You must have a career development plan

If you seek to excel in your life and advance in your career, there is nothing more significant than a career development plan. It is essential that you are well aware of your bearings; proper planning therefore, is a very important and inescapable factor for your success.

The very objective of a career development plan is attainment of your objectives. There is no person on this earth who does not harbour any desire to excel or achieve some aspirations. A major portion of the planning that you indulge in pertains to the formulation and implementation of particular career objectives and setting your compass in the correct direction for their attainment.

To be able to move on in the correct direction, you must know what matters to you. Ab initio, you may not know such issues as also what precisely you seek in definitive terms. Nevertheless, you still have to discern them to discover your plus points so that they can be utilized to further your career prospects. And once you are clear about your strengths and capabilities, you can well determine the actions that you need to take. These actions initiate your objectives. 

When you set out to set objectives for yourself, you need to consider and address various factors holistically. Are you in a job that is in tune with your career preference? If not, what is it that makes your job unbearable? You should know and comprehend the aspects and facets of your career that ignite your passion. This could be one mystery that you may solve, but still you are required to explore further and take arrive at a conclusion about actions that will help you to strike work stability, discover latent urges and find your life’s meaning so that you witness a steady growth on your professional front

Enunciation of your passions and life’s meaning come under the array of your career’s roadmap. This is because of the fact that every single soul wants to take up a career that is fun to pursue and a pleasure to experience; it is a different but rather unfortunate matter that a large majority cannot stick on the path that they originally embarked upon. That they switch careers and harbour fresh hopes, desires and ambitions is a fact that stems from their proclivity to react instead of planning to cater for contingencies. A job that such people apply for and eventually select is sans any consideration of whether it is their cup of tea or not. They fail to understand that proper planning makes your thought processes lucid – something that they actually seek but are unable to lay hands on. Resultantly, they are unable to elude various snares and downsides associated with career incongruities. Your correct path can be found only if you pay due attention to your inclinations, preferences and inherent capabilities.

You may not be able to formulate a career development plan totally on your own; and hence it is important to have a mentor or seek the help of a career guide. Whatever be the case, it is directed towards you and everything that you stand for; and hence you need to strike an efficacious work-life balance. Based on your individual preferences as also situational imperatives, you may remain engaged in your work pursuits for major parts of the day. However, such an engagement can cause significant problems and functional difficulties in your personal life and the routine that you follow. It is therefore, necessary that you interweave and blend in your zeal, self-actualization, meaning and individual contentment into the career that you pursue.

Men and women fantasize about achieving happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment in their life. Such fantasies can be made true if you set objectives for yourself and find ways and means to attain them. In addition, you also need to identify fields that you derive pleasure from; and striking the correct work-life balance. In other words, it is you who has to oversee and be in charge your career – an action that calls for setting your bearings correctly. A career development plan helps you to achieve all this. Dreams and fantasies thus cease to be objects of imagination.

 A career development plan will thus provide you the requisite inspiration and challenge that is essential for success. It will serve to meet all your present and future needs. When they are met as also when you reach wherever you set out to be, you will feel happy. And happiness is the largest achievement that one can aspire for.

Common job hunting blunders

Do you feel that your job hunting efforts are devoid of the desired punch? Do you feel that you should be actually moving with more dynamism in your endeavours? If yes, then you are off-course and need to get on the right track. You need to make certain that your job search efforts do not have any weaknesses.

The major failings of hob hunting are:

·   Absence of make-up & restraint:  You should regard your job hunting efforts as an assignment by itself; this implies that you must accord the same seriousness as you would do for your job. Your efforts would entail carrying out fact-finding missions, meeting people, shooting applications and attending interviews. It is necessary that you put in place an arrangement to record all your activities so that you know precisely what you are doing and to discern what you need to do. You will find all such cataloguing highly beneficial when the final call or appointment letter reaches you.

