Etch your career development plan

There are many people who dream of getting somewhere in life but remain lost in thought on how to reach there. Are you one of them? If yes, then you can initiate few easy steps to etch your own career development plan. But the word ‘easy’ can be rather mystifying and befuddling too. 

You should appreciate that occasionally the easiest and effortless of all ideas can be rather difficult to execute. This is largely because all actions call for some amount of reflection and exertion. Nonetheless, the time that you spend contemplating and deliberating is actually an investment to make your future triumphant and joyful. To that extent, this investment is justifiable and defensible.

You should be absolutely clear about certain issues to make your career development plan a sound one indeed. These issues pertain to:

· Knowing where you want to eventually be: It is inescapable for you to know in no uncertain terms the course on which you and your career are moving. Like all journeys, your destination cannot be left undecided. And surely, you do not want the journey to be problematical affair. First and foremost, you should be clear about where and what you want to be in the immediate future. Immediate future implies a period of two years hence and therefore, there should be no problems in picturing this as this slot is quite close to your present-day actuality. In case you feel that the objectives of your immediate future are simply steps in a general bearing, then you will be better poised to define an objective that may be extending into your longer term. It may not be that easy envisioning things so deep into the future because unexpected turn of events may cause you to alter your plans. But then, there is no harm in planning a little into the future. However, you need to be cautious enough to ensure that the objectives you set for yourself are indeed pragmatic and logical. Your bearings and objectives should be inspiring enough and not based on what others seek of you.  A good clarity of your direction means that you get driven by the course that you are on as also what exactly brings about that inspiration.

· Identification of qualification deficits: You should be able to figure out without any ambiguity additional qualifications that you need to acquire to be able to reach the position that you have envisaged for yourself in the immediate future. The best way to do this by carefully analysing the qualitative requirements of the position that you are aspiring for. It will be in the fitness of things to analyse them as pertaining to your company and also of another organisation to make certain that all aspects are considered. When you rate your present qualifications vis-à-vis the ones expected, you will have before you voids that you need to fill. There will be certain common voids and they could well be grouped together as a class. You will realise the voids that you identify will also have distinct ‘signature tunes’. There will be instances when you may not find yourself well-qualified for your next envisioned position and that should not be a cause of any consternation. On the other hand, the gap should serve to make you a competitive contender. But most importantly, you will have in front of you well-defined and clearly defined items for improvement. 

· Creation of the development plan: Now that you know what you ought to possess to attain whatever you set for yourself in the immediate future, you need to discuss them out with your mentors or even your manager. Such discussions will offer you better recommendations on how to go about improving your expertise and qualifications. You may have to prioritise your actions for acquisition of the desired qualifications. Creation of a development plan for your career will also call for some amount of explorations and studies too so that you are clear on how to go about in your endeavours. All your endeavours should be time-bound and that would call for strict self-accountability. It will be rather difficult setting deadlines, but surely you can set for yourself the date when you should start with the initiating actions. But most importantly, when you start off with your efforts to acquire a specific qualification, you will have to be acquitting yourself with due sincerity and seriousness; and have full control over your initiatives. This will help you to be steadfast and also serve to remind you of your subsequent moves.

Career development is something that people generally continue to overlook till one fine day when they wake up from their slumber to appreciate in real terms the stagnation that has been brought about in their life and careers. And that, for sure is never a happy situation. Remember that the direction in which your career takes you is totally your responsibility and that no planning undertaken by you ever goes waste.