Career myths that stop people cold

Some career myths are less about occupations than about the working world in general. Myths like these 
can derail a career search and sap motivation. Here are five common myths, and realities, about careers.

Myth: There is one perfect job for me.

Reality: There are many occupations—and many jobs—that you would enjoy. Focusing on finding a single, perfect career is not only intimidating, it’s limiting. If you’re like most people, you will have several jobs and careers in your life, and each will have positive and negative aspects to it. 

Furthermore, your job preferences are apt to change over time as you gain experience, skill, and self-knowledge. Keeping your options open is a position of strength, not weakness.

Myth: I will use all of my talents and abilities in this job.

Reality: No one job uses all of your talents. And trying to find one that does will derail your job search. Learning a variety of tasks helps you to sharpen abilities that might not be needed in one job but could be invaluable in another. Especially at the start of your career, you should expect to 

spend time acquiring experience and skills. This is one reality about careers that, career counselors say, many new graduates fail to grasp. Counselors remind jobseekers to be patient. New workers should expect to start in entry-level positions and be willing to do routine tasks as they gain experience. 

Myth: My job has to match my college major 

or vocational training. 

Reality: You need not restrict your job search to careers related to your degree or training. Most jobs do not specify which college major is needed, even if they require that workers have a college 

degree. Many computer specialist positions, for example, are filled by workers whose degree is in a subject unrelated to computers.Vocational training is often more closely related to specific occupations. But even this kind of training can open the door to a wider array of jobs than people think. Consider that electrical technicians are now repairing fuel cells, for example, or that veterinary technicians become pharmaceutical sales workers. Often, technical skills are applicable to many settings—and most workers learn the specifics of an occupation on the job. 

Myth: No one will hire me because I lack experience, 

have low grades, have gaps in my work history, etc.

Reality: People overcome all kinds of challenges to find satisfying work. Experts say that how you handle adversity is a good indicator of your ability to persevere. Need experience? Get it! Volunteer, work in a related occupation, or focus on school projects that are relevant to your desired career. Low grades are the problem? Highlight other parts of your resume, and remember that grades usually matter only for that first job after graduation. Gaps in your work history? Overcome them with a well-designed resume that focuses on skills rather than chronology, and then get a little interviewing practice.For most entry-level jobs, employers are looking for general attributes such as communication skills, interpersonal abilities, and enthusiasm. 

Myth: It’s too late to change my

career.

Reality: It’s never too late to change careers. Workers who change careers come from many backgrounds, age groups, and situations. There’s the doctor who decided she’d rather be a chef, the retiree who enrolled in college to become an accountant, the construction worker who wanted a steadier income without moving to a warmer climate. For each of these workers, the desire for job 

satisfaction outweighed the desire for status quo.To make the change easier, look at your past work and education to see what skills relate to the job you want. Most jobs’ entry requirements are more flexible than people think. Gain needed skills with volunteer work, internships, or a class, and don’t be afraid to start at the bottom to get the career you want. If you are out of school and want expert 

advice, consider a local One-Stop Career Center or the counseling center at a nearby school.

courtsey : Career myths that stop people cold - http://www.okcimc.com

How to do a robust career planning?

Career planning is often perceived as a one-time activity that needs to be undertaken only while we are in high school or college. It’s assumed that this plan that we chalk out with regards to our vocation would hold our careers in good stead for the rest of our lives. However, contrary to this popular belief, career planning yields best results when it’s done on a regular basis. Such a well-charted career planning approach should take into consideration our personal evolution, the changing economic landscape and the new vistas and avenues that open up with passing time.

Here, then, are 10 tips to help you achieve a robust career planning.

Engage in career planning annually:  While we maintain a stringent timetable for visiting the doctor, getting our car maintenance done or reviewing our financial accounts, career planning is one activity that conveniently escapes our well-slotted plan-sheet. To optimise the benefits of career planning, find a weekend once a year, block out all disruptions and sit down to chart out a career plan for yourself. By making career planning an annual event, you will feel more protected in your career choices and be better prepared for the many unanticipated hindrances that may lie ahead.

