Manage your career efficiently to be successful

Most people have a tendency to introspect their career at some stage or the other. They invariably question themselves to find out the job or career tat they are in actual gels with their skills, capabilities, likes, dislikes and their overall personality. And if they conclude that things are not as good as they should be, they start thinking over what they should do to transform things to their advantage. The hard truth is that if you do not understand the consequences of your findings, any effort to push your career forward will become a very arduous task. It is therefore, no wonder that many people get stuck in a career trap and remain destined to stagnate. This is equally applicable to qualified and efficient people too because of their inability to discern the direction in which their career is moving.

The above highlights the significance of proper career management to be successful.  If you happen to be suffering from shortfalls in career management, you should consider five issues in a practical manner so that you are able to make bold and intelligent career-related decisions. Some of these issues may be rather difficult to deliberate upon and come to conclusions. However, you can always emerge victorious and set subdue your difficult situations by taking advice and assistance from individuals with whom you have enjoyed good relationships and whose sagacity appeals to you. These issues are:

• What is it that you seek? You must catalogue various facets that you want to change in the times to come and also things that you wish for to formulate a plan for your career. It is essential that you are specific to the maximum possible extent in your approach and accord precedence to various items on your list. The list could well feature practical issues like remuneration and other worldly aspects like receiving recognition; eventually the list you make can be converted to your career objectives.
• What do you need to do to attain your career objectives? Your actions to ensure fructification of your career objectives is nothing but career management. You must reduce to writing each and every thing that you ought to be doing towards this. Consequently, you may be required to brush up your resume, revivify your contact base, attend a training capsule to acquire a new qualification or discuss the issue of your career advancement with your boss. It is essential that you do not miss out on any of your proposed actions; the best way is to set a cut-off date for each for accomplishment.
• What is your working approach & technique? It is an inescapable requirement to comprehend your work disposition, behaviour and make-up. The foregoing entails the manner in which you consider various assignments and cooperate with your co-workers. It is your personality as a whole that governs the suitability of functions and responsibilities that could be assigned to you as also the atmosphere in which you can perform optimally. If by temperament you display single-mindedness and enthusiasm towards your work, any consultative assignment may not be your cup of tea; the reverse is also equally relevant and applicable. You may not realise this, but it is a fact that better than you, people surrounding you can estimate your working approach and technique; and hence it is always a good proposition to ask for their views off and on.
• What can you offer to a prospective employer? You should be aware of your USPs so that you can make them known to your prospective employer. These USPs are your forte and assets; and amongst other things, include your knowledge, capability and experience. Other significant attributes that can impress are your contact base, status, spoken reputation and power of sway. You need to market your USPs meritoriously and efficiently. You should remember that it is rather challenging to be detached and unbiased in your efforts to achieve all this and hence you must obtain feedback and substantiation from others as validation. 
• How do you propose to attain success in your career? In any sphere of activity, you will have alternatives and preferences. Some of them could be deciding against relocation, accepting lateral transfers, taking on different or diverse responsibilities and switching your job and even career. You may even decide to alter or modify your work style or embark upon endeavours where you are your own boss. The alternatives that you have should be considered in detail and validated through discussions with people in similar pursuits. Even placement agencies can give you valuable feedback on your standing vis-à-vis other contenders. After a holistic consideration of all these factors, you can proceed to decide on what goes with you the best.

You should not forget that the respect you have for your career stems from within you. However, there could be some external influences too. But the fact is that nobody else can do career management on your behalf. The responsibility to do it rests on you alone and the manner you go about ought to be based on your own discernment of you.