It is never too early to start career planning, whether you are still a high schooler, or an undergraduate, whichever chapter you are at with your life. Career planning is crucial as it helps you to better prepare for the workforce environment and what you wish to get out of your career.
This article will guide you through THE 6 steps in career planning and why career planning is important for you.
Why is career planning important?
1 – Have a clear sense of direction for the type of career you are looking for
Career planning will make you think about your work style, work habits and every little thing from your character to your habits. All these will help you decipher what type of jobs best suits you.
2 – Helps you to have a clear goal in your mind
When you plan your career, maybe you already know what you are keen on doing in the future. It helps you to have a better sense of what skills and knowledge you will need to reach your dream job.
3 – Know what to expect
When you prepare for something, you are also essentially mental prepping yourself. This mental prep process is extremely useful, it calms your anxiousness when it comes to the d-day. You will know what you might expect, what might go wrong and what can happen – only because you have a career planned way ahead to know!
Hence, career planning will always be useful and effective before actually moving into the adult workforce. Here is THE 6 step process of career planning.
6 steps process of career planning
1 – Self-assessment & exploration
You can try out self-assessment tests to explore the fields in depth, which helps you to get a better perspective. You will be surprised to find out that there are so many opportunities and possibilities available.
From the assessment, you will also be able to find out what kind of skills, educational requirements and knowledge you will need to be successful in the various fields. These assessment tests are excellent too for helping you to recognise your strengths, interests and hobbies.
These are the factors that are commonly overlooked, but extremely important for career planning.
2 – Conduct research
Research is useful and ideal for when you are keen to find out more about the different fields in the workforce. You can start by meeting with someone who is working in the field that you are interested in.
It is advisable to meet people in the same field but hold different responsibilities and roles, to help you to get a better perspective on things.
Meeting with somebody in the field can also help clear any doubts you may have, so ask away!
That includes asking them about skills requirements, average salary, and satisfaction with the job. For example, you can do this by searching online or reaching out to those working in these roles.
This is a great networking opportunity too, in which you can slowly build up a professional network.
3 – Decision making
You may not have only one dream career after your assessment, you may have sparked interest for many different roles and positions now. Fret not, this is time you make a decision to specialise in a few and narrow down your choices.
This will require more research and more information will be needed to make further decisions. Think about the pros and cons of each role and most importantly, ask yourself if you would enjoy yourself in that role. You can rank your options to help you have a clearer view of what you are looking at. If you have a list of 5, be sure to pay attention to your second option as well, should you change your mind about the first.
4 – Building your resume
Now that you are aware of the skill sets and knowledge you might need for your interested job role, you will have to build up your resume.
A great resume makes you stand out from the crowd and could land you in interviews and offers easily.
Here are some ways you can build up your credentials, knowledge and skills:
– Doing internships related to your job
– Taking classes or courses that is related to your job (be certified)
– Join related professional associations or clubs on campus
LinkedIn is a great networking tool that many professionals and companies use to see your growth as a professional individual. LinkedIn allows you to upload your resume, and indicate your respective skill sets. Your profile will be opened to the public and you will also be able to network with professionals from other companies by connecting with them.
5 – Experimentation
This is a vital part of your career planning. Yes, we can plan and retrieve unlimited information about your interested job role, but what is the most practical way to understand if the job fits you, is to try it out yourself.
It might not be what you are expecting or looking for until you give it a shot. Fortunately, there are some ways you can do this. You can consider asking those who work in your interested role for an interview. You will be able to find out what they do day-to-day in detail. Alternatively, you can try the role out for yourself by applying for the job role as an internship or part-time.
Only by receiving first-hand experience will allow you get a better insight into the position.
6 – Action plan
Having an action plan is like having a plan for your career plan. This may sound ridiculous and funny, but having an action plan of what you need to do to get to your final step.
This action plan will include any obstacles and problems you may find along the way and you should have a clear plan of how you are going to overcome them.
These obstacles could include lack of skills, education, finance, time or family needs. With every obstacle, there will be a solution to overcome them. You will have to be patient and trust the process.
Read also: 4 Useful and Effective Time Management Tips for Students
Next, your action plan should also include what type of skills are required to lay your foundation. How will you go about acquiring the skills you need? What do you need to do? How are you going to manage your time so you can fit it into your life?
Finally, your action plan should show you a clear map and path you need to take to venture onto your destination.
The journey may be long, may be difficult, but remember to always be patient and trust the process. You may find the process even more eventful and fulfilling than actually attaining your job. Enjoy the process. Tutopiya wishes you all the best!
