Planning your career is as simple as ABC

Career planning is a strategic procedure that also entails certain amount of self-promotion too, with the intended objective of making career advancement. You also need to be forward-looking and forward-thinking. Notwithstanding the fact that the world is in a state of flux, if you adhere to your career plan, you will not face any hitches and glitches.

It is not that people are unable to accomplish whatever they conceive design; if at all they fail, they do so in the timetabling process. It because they are unable to transform their advance worrying into advance thinking and advance planning. In other words, you need to comprehend all the nuances of successful career planning well.

The process of career planning comprises two general but important steps:

· Know & recognise your current position: Like in the case of any scheduling and prearranging, it is necessary that you know your current status. You should know what your capabilities and flaws are, particularly with regard to the job that you are presently in. In case you are not fully contented, what are the issues that frequently upset you? You also ought to mull over your earnings and reflect if they are adequate to afford all possible prospects to do and attain anything that you seek. No planning will be complete unless you pay attention to your qualifications and skills; and take stock of things to obviate any apprehensions of being overtaken by others. You must carry out a holistic appreciation of the advancement that you have made in the last couple of years and vis-à-vis where you stood earlier, the degree of fulfilment that you enjoy now. It is important that you contemplate over your present state, including sensitivities and sentiments as related to your job; and also the progress you have achieved so far. This will function as a beacon light and guide you in your way forward. You will be able to gauge your makings and capacities as also the speed at which you will be able to march on your career path. The current position of your career having been defined, you should now concentrate on thinking about the future and making a viable plan for your career advancement.

· Outline the position that you want to attain: This can be best done by cataloguing what you want to attain in three-year spans till your age of superannuation. You know fairly well the progress that you have made ever since you set out on your career journey and where you stand as of now. Therefore, based on the pace that you have achieved, you should be able to identify positions or appointments that you would like to hold in the years to come. And with the positions, you should also be able to envision the remunerations that you will earn. These will also help you discern various job features so that you are afforded adequate challenges and spot profound drive and resolve in your efforts. You should without fail ponder over areas which you need to focus on to bring about an overall improvement in your profile. In a nut shell, you should be able to zero on your individual traits, practical acquaintance with enhanced responsibilities and the time frame in which they need to be acquired. The situation may prompt you to look for a job change; at what stage that would be necessary should be discernible to you.

The above efforts will unfold before you the precise state of things with regard to your current position and also your future aspirations – all appropriately timetabled. What is that? It is nothing but your career plan. Isn’t it surprising? Don’t you agree that there is nothing difficult about it?

It should be noted that no plan can serve its intended purpose if you do not act on it. The plan that you make and embark upon should be secured and refined periodically. As time rolls by, your viewpoints are likely to change and your objectives elevated. Therefore, it is extremely important to follow everything that you enunciate in your career plan, hone your skills, improve upon your qualifications, and gain additional experience. This will facilitate your moving on to the next higher echelon or position in good time.

Remember that the only thing that lies between you and your dreams is nothing but prearranged strategic action. You must plan well and take all necessary action to put it into effect. There will be many opportunities that will come to you and it will be rare that they will be sans difficulties. Be an optimist and see opportunities in them too. After all, your career is your business; you will have to manage and superintend it as if you are its lifetime CEO. So planning for your and your career’s future is your responsibility because that is where you will be spending your life.