Career planning for effect

“The past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.”

--- Marilyn Ferguson

From the point of view of personal and structural advancement, career planning is extremely significant. In its rudimentary form, it denotes a continual practice to gauge inclinations, knowledge, persona, fervency and capabilities of a person vis-à-vis measures required to be instituted to bring about definite improvements in his or her present career; or to generate appropriate modifications pertaining to a careerchange.

Under normal circumstances and idyllically, success of any person in the pick of his or her career and subsequently getting a job is measureable by a number of factors. Firstly, all faculties and knowledge should be well-utilized; and secondly, besides success in the job, immense contentment and self-esteem should be clearly derived from it. Therefore, effectual career planning is inescapable for both the individual as an entity and the company he or she serves with. As regards the organizational interests are concerned, career planning facilitates recruitment of the best candidate for a job and wherein he or she gets to be assigned most apposite tasks.

It is necessary to delve into various facets pertinent to self-assessment and preparation. The following aspects are indeed significant and warrant attention and contemplation:

·  Self-evaluation:  Concerns, inclinations, disposition, aptitude and knowledge varies from person to person. Their discernment is a vital component of career planning as it eventually helps in successful accomplishment of assignments and projects; and derivation of pleasure from doing a particular job. Self-evaluation lets men and women to comprehend their individual penchants and predilections as also disinclinations and antipathies. It also goes without saying that an individual’s persona has a telling effect on the good performance of any assigned task. To illustrate the point, an assignment requiring intense interaction with people cannot be undertaken by a person who why temperament is reticent and timid; on the contrary, an extroverted and sociable personality will be able to deliver results. There are several self-evaluation tools that are available and which facilitate unearthing of abilities and makings of individuals by themselves as also by establishments. Needless to state, these latent aptitudes can be fostered further through suitable guidance and tutelage.  This aspect is extremely significant because on the basis of identification carried out, learning and development activities can be programmed.  For a greenhorn, getting to know details about a specific career option and everything that it entails or goes into it definitely helps in going on the correct career path. Such details would invariably pertain to among others, qualitative requirements and job imperatives. Self-evaluation also facilitates in ascertaining and identifying principles and standards of people and their effects on career planning, to include the veracity of option exercised. In short, self-evaluation makes certain that there is a seamless balance between an individual and his or her functions.

·  Career & job evaluation:  In contrast with self-evaluation that helps an individual to comprehend his capabilities and suitability for a specific endeavour, an estimation of career and job facilitates job hunt. Information pertaining to company profiles, employment definitions and working situations in respect of specific jobs can all be acquired through networks and other sources like field professionals, internet and print media; and used for purposes of looking for suitable jobs in consonance with attributes possessed.

If you do proper career planning, you will be able attain both personal and company distinction; a positive fallout will also be in terms of hiring of suitable candidates for correct appointments. Resultantly, attrition of manpower will be precluded and retention of efficient individuals facilitated; a major outcome of the foregoing will be a marked increase in motivation levels, job satisfaction and productivity. It needs no emphasis that contended employees invariably contribute to the overall growth of any company. It should be remembered that good career planning assists both individual employees and their employers to discern likelihoods of progress on all fronts and formulate effective learning and development programmes. And when appointment holders leave an organization, for any reason whatsoever, succession plans automatically fall in place.

They say that all careers are wonderful, but you can't curl up with them on a cold night.They also say that there are costs and risks to any platform of action, but they are far less than the extensive assortment of risks and costs of relaxed dithering. Since there is no security in life, only opportunity, you have to do proper planning. And your career is no exception.