Whether you’re fresh out of college or you’ve been in the field for some time, everyone can benefit from career planning. Plus, if you’re a manager or leading a team, helping your employees do their own career planning can boost engagement and retention.
Deciding what kind of work you want to do and where you want to do it is the essence of career planning. This step-by-step guide will help you with the rest.
What is career planning?
Career planning may look different for different people. However, a great place to start is to consider your values and skills. With that foundation, you can start exploring what kind of career field, job, or role aligns with what you want. Career planning can involve assessment tests, professional coaching, educational programs, and occupational training.
Do you have to be at a certain age to plan your career?
There is no “right” age or time to start planning your career. Ideally, when you reach the end of high school, you’ll have some idea of what you want to do. But it’s okay if that’s not the case. College, vocational school, and entry-level positions can all provide valuable experience. You can pad your resume and network as you narrow down your career choices.
If you’re a few years out of school, career planning is an opportunity to reflect on the highlights and challenges of your career to date. Looking at what you’ve already done and what you’d like to do more of is a great place to start.
Why career planning is important for businesses
Businesses should care about career planning, too. If you help employees take steps forward in their careers, you’ll improve employee engagement and retention. You can even help prevent burnout and boost job satisfaction because workers will have bigger goals to focus on beyond their day-to-day.
Organizations that ignore career planning will limit employees’ professional development — which means they’re likely to look for opportunities elsewhere. If you create a formal process that helps your team plan their careers, they’ll know you care about their growth. In return, they’ll be loyal, and you’ll see the benefit of them growing their careers over time.
What employers should know about career planning
So how can you help your employees with career planning? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Provide opportunities to explore career options
Employers should recognize that their employees’ interests and goals can change over time. If you want to help employees plan their careers, provide opportunities like job shadowing across departments.
For example, if your employee works in marketing but is interested in data analytics, you might give them the opportunity to shadow an analyst for a day. They can see if they’d enjoy that career path — and then, you could provide the training they need to make the shift. This way, you’ll retain your employee and help them find a job they love.
2. Help facilitate networking across departments
Help employees learn more about advancement opportunities within your company by encouraging and facilitating cross-departmental conversations. Maybe they’ll have coffee with a senior manager, and it will motivate them to work towards that job title themselves.
Or, maybe they’ll meet someone in marketing, and find a passion for graphic design they didn’t know they had. Either way, it will benefit their career planning and give them more reasons to stay at your company.
3. Give employees opportunities to upskill
Let’s say your employee has developed a career plan and knows they need to learn a specific skill to reach their next milestone. You can help them by providing funding for employee development or creating talent development programs. You can also set up learning pathways that will help them upskill, whether that’s through online courses or mentorship and coaching programs.
As an employer, your goal should be to give your employees all the tools they need for career planning. Help them explore their career options and learn the skills they need to keep growing. They’ll be grateful, and both your business and your employees will benefit.
How managers can support employee career planning
Helping your team plan their careers is important for keeping them engaged and leading them towards success at your company. So if you’re a manager, how can you specifically help your employees with the career planning process?
Here’s how managers can help their direct reports with career planning:
- Schedule a monthly or quarterly dedicated 1-1 meeting with each of your team members to specifically discuss career planning
- If there are skills they want to learn or alternative career options they want to explore, follow up and help connect them with the resources they need
- Remind them to take advantage of existing professional development opportunities at your company
- Offer career advice from your own background to help your team members develop their career plans and think about what next steps to take
How do you start career planning?
Now, are you ready to start doing your own career planning? When you sit down to put together a plan, there are four main areas you’ll want to think about: your interests, your skills, your values, and your preferences.
1. Consider your interests
Interests are the things that you are passionate about. Even if you weren’t paid to do them, you’d want to spend time (and maybe money) learning more about them. Clues about our interests can often be found in our hobbies or in our choice of college major. Scan your bookshelf, email subscriptions, and even your apps. Do you notice a theme?
2. Evaluate your skills
Skills are what you excel at. They can be natural talents, or they may be areas of competency that you’ve developed over time. These are the traits that you can rely on when you need to get something done.
3. Understand your values
Values are the ways in which you want to make a difference. For example, let’s say you want to become a lawyer. Do you want to be a prosecutor, a public defender, general counsel, or specialize in intellectual property? Do you want to work in criminal justice or environmental law? The same job title may find you at very different companies.
