Career management – Pave the way for a successful career

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
                                                                                      –Seneca

‘Career management’ is comprehended rather vaguely by a large majority of people. It is seen as an intangible element with fuzziness attached to it. But the truth is that career management is a very important and specialized course of action that facilitates professional success. It is something like maintaining a savings bank account; money you save stands you in good stead in your later life.

If you have to derive the maximum from your career, you should not be found wanting in your efforts. You have to care for it, just like you need to water a sapling for it to grow up. In case you fail to do so, your career may go outrageously directionless and simply wither away. And if you do not have in place an arrangement for proper management of your career, you will have a tendency to take things easy and dance to the tune of others. And sooner or later, your career will be administering you, whereas, it should be the other way round.  Resultantly, you will be unable to attain your objectives.

It is essential that you understand the nuts and bolts of career management. The basic tenets of career management are:

It is a constantly enduring practice:  Career management cannot be construed as a solitary affair. It is a part and parcel of your entire career voyage. You simply cannot afford to leave it to another time when you become conscious that a problem has confronted you out of the blue. A stitch in time saves nine - it is better to spend a little time to deal with problems or act right now than wait. If you wait until late, things will get worse, and it will take much longer to deal with them.

It is a dynamic process:  Like in any other activity, it is you who has to act. You cannot simply relax and expect that others will exert for you. Should that happen to be your attitude, you will find that either you are in somebody else’s career or somebody else is managing yours. Since it is your career, you have to be a dynamic and affianced partaker.

It is a logical procedure:  Career management will offer you the maximum benefits if you put it together well. If coherent arrangements are not in place, you will be inclined to disregard it till such time problems stare you in your face. A good structure facilitates balanced forward movement, in spite of what may be taking place around you.

It is about setting & pursuing objectives:  The crux of the matter is in comprehending what you are seeking to attain. For most people, this is a rather intricate matter. You should split your aims into smaller ones, which, once accomplished will lead to attainment of your overall objective. Thereafter, you can formulate a time table to plot each and every step that you take. It should be remembered that career management entails a regular evaluation of objectives and the progress made so that you do not languish at any stage. .  

It is about applying mid-term corrections:  Your career objectives are bound to change with the passage of time. Therefore, application of mid-term corrections will always be relevant. Every remedial action that you initiate will help you appreciate the true situation and devise ways and means to attain your objectives. Your route cannot be taken as sacrosanct; with every passing day, you will be able to identify detours, turns and roundabouts that are considered essential in the overall interests of your career.

By taking part in a well-formulated career management exercise, the significance of your career in your life is automatically taken care of. More often than not, a career is seen by most people as an opportunity to attain other individual aims, notable being acquisition of material assets, settling down on the domestic front and eventually becoming prosperous. Your endeavours take the maximum of your time; therefore allocating some to manage your career is undoubtedly a meaningful venture involving your oomph. Remember that good career management is being able to strike a balance between calculated and intuitive thinking.