Welcome to Career Planning Ideas and Guide
Planning Your Career Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Career Planning: Are you following a planned career path or simply a series of jobs?
from: John GrothSuccessfully managing your own career is critical for your financial and personal well being. Yet it is rarely pursued on a strategic or informed basis. Career planning, particularly in the technology field, is more and more the responsibility of the individual. Mostly, since most people today end up working for many employers. The overall basis for more successful career management includes developing career plans that are applicable at different stages in your career.
Although living in the information age, there is few comprehensive career information and planning resources available online. Exploring career versus job information is more readily available once you have focused on a career path, such as technology or even further, within a specific industry. Career training in college consists largely on how to interview and write a resume. There seems to be limited formal training programs available about career choices.
When employed the employer generally provides training, successive jobs, and a defined career ladder to the degree that it unites with the organization's needs and objectives. Career coaches mainly work via large employers and focus on building leadership skills, not generally on developing career plans. Outplacement counselors generally help people focus on job searches rather than career plans. Recruiters are looking to fill job positions with top candidates for employers who are their clients and normally do not provide career planning services for individuals.
We can generally fit career planning as having three major phases: early stage from ages 16 to 33; middle, from 34 to 52; and later, beyond 53. Many times, early career choices are highly influenced by parents, relatives, teachers or close friends. The choices of technical schools, colleges or graduate schools, as well as majors, begin to focus interests for career paths.
It is important, in the early stages of a career planning, to carefully make choices, as initial decisions can have a major impact on longer term career success and ultimately, happiness.
Mid-stage career planning and effort usually reflects the initial experiences and jobs one has had with his or her early career. It generally is an extension of that experience. At this stage, there may be a thread of a career track, but job moves and knowledge growth during this phase that are not well planned or executed can result in important limits to career-growth.
Late-stage career planning frequently results from the need to find the right position in one's career after an early retirement or a reduction in force. Career choices at this stage generally reflect more entrepreneurial, part time, or flexible working arrangements. This is when traditional employment limitations as well as long developed interests come more into focus.
Career planning at each stage of a person’s working career can best be analyzed by considering the following:
(1) Take stock of your career. Define your career and objectives at regular intervals preferably at least once a year. Do it in writing. (2) Research and identify possible career options that could meet those career objectives. (3) Evaluate your skills, personality, training and experience. Develop a plan so you can pursue your career objectives. (4) Make a decision as to which career options are the best. Build a plan in the near, medium and long term to reach your career objectives. (5) Be flexible as you monitor your progress. Refine the plan, challenge yourself.
It's critical for you to invest in career planning during each stage of a successful career for short-, medium- and long-term achievement. Ask yourself, are you following a well defined career roadmap or simply working a succession of jobs? If you said yes to the latter, it’s never to late to get started.
Planning Your Career News
Planning my career/life to move to Dubai, or other UAE area. - Expat Forum
Planning my career/life to move to Dubai, or other UAE area. Expat Forum I've been on a few of the job hunting sites looking around, but reading through the forum it seems that starting out your career there could be pretty difficult. My plan is to be ready and able to move to the UAE in about 4-5 yrs-- that way I could ... |
Planning for retirement is crucial - Monroe News Star
Planning for retirement is crucial Monroe News Star Yet everything I read about financial planning assumes I am going to retire one day. Other than retirement, what's the point of financial planning? ANSWER: There is a world of difference between "get to" and "got to." Right now you "get to" go to work. |
Lauren Conrad Planning to "Ignore" Spencer Pratt's Apology - Us Magazine
 Us Magazine | Lauren Conrad Planning to "Ignore" Spencer Pratt's Apology Us Magazine "Lauren has moved on way past the drama of the show," a source close to Conrad tells Us Weekly. "She's focusing on her career and barely has time to interact with the people she actually likes, so she's not really going to get back in touch with ... |
Earn a degree with 'distance learning' at Caldwell College - NorthJersey.com
 NorthJersey.com | Earn a degree with 'distance learning' at Caldwell College NorthJersey.com Consider putting your cell phone away and taking a walk in the woods, spending a few hours with a good book or simply starting 2012 with a daily journal - clearing the mind can do wonders for planning the path to a new career. |
Super sequel: Patriots, Giants four years later - USA TODAY
 USA TODAY | Super sequel: Patriots, Giants four years later USA TODAY Stephan Savoia, AP New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has his eyes on a fourth Super Bowl ring. Brady helped then-Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plot his game plan when the New England Patriots quarterback was caught on video ... Super sequel: Pats, Giants four years later Ghosts of the past hover around Giants and Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Mikey is pumped the Super Bowl is only two days away |
Career planning key for liberal arts grads - Worcester Telegram
Career planning key for liberal arts grads Worcester Telegram High unemployment rates combined with college costs surpassing $50000 a year at many private institutions have made career planning an important factor in higher education, especially if students have taken out loans. A study recently released by the ... |