Too often, people approach their careers with a nonchalant attitude. These same people often end up wondering what went wrong and wishing for more. Effectively planning and developing your career involves knowing yourself and your interests, knowing what your options are, creating reasonable plans, and continuing to develop skills. Networking with others is also an extremely important component in the process of career development, as the career-seeker will meet people with similar interests and skills, people willing to act as mentors, and people willing to give them a chance to succeed. Networking with others also provides the opportunity to receive feedback from a neutral party and to receive input on goals and performance.
Self-Exploration
Self-exploration involves clarifying goals, values, talents, dislikes, competencies, weaknesses, preferences, and motivations. Self-exploration also includes taking a deep look at what career-home balance is comfortable for you. Some people may be more comfortable working more than 40 hours per week, for example, or with traveling frequently. Self-exploration involves challenging yourself to make your positions more interesting. This may include taking on more responsibility, shadowing someone, or acting as a mentor to another person. Self-exploration also includes researching jobs that provide upward mobility and a challenge. It is important to explore the functions, desired qualifications, and skills required of other positions in an attempt to tailor your future career development and training to make it specific and purposeful.
Career Goals
Self-exploration is extremely important, as it allows the career-seeker to be prepared and to make optimal career development plans and choices that are appropriate for their skill level and unique situation. Once you have gone through the process of self-exploration, choosing career options is more organized as you are more aware of your skills and interests. Career seekers should develop short term plans that work to foster longer term skill development as well as support performance in their current position. Developing long term career goals help drive career choices and decisions. According to a known life and career coach, it is better to choose what you love rather than prefer the paycheck. One example is a man who choose to be in the corporate world than look for available hospitality jobs london. Despite having a steady paycheck, he still knows deep within his heart that he will be more than happy to do the job he wants.
Mentoring
Mentors can help guide your long term career goals and decision making. They can help you work with your boss to delineate priorities and areas that may require coaching. Including goals on your individual development plan or performance evaluation can help to solidify the reality of your plan, and can help in gaining the support of your boss. Importantly, career goals should be realistic and should be based on a wide array of activities that foster skill development in the selected career area of interest. Lastly, stay positive. Building and strengthening a career takes time, patience, and fortitude.