·   Inadequate inquiries:  In most cases, if you send out an email to a company that you are not familiar with, the outcome will be negative. But if you are armed with appropriate facts and figures, the results will be the other way round. Your research will arm you with the desired potency to maintain focus on good organisations which are bound to make good use of your dexterity and knowledge. You will find that your hard work in your job hunting phase will generate a distinctive drive and help you to recognize opportunity areas. You will also become cognizant of your positive attributes and which, you can accordingly enumerate in your curriculum vitae. However, it is essential that you remain watchful of inappropriate jobs that are not your cup of tea. And most importantly, good research facilitates a better outlook and performance in an interview due to reasons of familiarity with company pursuits and reputation.

·   Poorly drafted resume:  Spelling and grammatical mistakes can be very upsetting for the person going through your resume. You have to make certain that your resume does not manifest any poor focus and that all your skills are appropriately reflected in it. You should make special efforts to highlight those qualities that are organisational imperatives. In other words, your resume should portray you well and suited for the job you are applying for. And in case you do not attach a good cover letter, you miss out in portraying your USPs, as a result, it may be likely that your case also misses out due deliberation.

·   Bad networking: Most people network only to promote themselves. They lose out on the long-term advantages that accrue from remaining in the umbra of your pursuits. Your objective in networking should be to have a sustainable contact base that can serve to promote your career and other interests. Networking is not be construed as a tool for only gaining employment; in fact, it should be a jump board for clutching new career opportunities and moving forward in life.    

·   Thoughtless sequels:  No purpose will be served if you submit applications but do not pursue them. You must plan your line of action and ensure that it is implemented. Queries over the telephone or email to confirm receipt and consideration should invariably be resorted to. Subsequently, you can also put in a request for a meeting to facilitate a formal response. You can also keep the channels of communication going by forwarding informative mails that speak of your professionalism and interests.

· Inability to face an interview well:  If you are called for an interview, then you are in the race. Therefore, if you slip-up in the interview, all your efforts go waste. It is essential that you avoid any action that could endanger your prospects and towards this, you need to prepare well so that you can respond to questions well. An interview is a test by itself and you have to keep your zeal pitched at a high level. While you have to ensure that you are not dismayed by condemnation, it is also necessary that whatever you speak manifests your strengths and positive approach. Going through an interview is a learned skill and there are no second chances to make a great first impression.  

Job hunting is all about demonstrating confidence and you have to do so professionally. There should be no let-up in your energy and enthusiasm; however the fact that you are a candidate should not be lost sight of. You must understand the fine balance between confidence, modesty and professionalism to succeed in your job hunting endeavours.

Do you believe in your career?

Most people refer to belief as something that is applicable to and relevant to people who are up-and-coming and prosperous. If you question these effective people about what contributed to their prosperity and success, they would perhaps attribute them to an upbeat outlook and optimistic assertions. On the other hand, people who wrestle their way through or grapple hard with things in their life would ascribe such success of others to aspects like fortune and their own tussles to ill luck. 

The fact is that there is great truth in assertions of successful people when they accredit their achievements and accomplishments to positive thinking and optimistic affirmations; indeed this is all the more valid when such avowals are made repeatedly. In point of fact, it is the repetition of claims that helps them to turn into actuality.  Perhaps being popular and prosperous is an unpretentious and candid issue. You first suppose and trust; and then you accomplish. If this be so, don’t you think that this is worth emulating?

An environment that transmits pessimism and unconstructiveness poses intense tests and trials to ruminate confidently. But in case you do not think positively, you will not achieve your objectives. A deleterious approach will serve to stop you from moving forward, besides creating doubts in your mind about your potential and capabilities. You can alter your mindset, if you so desire. The reverse of negative thinking is always positive thinking and hence, if you set your sights on your career objectives – something that you genuinely want accomplished – you will have to alter your outlook and mindset.

