Structuring career planning holistically

Success does not come by accident; it comes only when you prepare for it and preparation implies planning. When you plan your career, you set the ball rolling to make your dreams come true.

Career planning is a structured process and can be beneficial to anybody about to begin his or her career journey or those seeking a career change. It entails the following:

· Self-evaluation: You need to know yourself to bring off a career plan. Various fields that warrant an assessment and judgment are:

Ø Personality & outlook: It is essential that you know your disposition and make-up towards your life as a whole and work in particular. It is also necessary to assess your risk-taking capacity to identify domains that you should not enter.

Ø Abilities & achievements: You must catalogue your abilities and also your attainments to facilitate discernment what you are capable of doing or would prefer to do. Besides this, you should also analyse how you learn best – reading, listening or by way of interaction.

· Work-related exploration:  You need to next look exhaustively into various choices and opportunities available to you. This will preclude any incorrect take-offs. Essentials that you need to research are:

Ø Career identification: You need to be familiar with various careers, particularly those that appeal to you. You can read relevant books or search the internet and gather details of careers that fascinate you the greatest.

Ø First-hand estimation: You must discuss a career with a person who is already in it to discern what it actually involves, whether you possess the requisite aptitude or skills and if it is in fact your cup of tea. Tagging along with him or her to work for a couple of days; or taking up an honorary assignment will help get a pragmatic perspective.

· Decision making: Having got a fair idea about yourself and possible career options, you should make some decisions to focus on only some amongst the latter. Aspects warranting deliberation are:

Ø Aims: You need to be clear about what your long-term career objectives as also your individual aims, including leisure actives and domestic obligations. You may also have certain penchants to work for a social cause and would prefer to join organisations that support your cause.

Ø Eternal learning: You also need to decide if you are committed to an eternal learning process or whether you want to acquire basic expertise related to your job and then concentrate on your private pursuits.

· Engagement exchanges: You will be well-geared to move towards your new career, provided you have done adequate groundwork. Your engagement exchanges have to be well-organised and will usually comprise:

Ø Job hunt: It is necessary to know where openings exist; you can find them out by reading advertisements or searching online. The contact base that you have can be of immense use to obtain information in this regard.  

Ø Curriculum vitae: Your resume should portray truthful contours of your general career aims, qualifications, experience and accomplishments. Depending upon qualitative requirements, your resume could be modified accordingly.

Ø Job interviews:  Your job hunt concludes with an interview, which should be managed sensibly. You must prepare for the interview well and ascertain all organisational information so that you acquit yourself well in it.

· Work: Your career gets set to take off now, however, you still need to mull over various issues on a continual basis:

Ø Job Offer / Your acceptance: When you have an appointment letter in hand, you achieve the maiden but a vital outcome of career planning. It is likely that the terms and conditions set may not be in consonance with your ultimate career objectives; if that be so, you should deliberate over them seriously.

Ø Performance at work: Career planning does not finish when you get into a job. You should not lose sight of your career roadmap and keep assessing your performance on a regular basis. All experiences gained should be viewed as advancement breaks and efforts made to strengthen your capabilities and overcome your weaknesses.

· Aspirations: The final stage of career planning comprises linking your efforts to what you aspire to do and be in life.

Ø Planning for future: This ought to be an incessant process and calls for regular stocktaking. You simply cannot afford to slow down on this aspect.

Ø Reassessment: As years roll by, your concerns may get altered and a shift in focus brought about. You need to be cognizant of such changes. Concurrently, you must be on the lookout for better prospects and in case necessitated, your career plan can be modified appropriately.                   

Career planning is a challenge to everybody. But the underlying issue is that it has to be done because failing to plan your career implies planning to fail in it.