Career Planning Tools Help You Take Your Career Forward

The first step towards doing this is to define your career preference, academic plans and career objectives. Like bricks that need to be placed carefully, these are the components that help you to build a successful career. You can also take the help of a professional and get career advice on how to utilize career planning tools.


How to Utilize Career Planning Tools
The following are career planning tools to consider:
Self Assessment: Know what motivates you and map it to your interests, values, roles, skills, preferred environments and developmental requirements. If your interest is in the hospitality sector, there is no point enrolling in a law school where you may feel out of place. The importance of self assessment is that it helps you to assess your strengths and weaknesses. This approach will help you to make an informed career decision.
Exploring Options: Researching and exploring all career options will be highly useful as new industries and realms of work are emerging. The conventional stream of job opportunities is giving way to new opportunities. Gather relevant information that will help your career planning process. Information can be gathered through educational materials, employment pamphlets, workshops and the Internet. You can also consider other options by job shadowing, informational interviews, part time work or volunteer opportunities.
Matching Options: A thorough evaluation of all vacancies can be conducted to decide whether it is worth trying for. Exploring alternatives will help a job seeker to arrive at a well thought-out decision that spans short-term and long-term goals.

Taking Action using Career Tools
Here are some tips to take action while using career tools:
Be ready to find out how the right kind of education and training are important to help you find or grow into the job you long for.
Formulate your own mission statement and design a personal marketing strategy which is comprehensive without being rigid. You have to locate job leads, contact prospective employers and organize all these details and contacts for future use.
Write an impressive resume to impress potential employers. If you don’t feel confident about it, check out resume samples and formats to create your own resume.
Company search can be done thorough business directories and Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

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How To Find Your Dream Career

Before we begin let’s just agree on one thing. There are no quick answers to how to find your dream career. Finding your dream career is a process. How lengthy this process is depends on how sincere you are with yourself. It also depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice in pursuit of your dream career.
I have spent many hours counseling many career builder newbies on this very topic. On occasions, with some of my more senior staff also. I have personally gone through this process and here is my experience I would like to share with you.

I admit I dislike engaging in this discussion with people who come to me with this question (who by the way, expect an easy answer). They expect a “3 Steps Guide to How To Find Your Dream Career”. Since there are none, at the end of the discussion, they get disappointed.

1. The Toughest Part - Know What You Want
The toughest part about finding your dream career isn’t about finding the dream career. It is about finding yourself. Do you know what you want? This is the first question you need to ask yourself. It is a seemingly easy question many answer by mentioning what they DON’T WANT instead of what they WANT. But that is not the answer that will ensure you to find your dream job.
Knowing what you don’t want does not mean you easily arrive at what you want.Unfortunately, the process of elimination does not work in finding your dream career. You can go through a thousand “don’t wants” and still not hit it. How to find your dream career? Start by knowing what you want!

2. Know Your Values
If you feel a little lost with finding what you want, start by knowing your values. Ask yourself, what do you really value? Time? That’s a common answer I get and a good one too. We all want more time for ourselves and family. So, if you value time then you know the dream career you are looking for must offer more time. Is that all? List a set of values you treasure. Then things will begin to fall in place. You have defined what it is that will fit in these criteria.

3. Know How Much You Are Willing To Sacrifice
Do you have the knowledge and skill set that fit the needs of your dream career? If you do not, how much are you willing to sacrifice in order to add those skill set in your repertoire? How to find your dream career is easy. How much you are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve it is tough to answer.

4. Do It For The Right Reasons
The trigger to how to find your dream career should never be money. It should not be because you are currently unhappy with your salary and hence you want a dream career that pays you an enormous amount of money. Money should never be the motivation. Make passion a motivation but never money.
From my college days, I have always wanted to be in the advertising industry. That for me was a dream career. But back in the heydays of the dotcom era I was headhunted to join a B2B dotcom firm. They were willing to pay me double of what I was getting (yes, I was unhappy with my salary at that time). So, I took up the offer immediately. Guess what? I quit in 3 days and due to contractual obligation I had to serve a full month! That full month was a torture. It wasn’t what I was looking for at all. In some countries where payday loans are available some people would have taken it to get by.

5. The Easiest Part
If you know what you want, what you value and you do it for the right reasons – then this is the easy part. Here are your “3 Steps Guide to How To Find Your Dream Career” so to speak.

1. Do Your Research
Find out about the industry. Do you have friends in the industry? Find out what are the expectations, the knowledge and skills needed. The Internet is also the perfect place to start. You can read books focused on your dream career or check out sites offering career advice on certain industries. For example, the site - Job Application and Interview Advice is a compelling site written to help people Snag A Job every day. It covers all aspects of how to snag a job including job applications forms, resumes, cover letters and interview questions and answers. 

1. Network With People In The Industry
Get to know people in the industry so you get a feel of what it is like upfront. This also sets you up for potential short-term work when the opportunity arises for some hands on experience before you make that leap. I have personally allowed friends based on recommendations to visit us after office hours. This allows them to see what it is like in our industry and to speak in depth with staff from various departments in order to understand our line.
2. Create A Plan To Pursue Your Dream Career
Now that you know how to find your dream career, create a plan to achieve it. How do you plan to add new skill sets? How do you plan to apply for the job? When would be able to get practical training, if that’s a requirement? Develop a plan and act upon it!

Can I recommend this? Invest in a copy of 101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career. I am a contributing author together with the world's 100 other career experts. It will help you answer a lot of career questions you have and make a great gift for yourself or your colleague. Check it out here.