The question therefore, is how do you suppose and trust yourself? Here are three unpretentious actions that you must indulge in:

·         Elect to do so:  You must think that believing in your objectives is inescapable and that such convictions will be fruitful. If you do not, you will neither attain your objectives nor will they be rewarding. Sans any belief, your career will be devoid of all thrill and enchantment. If you seek to be enthusiastic, inspired and ardent about your career, your belief has to be central to such desire. If you harbour credence and trust, you will feel lightheaded and be assured that everything will transpire. You get impelled to move forward and have something to yearn for. It is your conviction that induces you to go to work and also drives you to refocus and progress in a commanding manner.

·         Voice your career objectives:  In a sharp contrast to mental thinking, when you do loud thinking, the subject of your thoughts tends to be tangible. But most people are apprehensive to speak their objectives out loud, largely because they are uncertain of the end-results. No career comes with a security or warranty of success. You may have a gut feeling that things are satisfactory and moving in the correct direction; and then you pursue them with all the power at your command. Usually, if things appear correct, they indeed are correct. In the light of all this, you must be vociferous in talking about your objectives; doing so will be a satiating experience. Keeping a record of what you speak will be a step in the right direction, but you simply cannot evade talking loud about them. 

·         Accomplish your objectives:  If you display steadfastness and commitment in your efforts, there is no doubt that you will attain them. And if you waver, your objectives will always be a pipedream. The essence is that you should believe that your objectives are achievable and having spoken about them loudly, you are all set to get down to work. Take one step followed by another; and carry on till you arrive at your journey's end which is your purpose. Does this appear to be an effortless affair? Undoubtedly, yes; but is there anything wrong if things are humble, uncomplicated or down-to-earth?

Remember that to dream by night is to escape your life and to dream by day is to make it happen. It is only when you associate yourself with the silence within you that you will be able to get a hang of the troubles prevailing around you. Success will be within your reach only when you start reaching out for it.  You have to have belief if you intend chasing your dreams; if you do not have it in you, you will not be able to trail it; in other words, you will have to give up on your coveting.

Career ladder – going up isn’t that easy

During the last twenty years or so, there have been phenomenal in our methods of group effort, partnership, communications and calculations. But as far as career advancement is concerned, most people tend to lose their sense of time and are unable to let go their outmoded impressions of reaching a high position in some organization, something that is not in consonance with the current times. That is precisely why career advancement seems to be a bugbear to most of us and also some sort of disillusionment to quite a few.

If you have to be in sync with prevailing times, you have to be conversant how things work at your workplace and adjust to the changing scenarios. Economic slowdowns and consequent downsizings have made going up the ladder difficult. Newer career models and configurations have emerged; they are fairly compliant options that take care of your, organizational and customer expectations. Today, your work and life are increasingly becoming integrated because technological advancements and rapid communications have made it easy for you to work from home. On the other hand, employees understand what they can achieve and what they cannot; and hence are reluctant to forgo anything that they deem as personally important. Therefore, if you have to progress, you have to change your outlook towards careers; ups and downs, stagnations and declines have become a part and parcel of every career. 

In today’s competitive environment, career advancement is like climbing Mount Everest. The ascent is steep but has countless detours that offer you pleasurable options to reach the summit. You need to understand this aspect well. Career advancement is no more rising in organizational hierarchy; today, it implies marching ahead to a destination decided by you. The connotation of moving forward and up has changed.

Are you aware of the perception of career success that others have and what they seek to attain, given the skills that they possess or wanting to acquire? Do you know the same vis-à-vis you? If you find it difficult responding to queries about you, take it that you are having good companionship; and if you have no idea about your employees, it is even better. Career advancement is thus a demanding task. You have to accept what it implies to you, enunciate it and know what exactly is being set in motion as perhaps others would do for themselves. The place that you envision yourself to be in, the responsibility that you intend shouldering, and how you would go about to do it together with the working situations should be clear to everybody.

The maiden step therefore, ought to be a comprehension of what career success means and implies. The way you chase it will be contingent on various actors and perhaps you could do so multi-dimensional endeavours. The experience that you gain or rewards that you get today will be at great variance than say, a decade back. Talking of career advancement, you should keep in mind that pyramid like hierarchies have fewer vacancies up there, but their significance persists. Companies prosper when people from within rise to the top. But reaching the top is not the only yardstick for progress.

