Why do you need a career plan and how to do it right

Layfhaker with Alyona Vladimir understand why it is important to think about professional development and how to avoid common mistakes in planning career.

Why do I need to plan a career

Career planning is necessary in order to come to life wherever you want.

Alain Vladimir

Wander in the darkness, relying on the theory of probability - is also an option, which works on the principle of 50/50. You may be lucky, but maybe not. So is it worth the risk?

If you have not planned in advance when and where you go on vacation, or you happen magical adventure, or the worst vacation of all. And, both of you will remember for the rest of their lives.

Alain Vladimir

And if unsuccessful holiday - an unfortunate disappointment that can be corrected next summer, then a failed career - fatal error.

To fulfill your potential as a professional and achieve specific career goals, just go with the flow will not work. And even if one day you are lucky fluke to be worthy of the position and

step a new stage of the career ladder, remember that it was an accident that may never happen again. What is even worse - no plan can throw you a few steps back.

Where to start career planning

Ask yourself: what do I want from your career?

As much as simple and trite as it may sound, you should do it. And the answer in any case can not be abstract.

You should honestly answer the question "What do I want from my career?", And in general terms, "I want an interesting job." What do you want at a particular point where you want to go, what to achieve, and what you need to do for this?

Alain Vladimir

Blurred the concept of "good work" will not help you, you must make a list of specific items that are relevant for you and it is in this moment of your life:

1. What is the scope of activities I'm interested in?
2. I need a large international company or a small local business?
3. Is there a particular company, where I would like to develop?
4. What position I want to get?
5. What responsibilities I want to perform?
6. What responsibility I am ready to take you?
7. On what conditions I am ready or not ready to accept?
8. How important is the team for me?
9. What I need salary?
10. Does the city and the country in which I grow professionally?

The list goes on, based on your personal needs and priorities. It is important that the answers were honest and questions - specific.

Consider your current needs

During the life cycle of our desires, opportunities and priorities. And the decision is fundamentally influenced by different factors in different periods. At one point, it may be the prestige of the company, the team and the prospects for growth in the other - the banal existence of medical insurance.

Ask yourself these questions at every stage of life, prioritize, and be guided primarily to them.

What are the common mistakes

You do not really asked ourselves

You have not been able to formulate a specific question and continue to keep in mind the abstract image of a "good and interesting work." You have to decide what makes sense to invest in these words. There is no single correct description of the good work, everyone has their own requirements and selection criteria.

What to do

Be honest with yourself and do not generalize. Think about what goals you have in mind when choosing a company or industry. If you have important work to be interesting, decide what for you is the most interesting. Are you interested in the people who work in the company, your responsibility or is it the salary, which is offered?

Do you believe the myths about the industry in general, or about the company in particular,

Without knowing the specific industries, not talking to people working in companies attractive to you, you are a very serious risk to fall into the trap of the brand.

Alain Vladimir

Competently built the company's image and stereotypes about areas likely to mislead anyone. For example, a popular belief: PR people sipping champagne on fun activities and constantly communicate with interesting people. Not knowing the ins and outs, you might think that it does not work, but a dream. But not everyone understands that between the three-hour event - months of meticulous preparation and routine, sleepless nights and years of use necessary contacts.

What to do

In an era social networks to complain about the lack of communication. You can always ask your potential colleagues, learn the features of and hear what difficulties you may be waiting.

Nobody has canceled a visit to industry seminars or webinars - this will let you know the industry and its representatives closer. You will be able to ask questions, to turn out useful contacts and to understand - it's what you need, or is it not.

What can interfere on the way to a dream career

you undisciplined

If you are an avid procrastinator and you have a problem with self-organization, then look for the dream job you will be very long. And, perhaps, to no avail.

What to do

First of all you have to change the approach to the process. Learn how to evaluate their resources and capabilities to put appropriate deadlines for the execution of certain of tasks. Start recording what you do to achieve the goal that has been done and what has not yet begun, how much time and effort spent on the execution of each of the items. So you will find that you are given easy, but what comes out only under the lash.

You need to revise your plan

You make a mistake in his plan. You could unwittingly deceived, writing in the plan is not their real goal, to get lost in the prioritization or identify inaccurate sequence of steps.

What to do

Be guided by your desires and possibilities. Even if all around the pipe, you need leadership positions in major international companies, although you like a small local business, where you need to manage multiple people.

Review your actions and answer the question of why they did not lead me to where I was going?

results

• Ask yourself only clearly formulated, specific and honest questions.
• Do this periodically to understand the current priorities.
• Focus only on your needs.
• Find out information about the desired field of activity of the employees, and do not rely on images and stereotypes.
• Remember that your career is in your hands.

see also

• How to love your work: 3 lessons from the life of Walt Disney →
• What I did not know about the success of 25, but I know 50: Business Council →
• 6 secrets of successful people →
• 5 tips for those who are just starting their careers →