if you can even try going into such a field. Then you have to look at the opportunities in a field like that, is there growth? How fast will you grow? Finally, it is of the utmost importance to analyse if this is what will make you happy. Though that is a very hard question to offer, it is something you must consider.
Career Objectives
The next step after this is to set your career objectives. This is very important in good career planning. You need to have a clear set of goals & look into achieving those goals. You may have increments, promotions & more steps that you find important. It is essential to have a very clear objective set out so that you can go through & follow your plan.
Fine Tunning
The next step after this is of fine tunning your skills & plans. Now that you have most of the basic things covered like – what career path, your objectives & more. It is important to match your skills in accordance with your needs. You need to keep learning & understanding more about your career & career trajectory. This is a very important step.
Work-Related Research
The final part of this process is all processes that are important for your career, like – finding jobs, creating a resume, reaching out to the right people, shortlisting the company & setting interviews. You can always take the help of your peers & have a look at online resources to make sure that you are turning in your very best. Make sure that you always keep refining your skills & whenever you feel like you have stagnated, you look for ways to get out of the stump. All the best!
