We spend a minimum of eight hours at the work place, so it’s imperative that we plan our careers. The first step involves mak ing a distinction between job and career. Second, understand what you want and accordingly explore t he market place. However career planning no longer follows the conventional connotation, instead it’s about developing a bouquet of workplace skills that is valuable in organizations across industries. Since “one size fits all" definition of career does not exist in today’s context, it might be a good idea to turn to a career counselor for guidance.
Part time jobs can be building blocks to a career goal
Often jobs are means to an end. Young students/fresher often tak e up several part time jobs for reasons best known to them, however sometimes, these series of jobs can lead to a long term career. Every assignment you take up could be a building block to a career goal, so our advice would be to start channeling your career path through careful selection of short term/part time assignments.
Passion or profession
The million dollar dilemma remains a choice between passion or profession. Much of that depends on your attitude as well as family background. A realistic approach would be to first look after your financial and physical security post which branch out to cultivate your passion.
Career makeover
Career patterns have changed dramatically, mak ing career planning all the more difficult. However the basic tenet remains the same. The principles are centered on the individual and not the organization. Thus long term career planning would involve identifying and developing core skills that employers will always value as you chalk out personal and career goals in broad strokes.
Career planning entails three basic steps
- Get to know yourself through self assessment
- Explore career option
- Take Action
The first step to good career planning is self assessment. Then identify your talents and assess your skills to find a suitable match between your aptitude and interest. Do a thorough research of the career options available to you. Incase of any ambiguity or confusion, use a career counselor’s services to help you make that decision. One word of advice, career development is a lifelong process; therefore, do not be rigid in defining your boundaries. Be prepared for a continuous journey, gathering skill sets as you move along |