A lateral shift is as good as a promotion because you get to learn new things about your company, something that will stand you in good stead. But since it is human beings that are involved, for evident reasons, this may not be a popular and acceptable idea. Taking a step back thus, is a viable option. This is what self-tuning and self-regulation is all about.

Changing actualities at workplace call for a continual effort to characterize our methodology to tackle significant matters related to company pursuits. Towards this, it is essential that every single employee remains inspired. If you want career development to be in sync with developments in the technological field as also other prevalent practices, you need to think out of the box.                 

 Climbing the ladder of career success is indeed a difficult task. If that be so, you should know the moment when to work diligently. More importantly, you should also know the moment when not to work, but to relax. This will not only benefit you immensely, but also will astonish your friends and competitors alike. The difficulty to go up the ladder will persist.

Trouncing career challenges

Are you in a fix because of career problems? Is it that you have not been able to embark on something in your career that you have been aspiring for? Or are you a victim of circumstances, too scared to take stock of the situation and have reconciled to whatever has happened? Or do you recollect the good old days and earnestly yearn that the clock is turned back – something that is precluding you from marching ahead?

Nobody wants the going to be tough, but difficulties by themselves make you tough and prepare you to face them. However, given a choice, we would adopt the easy way.

There are thousands of people who are being thrashed about in their careers and they wish for additional things, all diverse and dissimilar. There is no miraculous remedy that can salt away their worries. But there is one solution – they need to be forward looking and industrious. You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind; you have to sweat it out. Once you start sweating, you start moving closer to your objectives; nobody can drown in his own sweat. So, how do you take the first step? Here is how you can get started:

·   Don’t think that the going will be easy:  If you anticipate hurdles, you will not be taken by surprise when some come your way. On the contrary, you will take appropriate actions to negotiate them. Your response will be mature and befitting. It has been seen that the past and the present hardly bug anybody; it is the way you have responded or are responding that bugs. So, you have to discern how you are addressing your worry. Worries will be there and they will make you off-guard; they manifest the fact that you are being tested and that you are moving forward. Moving forward signifies progress and you are worthy of it, problems ab initio notwithstanding.

·   Clinch & squeeze your challenges: If you encounter tests and trials in your career, remember that they are not there without purpose. The discomfort that they bring about indicates that things are not tickety-boo. It is possible that you have been an escapist but now you are at a stage when action is warranted. If you turn a blind eye to a problem, its magnitude increases and hence it is essential that it is resolved at the earliest. When faced with challenges, you ought to be more strong and spirited, though they are not without anxiety and discomposure. But the flip side is that you become more self-confident and self-assured once they are overcome. Therefore, you should not get petrified when stuck; the true you that you intend becoming should surface.

·   Have an open mind: Do you have a feeling of bond with what is likely to follow? If that be so, your move ahead will be tough. You should be clear in your mind that the plan you have put in place has been originated by you and that it will materialize. You would like to have complete control over the results and contribute in all the proceedings, but this may not always be possible. You should not bother about the outcome too much, but when things unfold for the better, you will be amazed. You should hope for the best and anticipate that you will be better poised for success and that it will be yours.

·   Remember that time is a mending agent: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Initial hurdles that may seem insurmountable get to be managed well as you move along. They become a part and parcel of your work and over a period of time, their intensity decreases. You should prepare yourself to discover a new furrow and a new schedule. Occasionally, you may feel as if you are directionless, but as you move ahead, your consternation will plummet.

If you work slowly but constantly, you will succeed better than if you work fast for a short while and do not continue. Your aim should be to be in a dynamic mode always and be confident that everything that unfolds will be in your favour. 

Have a career break

Everybody needs a break to re-energize and rejuvenate. The break could be a simple day of rest, a change of location or a change of work. Though it is not practicable to leave a job, but if you are contemplating a break, you will have to prepare by mulling over various alternatives, including leaving a job and utilizing the time at your disposal to advantage.

