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