Fail to plan – prepare to fail. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true. Whatever stage you’re at in your career, it’s time to create a career plan. Having a career plan allows you to set up a guide for your career and professional life. Your career plan can help you take proactive steps towards achieving your short-term and long-term goals and objectives. We’re taking a look at 8 ways to help you create an amazing career plan.
1. Learn your career options
You want to have options with your career plan. Every industry is constantly evolving, and you want to future-proof your career plan by having options. Explore your skills, interests, and what you value. Nearly half of workers have made a dramatic switch in their careers. Be open to other possibilities and explore what’s out there.
2. Explore the job market
Keep an eye on the job market and where it’s going in the future. What jobs are popular now might not have the same level of demand in 10 years. With the push towards data-driven roles and industries within the green sector, you want to ensure your career plan accounts for this. A career plan should always incorporate both short-term and long-term goals.
3. Consider your skills
Think about careers and areas of the industry that works with your goals. You want to choose to develop your career within a field that you’re confident with. You should be considering your soft skills, alongside your qualifications and other achievements.
4. Understand what qualifications you need
Depending on your career goals, you may need to undertake industry-accredited courses or gain a license. Look at the requirements for different jobs within your industry. Make sure that you already have the qualifications or have a plan to achieve them. Include the process of gaining qualifications within your career plan.
5. Location and commuting
Think about exploring the world and taking advantage of the opportunities on offer in another location. Smaller towns won’t provide the same opportunities as a city. Could you commute to work in the city? Would you relocate to another country for better career opportunities? You want to consider these questions when writing your career plan.
6. Find a career advisor or mentor
Sometimes you need a little help along the way. Find a career advisor or mentor within your industry to be your sounding board while writing your career plan. They can give you advice and talk about their experience. You want to find a mentor who knows about your industry and is further in their career than you.
7. SMART goals
SMART goals are one thing that every employment and professional career-based organization recommends you develop. For a plan to be successful, you need to have goals and something you can measure your goals against. SMART goals have five parts. They’re specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. Every goal that you add to your career plan should meet these criteria.
8. Create your action plan
Take the seven tips above and use them to develop an actionable career plan that allows you to take control of your professional future. Make your plan actionable, with short-term and long-term career goals.
About the Author
BCjobs.ca is Western Canada’s largest job board, with majority of the jobs coming from Vancouver. For nearly 20 years, BC Jobs has connected job candidates with companies looking to add talent to their team. Here at BCJobs, we understand that looking for a job is difficult. To support our candidates, we recently launched a podcast to help you stand out during your job application. Listen to weekly episodes on our podcast to hear what recruiters are thinking and what companies look for when considering their next hire.