Formalise career and job goals:  A critical constituent of career planning is formalising a set of short-term and long-term career and job goals. Once you are done setting these immediate and enduring objectives, you need to review and adjust your set goals as your career plans move ahead and also synthesise new goals once you have achieved your past goals.

Retrace your growth curve post the last career plan: Always take stock of where your career is going, plan where you think it needs to go and the essentials to fulfilling this roadmap you have set for yourself. While you should not let your past weigh too much over your present, an honest reflection and reviewing of your growth curve can help you immensely in planning your future.

Don’t get warped in your current job title:  Quite often, we get cocooned in our job titles and don’t see beyond career possibilities beyond it. Your suitability for a job should correspond with whether you have the skill-sets essential for the job. Hence, it’s always important to keep sight of your transferable skills, which can then be applied to a larger cross-section of work processes in other careers.

Take into consideration, your likes and dislikes, needs and wants: Quite often, collective experiences and time bring about a transformation in our tastes, likes and dislikes. Take stock of these changing elements, when engaging in career planning. Jot down your current likes and dislikes and assess them in the wake of your current job. If what your job imparts, tally mostly with your dislikes and not your likes, its time to begin examining new career avenues.

Explore career paths by factoring them in time:  Always keep sight of the future and then engage in career planning; about where you see yourself in a year or another five years. A key component to developing multiple scenarios of that future is researching about the various career paths. When you research career paths, you naturally end up devising techniques to make these career visions a reality.

Make note of your leisurely diversions:  Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can offer you great insight into future career paths. More often than not, what you consider a pastime can actually pave the way for a full-time career.

Do not sidetrack your past accomplishments: Many people don't maintain a record of their career achievements and then struggle with creating a powerful resume when it's time to search for a new job. Making note of your past accomplishments and keeping a record of them is not only useful for building your resume, but also for career planning.

Evaluate the current career and job trends: They say that downturn does not actually affect the proficient ones. However, it’s always important to have information about career trends for long-term career planning success. It is important to see where there is a surge in job opportunities expected. Conducting an in-depth investigation of the market will give you a better view of how to position your strengths in the market.

Investigate and unearth fresh training prospects: Always hold on opportunities to learn and evolve as a person and as a professional. Go beyond mere reception of training avenues and find new ones that will help propel your career. Always reflect on the type of educational experience that can help catalyse your career goals. Look within your company, local education centres and also online distance learning programs for career-enhancing prospects. courtesy: Hindustan Unilever Ltd

Career advancement techniques

You move into your dream job. You work really hard. The results are there for everyone to see. You work harder and the results become more evident. Everything looks a tad too easy from your perspective.

But then, stagnancy with regards to your job is a luxury no professional can afford. Here are a few career advancement tips that will ensure your continuous professional growth

Constantly update your resume

Your resume is what represents you completely. So, never rush through into preparing it. In case you haven't referred to your resume in years, make it a point to pull it out, leaf through it and add relevant information. If you are not happy with it, keep working on it till you are.

Join a professional organisation catering to your industry

Find out what's available for professionals who share your expertise or your industry domain. Join such associations and attend the meetings regularly. These offer precious education opportunities as well as the chance to hobnob with some of the top executives from your industry. If given a chance, proactively offer to lead such associations. Through active participation you'll get to know your fellow members and make a name for yourself, share experiences, set up best practices and discover new opportunities.

Find a mentor

A professional mentor can steer you through your professional choices by sharing his or her experiences and offering sensible counsel. Find a professional in your field whose career you'd like to imitate. It doesn't have to be someone who does the exact job you'd like to do in the future. Instead, focus on finding a person who demonstrates the character traits you'd like to inculcate in yourself.

Become a mentor

Irrespective of where you are in your career, there is always someone who can benefit from your knowledge. Find that person and take him or her under your guidance. Being a mentor is a wonderful opportunity to learn as you teach. You can share your advice and help someone else grow while, at the same time, increase your own leadership skills.

Maintain a win list

As you progress through your career, keep a running list of your accomplishments. These can be of any size at all. Even small victories should be recorded. This list is also a great tool to refer to during performance reviews and job interviews. You can reference specific projects you successfully completed, and you can offer details on how your work impacted the business. courtesy: Hindustan Unilever Ltd