It is not essential to have a pause in your career; it is not always an option. The reasons could be several – retrenchment, domestic obligations or health grounds. There will thus be voids in your job profile. When you intend leaving a job, your stance will be comprehended by your employer only if you convince them of your capacity to hop in again. Your persuasive assertions will manifest your determination to stay abreast with all latest developments in your line of work and remain in touch with everybody with whom you have been associated with.

What are the career break options at your disposal? You may want to take a break and travel around the world or go to a secluded hill station and relax your mind and soul. There is nothing wrong in the idea, though many people may not approve of it and term you as unduly brash. But then, they do not appreciate your craze and passion in life. And you know this pretty well too. However the fact is that taking a career break is an unusual affair and this does not mean that you quit your job bizarrely. A professional departure is essential and that calls for an active consideration of your career break alternatives, which could be:

·   Quit alright, but have some money flowing in:  If you take a pause in your career, it does not mean bidding adios to your work forever. You should seriously reflect on some income options like authoring articles, taking up part-time teaching assignments or any other freelance pursuit. And a decision in this context should be arrived at before you actually leave your job.

·   Taking time off to fulfill domestic obligations:  You may have responsibilities to discharge – caring for parents, siblings, spouse or children could be on your mind. It is necessary that you explore and examine all choices at your disposal. It is possible that you could be sanctioned long leave, albeit at reduced pay. However, if you have envisioned that you will be out for an extended period, you must ensure that you leave civilly so that you stand a chance of rejoining. The best way to ensure reasonable chances of getting back is to keep in touch with your colleagues and everybody else. There is no point in quitting without a warm handshake.

·   Leave the competitive struggle but have arrangements in place:  You need to make appropriate preparations if you intend getting out of the race for some time to pursuing anything that you have been craving for. The arrangements that you make to ensure that you do not get derailed should be fool proof. The price tag for each should be thought of in advance. In case you leave these important considerations for a later date, you will find that the rejuvenation that you were seeking will give way to botheration.  

Considering the fact that taking a career break is an important judgment that entails scheduling, conviction, nerve and scheduling, you may consider various aspects; some major ones are:

·   Going on an exploratory journey or a mission-oriented voyage.

·   Taking up an overseas employment.

·   Getting into a work that entails pleasure trips.

·   Joining a social service organization.

·   Learning a foreign language.

·   Acquiring additional qualifications.

·   Pursuing a hobby like music or photography.

·   Authoring a book.

The sky is the limit as far as opportunities, prospects and options are concerned. But is you alone who knows what you want to do and accomplish. Since you do not live twice, nothing should deter you from living a life in another world, where you will be the king of kings. Whenever you feel that the time is apt to step back into the existent world, do so with the same confidence that you displayed at the time of departure.

Should you be hanging on to a job for long?

Those restful days have gone when you could put up with your complete career  in a solitary position in an organisaton. Today, switching jobs is believed, accepted and encouraged; this has been an outcome of the IT revolution and rapid proliferation of the internet. And one one thing that has come pronounced is that all working environments call for increased individual operations and quickness in them.

There is apparently nothing inappropriate or unethical in people switching jobs after a couple of years. You could also be amongst such a category of people. The four mjor prompting factors for this exemplar swing are:

·   Sprouting dexterities:  Everybody is inclined to be at ease and contented when they attain some sort of stability in their regular timetable. If you are able to discharge your duties proficiently and acknowledged for your efficiency on a regular basis, chances are that you may not enjoy adequate driving force to acquire additional qualifications. Now, if this is a fact, you are one in a crowd. However, a peep into the overall employment scene to discern the manner in which organisations are coming up with newer business strategies and recruitment procedures will be of help. You will perhaps realise that a skill in demand today can be rendered redundant tomorrow; and also something considered outmoded today can be in demand tomorrow. So what do you do? If you have already been into a job for three years or so, it will be prudent to peruse job postings for similar job openings. A closer look at the qualitative requirements will throw light on your pluses and minuses; and also what recruiters seek in candidates.    