4. Determine your preferences
Finally, imagine your dream day at work. Is your ideal work environment a big-city skyscraper, or a sunny cafe in Cancun? Does your work keep you busy, or do you have plenty of time to spend with friends and family? Are you earning a lot of money, or just enough? These preferences will help you decide which career path will best suit you and the work-life balance you desire.
7 steps to organized career planning
Determining long-term goals for your career can feel overwhelming. Once you have an action plan, though, it can accelerate your growth and streamline your efforts. It’s worth taking the time to commit your ideas to paper (or somewhere where you can see them).
So where do you begin with career planning? Follow these 7 steps:
- Self-evaluation
- Research your dream job
- Determine the basic steps
- Identify organizations that align with your values
- Look at job openings on the ground level
- Take the right next step
- Tell everyone you know
Now let’s dive a little deeper into each of these.
- Self-evaluation
Self-assessment is the first step of the career planning process. You can try a personality assessment or aptitude test, like BetterUp’s Whole Person Assessment. You may also find a core values assessment to be worthwhile in exploring how to integrate your values and your career.Talking to a coach or a career counselor is also a great way to gain insight into your strengths and where you might thrive. Be sure to take enough time for self-exploration in this first step, or you may find yourself unhappy with your career decisions later on.
- Research your dream job
Be bold with your goal-setting at this stage in the process. In a perfect world, what would you do for a living? Do a job search on Linkedin for the title that you want to have. Read the job description, paying close attention to the skills and responsibilities of the position. Who do they report to? How much education do they have? What kind of companies are hiring for that role?
- Determine the basic steps
There isn’t one right path to your dream job, but there may be certain steps that are non-negotiable. For example, if you want to become a doctor, you won’t get there without going to medical school. What are the non-negotiable short-term goals for your role, and how do you get there from where you are? Will you need to go back to school or switch fields? - Identify organizations that align with your values
While you’re researching open roles, look at the companies that are posting the jobs. Are they companies that you could see yourself working for? For some people, the type of company might be more important to them than their own title or role. For others, the industry or the organization’s mission might be more important. Ask yourself what matters to you and why. - Look at job openings on the ground level
Once you’ve got an idea of what role and which companies you’re working towards, look at other roles in the same department. If, for example, you want to become Director of IT, look at the other open positions — especially any that may report to the director. What’s the easiest rung on the ladder for you to grab? It might be an entry-level position on the help desk — or it might be a coordinator or other mid-level role. - Take the next right step
Identify which short-term goals get you closer to the job that you want. If it represents a career change, you may want to start by applying to training or graduate school. If it’s just the next step in a field you’re already in, you may just have to start sending out your resume. If you love the company you’re with but you’re ready for a new role, discuss your goals with your manager. They can help you create a career development plan and start taking on new responsibilities. - Tell everyone you know
The final step of the career planning process is to recruit as much help as possible. Tell your manager, coach, and everyone at brunch that you’re looking to move ahead. Many people love to help others, especially if it means they get to give advice or showcase their connections. Networking and showing your commitment to growth is a critical part of your career planning.
Some additional tips to help build your career plan
Once you’ve set your sights on that snazzy new job title, you’ll probably be excited to start making it a reality. The 7 steps in career planning outlined here will give you an excellent foundation. However, there are a few other things you can do to help you take the next step. Here are a few career planning ideas:
- Volunteer. Finding paid work in your field may be challenging, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get experience. Offer to volunteer part-time for an organization that aligns with your goals.
- Talk to your college. Universities, honor societies, and professional schools usually have some sort of alumni network. Reach out to them or to the organization’s career center. They may even offer financial aid or help with career exploration.
- Apply for internships. Look for opportunities to work with companies and people you admire. Even short-term internships can provide valuable experience for your next job interview. Plus, you’ll be the first to hear about new full-time openings.
- Build your skills. Try enrolling in online courses and certification programs that align with your career goals. Showing that you’re committed to mastering new skills can help you stand out when you’re ready to apply.
- Review your resume. If it’s been a while since you were in the job market, you may want to take a look at your resume and cover letter templates. Update them with your latest accomplishments, certifications, and position.
- Build your professional network. Spend time attending conferences and networking events. Join the right professional associations for your field and look at their job boards. Spruce up your LinkedIn profile and, if you’re feeling bold, connect with individuals in the roles and industries you’re interested in and ask for informational interviews.
Get started today
The average person spends nearly 25% of their time at work. The relationships and experiences we have in our workplaces are more important than nearly any other. To a large extent, your career determines your happiness. It’s worth taking the time to do a little career planning and set a course for a successful, happy life.