Choosing a career is a big decision. It involves more than just deciding how to make a living. When you think about the time you will spend at work, it becomes clear why this decision is significant. Expect to be at work for about 71% of each year.
Step 1: Assess What You Are Looking for in Your Career
During this first step, you will use a variety of tools to gather information about yourself. Learn about:
- Your Interests: things you enjoy doing
- Work Values: ideas and beliefs that you consider important and that guide your actions
- Personality Type: your social traits, motivations, strengths, weaknesses, and attitudes
- Talents: the natural ability or skill that has been learned through training and education
- Preferred Work Environments: the types of workplaces you prefer. For example, indoor or outdoor, office or factory, noisy or quiet
- Development Needs: your cognitive abilities that impact the type of training or education you can complete and the kind of work you can do
- Realities: the circumstances that may affect your ability to train for or work in a career
Note: You will identify career interests that may be suitable for you during the self-assessment, but you will need more information before you can make a final decision. Step two will help you with that.
Step 2: Explore Careers
Career exploration focuses on identifying careers that seem appropriate based on your self-assessment results and any other careers that interest you. Use online resources and print materials to obtain job descriptions, learn about specific job duties, and gather information about the job market including average salaries and job outlooks. (See also: Employment Skills Listed by Job)
After completing this initial research, you can start to narrow down the careers that do not appeal to you and gather more details about the ones that do. This is the perfect time to conduct informational interviews and arrange job shadowing opportunities. During the informational interview, you will ask questions of people working in the career that interests you about their jobs. Job shadowing involves following someone in their job to learn more about what they do.
Step 3: Career Decision Making
Finally, it’s time to make your career decision. During the third step, you will determine which career is best for you based on what you learned during steps one and two. Identify the career that interests you the most and one or two alternatives you could resort to if you cannot pursue your first choice for any reason. Give serious thought to how to prepare for entering your chosen career, the costs associated with education and training, and whether you will face any barriers, which are the realities discussed during step one. Refer back to step two if you find you need to explore your options further before making a decision.
Step 4: Create a Career Action Plan
During this step, you will write a career action plan. This plan will serve as a guide to achieve your ultimate goal of securing a job in the career you identified as a good match during step three.
Note: Identify the long-term and short-term goals that you need to achieve to reach your ultimate goal.
Start exploring appropriate educational and training programs, for example, colleges, universities, or vocational training programs. Then begin preparing for any entrance exams required or apply for admission.
If you are ready to start job searching, develop a job search strategy. Identify and research potential employers. Write your resume and cover letters. Begin preparing for job interviews.
What You Should Know About Career Planning
It is important to note that the process of career planning never really ends. At various points in your career, you may seek additional training or certifications that can help you continue to achieve your goals. In some cases, your career may take new turns or you may choose to redefine yourself and your goals. No matter what stage you are at in your career, taking the time to plan will help you stay focused and on a purposeful path.
You can
Trying to navigate through the career planning process on your own, or you can work with a professional career development expert who will help you on your journey. Working with a coach or career development professional can be a great way to understand the work you choose and also to discover new opportunities you may not have been aware of in your industry.
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Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-career-planning-process-524774
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