·   Technical development:  The growth of all businesses and production facilities is contingent on technical development taking place. If you have to be a technical person, you should keep yourself abreast with what is happening in your field; whether or not your present company is inclined to embrace new technologies is another matter. In case, you do not, you will always remain unfamiliar and out of sync with the environment. Resultantly, taking your second foot forward in your career journey will be very difficult. You will become extinct in your area of work if you continue in it for an excessive period of time.   

·   Discernment & insight: No employer takes in a person without proper evaluation of his or her abilities and suitability. Supose if you have been serving with a company for the last ten years and decide to switch jobs. The new employer will definitely be in some sort of a quandary trying to assess your resume. Some issues that will invariably raise doubts will be the reason for leaving the current company, flexibility to find feet in a new working environment, veracity of asserted expertise and ability to undergo pre-induction training. Needless to state, if the list of qualms is long, the potential employer is likely to be flustered and shelve your application.

·   Career Progress: You can very well remain one company, but if you hold an appointment for a duration of three to years or more, things can be difficult. If you plan to progress in your company, it is necessary that you start planning to do so as early as after one year of joining. You will definitely seek other alternatives and opportunities if things get delayed beyond three years. To illustrate the point further, if there are no prospects of growth in your current appointment that is otherwise satisfying, you can always have a lateral transfer and then grow vertically. You can also utilize provisions for study leaves and acquire additional qualifications. The point to be remembered is that you should always be forward looking and forward moving.

Changing jobs too frequently also leads to adverse inferences being drawn. A big question mark could be attached to your trustworthiness and loyalty. After all, a rolling stone gathers no moss. It is also likely that you may be taken in one grade lower and with your seniority fixed accordingly, the new job could weel turn out to be a rearward move. Therefore, any decision related to your career should be arrived at after careful consideration of all factors involved. But you must be always on the lookout for new opportunities to remain in high spirits at work.

Perfectionism isn’t always a positive attribute

Occasionally your enthusiasm to be all tickety-boo can be an impediment in your effectiveness at work. There has to a workable equilibrium between your desire for flawlessness and productivity. When we talk of career progress, it essentially boils down to splitting it into an excellent job and potentially satisfying work. If that be so, does your daily routine impel you to exert optimally? Are you a stickler and an uncompromising person always out to fine tune everything that you do?

There is no doubt that having lofty work values and ability to assign more than the stipulated time at work contributes to success. But an excessively obsessive disposition can hinder work to the extent that you could be precluded from producing good results.

      When It is a known fact that no one is perfect in this world. That is why pencils and erasers have an eternal relationship. Remember that if you have to hold out at everything, you will eventually walk away with a zero. Therefore, acknowledgement of the fact that you are not faultless will boost your self-confidence because perfection and perfectionism are moving targets that are bound to be missed. It is essential that you know when can perfectionism be upsetting; the following situations definitely can be particularly disconcerting.            

·  When your needless worries tend to get exposed: If you are obsessive with perfectionism, you are bound to be fearful and uneasy in your approach. Such baseless trepidation and consternation ab initio vis-à-vis your work will create doubts in your mind. You will get bogged down and foresee tribulations; and contest whether whatever you are doing is possible to complete or not. In other words, you would be stuck up and not move forward.

·  When postponements are routine outcomes:  You may envision spare time at your disposal in the future, but that is not the be all and end all of matters. It may appear sardonic alright, but it is a fact that the requirement to inject superfluous perfectionism in your endeavours leads to avoidable snags. Uncomplicated tasks prove to be knotty affairs because you would tend to wait for an opportune time to start or put it off for some other time just because you think that you will have a bagful of time subsequently.

·  When effectiveness is dented:  If you do not have proper aims and targets, there is likelihood of you succumbing to your craving to make your work flawless, even if it has been completed. This proclivity to make everything picture perfect is futile, notwithstanding that minor modifications can make it relatively seamless. The question therefore, if all this is necessary?

