Career Strategy: Where do you start in creating a strategic plan that is tailored for you? What do you need to know about adjusting your plan to an ever-changing job market?
Check-off List
A career plan creates a check-off list. Through this check-off list, you will create focus and direction. Your intuition can emerge to see options that might somehow never have come to you.
Career Options
Identify your career options. Develop a refined list of options by examining your interests, skills, and values through self-assessment. researching companies, and talking to professionals in the field. You can further narrow your list when you take part in experiences such as shadowing or working alongside a company employee, volunteering, or internships.
Next, list all the things you need to do to accomplish your career goals.
Here are questions to ask to create a strategy for you career.
-
- Location: Where Do You Want to Live?
- Type of Job or Industry: What Do You Want to Do?
- How Well Do You Work with Other People?
- Opportunities for Promotion: Do You Want to Lead People?
- Money: How Important is Income?
- Risk: How Well Do You Tolerate Risk?
- Do You have a Mentor or Advisor?
- Job Security: What are the Risks of Playing It Safe?
- What Education Do You Need?
- What Experience Do You Need?
- Should You Take an Aptitude Test?
- Who Hires People with Your Goals and Qualifications?
Organize by Your Priorities.
It’s not enough to list options. You must prioritize them. What are your top skills? What interests you the most? What’s most important to you? Whether it’s intellectually challenging work, security and benefits, the right location, or a big paycheck, you must know your priorities.
Compare one answer against the other in terms of importance. Reshuffle the order to match your priorities. Additionally, notice how your limits on any priority affects opportunities on your other priorities. Preferences on location can range from your home to one neighborhood to one city or to anywhere across the country. If you are open to living anywhere, your opportunities will increase for other priorities. For example, if you are open to relocation, your potential for promotions will increase to locations where a company has needs for managers. Additionally, your opportunities for security may increase with your willingness to change location.
