Career management is an important process for anyone who wants to organize and plan their professional development. It requires some research and long-term goal setting, but you can discover a path to the career you want by creating strategies. Learning about this process helps individuals understand the importance of planning for their future and taking control of their career development. In this article, we discuss what career management is, list steps to help you plan your career, explain its importance, and provide tips to succeed.
We extracted from job portal Indeed for you to start managing your career.
- Identify personal goals
This step involves setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. This step may take some time, but identifying what you want out of your career at every stage of your life can help you better plan for the choices you make regarding your job.
2. Create a strategy
You can divide the process into multiple, actionable steps to achieve a goal. This step may require research into the field you’ve entered to determine how to get where you want to go. Depending on your goal, there may be multiple stages or just a handful of steps. Some of the steps to take:
– Learning new skills or getting a certification
– Gaining experience through internships or volunteering
– Networking with professionals in your field.
3. Research preferred requirements for your career goal
Understand the specifics of each step in your strategy and any preferences for roles or organization. In this stage, research to understand what you may do to follow your process. One important thing to keep in mind for crafting your strategy is knowing how employers in your desired field handle titles and promotions. For example, smaller companies might be more flexible or have fewer titles to take similar work, whereas large corporations might have a straightforward process for getting promoted.
4. Evaluate goals regularly
Consider checking your goals and strategies every month, quarter, or year and adjusting any aspects that may not be as relevant or helpful. Regular evaluation allows you to ensure you’re heading in the right direction, review your goals to see if they still suit your interests, and switch to a different career with the proper planning and organization. It’s important to remember that your career is a continuous journey and making changes along the way is perfectly normal. Being adaptable allows for changes that happen to you, besides your chosen changes for your goals.