Having known situations and circumstances that can be disturbing, how do you control your instinct to be a perfectionist? Here is how you can do so:

·  Ensure that you are prolific & fruitful:  You simply cannot afford to mark time. You have to constantly be on rails; and this can be done if you set aims for yourself in the context of the tasks at hand and evolve an operating procedure for their accomplishment. The operating procedure that you adopt will entail converting your aims into lines of action that explicate methods to address all issues pertinent to tasks at hand.     

·  Understand the larger mosaic:  You could be executing a small project or a part of a big project. You must have a handle on the larger picture and various tinges and gradations that go into the making of it. But it is equally imperative that you do not become fixated with minutiae. To do so, you ought to maintain and adhere to a ‘to do list’. You should not get involved in a particular task greatly to the extent that you forget others on your list. It essentially implies concentrating on your daily work but simultaneously keeping tab on the wider facets of your assignment and the schedule of the future.

·  Impose deadlines & cut-off times:  If you seek to ensure that everything should be flawless, you will examine, evaluate and assess your work gravely over and over again. Resultantly, you will never be able to see it completed. To overcome this, you must impose deadlines for every task that you undertake. You may want to modify and alter many aspects, but the time limit that you decide for its completion has to be decided by you and adhered. 

There is nothing grossly wrong in erring. Who does not want his or her work to be sans any gaffe whatsoever? But if you have to err, you will. The truth is that acknowledging and learning from mistakes is more important. Therefore, let go of any fretfulness of failure that you may have. If you have the resolve to do well, there will be nothing to stop you from being successful in your career and life.

Are you in the wrong job?

“You are the one who must choose your place.”

--- James Lane Allen

Life is the sum of all your choices. And living it is a constant process of deciding what you are going to do. What is it that you love to do? And if you do not love doing anything, you will be miserable at it. That is why they say that if you should choose a job you love, you will never ever have to work for even a single day in your life.

Are you in the right job? Or are you in the wrong one? Here are some questions that you need to ask yourself to figure out where you stand:

·  Are you working for only money? You may be thinking of quitting your job periodically but are too terrified to do so. Your worry is that finding a new one not be an easy affair and so making both ends meet would be a problem. That is why you are hanging on – in a wrong job of course. If monetary factors alone prompt you to remain in the job that you are in, then it is high time that you shift to something more satisfying and gratifying.

·  Do you get pleasure from the work that you do?  If you feel that you are engaged in painful, tedious or repugnant work, it is high time that you attempt to do something different, the fact that you are getting paid notwithstanding. You should note that it is only through outclassed performance that you can succeed; applying yourself with an affirmative frame of mind is essential. Pursuing excellence and working with a positive attitude are simply not possible if you abhor your work. Though not stated openly, one of the career objectives of practically all people is to be happy at work.

·  Do feel petrified going to work? This is an important issue to be considered. If you get up in the morning and do not look forward to going to work that in your perception is repulsive, what is the great idea of working? Such a feeling of fear does not allow you to take pleasure in your leisure also because you will always be apprehensive of going back to work. You are more likely to suffer a nervous breakdown. The way out to being mentally and physically fit is to quit and join elsewhere.

·  Are plans being made to oust you?  The likelihood of you being replaced cannot be discounted if you are not fitting well in a team or not making useful contributions. Your co-workers could well gang up against you too; stealing credit, apportioning blame, adverse reporting and questioning your authority or capabilities are indicators in this regard. Whatever be the case, it is a signal to you to change your job.

·  Do you enjoy a good work-life balance? You may be finding your work distasteful but yet maintaining a desired standard of living and having adequate time for other pursuits, leaving may not be the answer. But the other fact is that you are restricting your potential by pursuing a career that you are not fervent about, like many others. The job and work therein apart, if you are not compensated adequately to shore up your desired lifestyle or you are unable to engage in your hobbies and other pastime, it is for certain that you are in a wrong job.   

