Developing a Career Plan

With all kinds of career possibilities available, how do you make a decision? Once you know what career path you want to follow, how do you get there? Following are simple rules to follow - Develop a career plan. Think about what you want to do and find out more about the kind of training, education, and skills you will need to achieve your career goal. Assess your skills and interests. Think hard about what you enjoy, what you are good at, what kind of personality you are, and the values you hold. Research occupations. Find out more about the nature of the jobs that interest you, such as education requirement, salary, working conditions, future outlook, and anything else that can help you narrow your focus. Analyze and evaluate your skills and capabilities Whether you’re employed, unemployed, considering a career change, re-entering the job market, or recently graduated, the first step toward reaching your career potential is to objectively analyze and evaluate your skills and capabilities. Have a coach or a career counselor objectively assess your natural talents, skills and professional strength. Compare your skills and interests with the occupations you’ve selected. The career that matches your skills, interests, and personality the closest may be the career for you. Set career goals Choose your career goal. Once you’ve decided what occupation matched up best with you, then you can begin developing a plan to reach your career goal. Find our about financial aid to help support you in obtaining your career goal. If you haven’t already done so, begin saving for courses that will help you achieve your career goals. Learn about job hunting tips as you prepare to graduate or move into the job market. Create a high profile resume Create a resume that will sell you. If required, get a professionally written resume. Don’t send out a resume until it is a strong sales tool that represents you. Grab information on Industry Trends and specific companies Develop sophisticated networking capabilities Develop winning interview skills Even if you are an expert in your profession, you must be able to sell yourself during an interview. Prepare yourself for salary negotiations Have a strategy for negotiation top money. A coach or career counselor can give you tools for getting the money you want. Use marketing techniques to get a competitive edge You need to implement an effective marketing strategy to increase your visibility and give you an edge. Use an approach that meets your needs Don’t follow guidelines in a book or from a friend if they are not comfortable for you and not representative of who you are. Be authentic in designing a career search and marketing plan that really reflects who you are. Source: TimesJobs