·  Are the future prospects good for you?  If you feel that you have reached the end of the road or you are in a blind alley, the job you are in is not meant for you. The problem of being at a cul-de-sac even when you do not feel threatened, there are many alterations and modifications taking place around you. When transformations and changes take place around you; and you do not have an option of going anywhere else, you will be faced with immense dilemmas. The problems will stand confounded if you have not given your mind to new learning experiences.

It is not possible for you to remain static in a dynamic world. The true income from any job is what you learn and acquire – familiarity, expertise and networking. These are important ingredients of a career which does not imply one single job. A career entails several jobs – some right and some wrong. You have to take initiative to identify the one you are in and in the eventuality of being in a wrong one, you should have no second thoughts to search for and move in to a right one.

Oversee yourself for the career that you seek

"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

 - Theodore Roosevelt

There were times when a career that a person sought was available readily and he or she could unthinkably get into. Today, with rising costs and a slowed-down economy, organisations have been compelled to resort to downscale their strength; the visible outcome is intense competition in every field. Therefore, to get a career that you desire, you have to draw up plans and initiate your own road-map for it. Therefore, if you intend to keep your career interests above other endeavours, you should be mentally and physically tuned to strike the ground and always remain in a dynamic mode. In other words, you need to be aiming and going all-out for the job that you are aspiring for.

You may seek assistance and advice; they are undoubtedly advantageous. But the resolutions that you make are eventually all contingent on you. Remember that a career is not a job; it in fact, extends beyond it. A career is not a wine-tasting endeavour that involves sipping one after the other to decide which is the best one. A career is without any exception an enduring and all-time activity; to put it pragmatically, it is a chase to attain certified triumph in your line of activity. It facilitates describing and characterising you together with what you stand for – your principles, standards and ideals alike. Your career helps you to derive a denotation and rationale for your life, besides affording you an opportunity to receive pecuniary benefits by way of remuneration for the work you do. Therefore, if you really want to pursue a career as distinct from remaining in a job, you need to take necessary actions to help you to thrive and remain unbeaten. You simply cannot afford to be in a waiting mode and hope that your career will take off on its own. If you want to be an authority in the field that you have opted for, you will have to make your success come about; and for which, you need to:

·  Be clear about your individual and professional objectives.

·  Identify your best contributions.

·  Maintain a record of your accomplishments.

·  Assign yourself an obligation to keep on gaining knowledge on a continual basis.

·  Do hard slog by sparing your time and utilising your available assets to build up and advance your career.

·  Institute an consultative and counseling panel to help you.

·  Identify a guru who you can look up to.

·  Establish and widen your contact base.

Talking of career management and guidance by others, a person who is well-experienced can render advice to you. Based on such advice, you may be able to formulate your goals so that your career always remains on a forward-moving mode. The inventiveness, enterprise and ingenuity to be in such a mode will have to originate from you alone; needless to state, the same will entail significant industriousness on your part if you sincerely seek a triumphant conclusion. The fact is that you need to be motivated. And motivation is a fire from within; if someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly. In all your efforts related to your career, you must strive to excel. The age-old adage that ‘Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel’ is of great relevance to you.

It is essential, rather inescapable for you to discern what you are out to seek; be familiar with what you are cut out for and capable of doing; be flexible in your methodology; and take all actions incessantly that are obligatory to make your career progress.

If you happen to be an ordinary graduate, things will be difficult for sure. Though a formal college qualification is necessary to get a consequential job, it may not be enough. You thus have to appreciate the specific qualification that will help you get a foothold and then move ahead to specialise so that you have a grip that can help you cope with the challenges of competition. This would necessarily imply the need to remain abreast with all new developments in your field of work. Besides your own initiative, your contact base will prove to be of great help in heightening your self-assurance and reliability in this regard.

Career management is not an enterprise that somebody else can do it for you. The only instrument for success is you and you alone. You will have to oversee it yourself.