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Finding the Right Career

 

Are you thinking of choosing or changing your career? Maybe you have been dreaming about a career change but don’t know where to start. Perhaps you’re getting increasingly bored at work or realizing that opportunities for growth are limited. Or, like many in this economy, you may be unemployed or facing unemployment. Regardless of your reasons, the right career is out there for everyone.  Discover how to find the best career path for you, including finding the courage to make a change, researching options, realizing your strengths, and learning new skills.

Finding meaningful work in today’s world

You may have fallen into the trap of thinking the sole point of work is to bring home enough money to live comfortably. While adequate compensation is important in any job, it’s not the whole story. If you are unsatisfied with what you do every day, it takes a toll on your physical and mental health. You may feel burned out and frustrated, anxious, depressed, or unable to enjoy time at home knowing another workday is ahead. What’s more, if you don’t find your work meaningful and rewarding, it’s hard to keep the momentum going to advance in your career. You are more likely to be successful in a career that you feel passionate about. Whether you’re looking to enter the work force for the first time or contemplating a career change, the first step to choosing a fulfilling career is to uncover the activities that get you excited and bring you joy.

Discovering new possibilities

The first step in considering a career change is to think carefully about what really drives you. You might find it hard to get past thinking about “what pays the most” or “what is most secure,” especially in today’s economy. However, it’s important to first discover your primary interests and passions. This can open doors to careers that you might not have considered. Once you have that foundation, you can start fine tuning your search to the right career. You may be surprised at how you can fit your passions into a certain career!

Exploring your career opportunities

• Focus on the things you love to do. What have you dreamed of doing in the past? What do you naturally enjoy doing? Jot down what comes to mind, no matter how improbable it seems.
• Look for clues everywhere. Take note of projects or topics that stir your compassion or excite your imagination. Reflect on stories of people you admire. Ask yourself why certain activities make you happy, and pay attention to times when you are really enjoying yourself.
• Be patient. Remember that your search may take some time and you might have to go down a few different roads before finding the right career path. Time and introspection will help you identify the activities you most enjoy and that bring you true satisfaction.

Overcoming obstacles to career happiness

It’s always challenging to consider a huge change, and there may be many reasons why you may think changing careers is not possible. Here are some common obstacles and how to overcome them:

• It’s too much work to change careers. Where would I ever begin? Changing careers does require a substantial time investment. However, remember that it does not happen all at once. If you sit down and map out a rough plan of attack, breaking down larger tasks into smaller ones, it is a lot more manageable than you think. And if the payoff is a happier, more successful career, it’s worth it.
• I’m too old to change careers. I need to stay where I am. If you have worked for a number of years, you may feel that you’ve put too much time and effort into your career to change midstream. Or you may be concerned about retirement and health benefits. However, the more you’ve worked, the more likely you are to have skills you can transfer to a new career. You may also consider planning a transition for after retirement if you are close to receiving a pension or other benefits after a number of years. 
• I don’t have enough skills to consider a new career. You may be unaware of the skills you have, or underestimate your marketability due to low self esteem. However, you probably have more skills than you think. Consider skills you’ve learned not only from your job but from hobbies, volunteering or other life experiences. And gaining skills is not an all or nothing proposition. You can volunteer once a week or take a night class to move forward, for example, without quitting your current job.
• In this economy, I’m lucky to have a job. I don’t want to rock the boat. In today’s climate, it might feel like too much of a risk to consider changing careers. However, if you’re unhappy in your current job, doing research on other options will only benefit you in the long run. You may discover a career with a more stable long-term outlook than your current career, for example. And you don’t have to quit your current job until you are confident of your new career path.

What if I’ve already lost my job?

Being unemployed or underemployed can be tremendously stressful. You may be feeling the pressures of meeting mortgage payments or other financial obligations. You might be feeling ashamed with your family and friends. And a very real loss is that of your identity at work. This is especially true if you have been in the same field for a very long time.
However, unemployment also has a bright side. It gives you the chance to reflect on your career path where you might not have before. If you’ve been considering a new field, now is the time to research and see what might be the right fit for you. You may end up in a much stronger position than if you had originally kept your job.
To learn more, visit Job Loss and Unemployment Stress: Tips for Staying Positive During Your Job Search

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How to Make Wise Career Choices

Life is full of choices. Some require little thought or reflection—like the choice of what to eat for dinner— while others demand rigorous deliberation. When it comes to your career, you’ve likely already made several difficult choices in the past and will undoubtedly face many more.
There is a natural give and take in every decision. Usually, whenever something is gained, something else is lost. In order to make wise choices, you must weigh the risks against the potential rewards. You must make predictions and assumptions and, at times, great leaps of faith. Choices are rarely ever black and white, all good or all bad, clearly right or clearly wrong. They are complicated and multi-dimensional; prisms through which no two people will see the same world.
As with most things in life, putting in the effort on the front end is the best way to reduce the potential for disappointing results on the back end. There is no guarantee, of course. Even the most thoughtful decisions have been known to backfire. A choice is, most often, nothing more than a best guess—a hopeful step in a new direction.
So, when facing a career choice, whether big or small, how can you make sure you’re approaching the situation with the appropriate level of consideration? How can you ensure your “guess” is truly the best you can do? Below, I’ve outlined a few points to remember in your decision-making process.

Choices reflect values.
Your life is the result of your choices. Every choice shapes your reality and is a reflection of who you are, what you value and what you want. Making choices that conflict with your underlying values will inevitably lead to restlessness and dissatisfaction. If you aren’t happy with the choices you’ve made in the past, evaluate your values and what motivated your decision. More than likely, there was a disconnect.

Emotions influence choices.
Recognize the role that emotions play in your decision-making process. Though it’s unrealistic—and unhealthy—to suppress emotions completely, it’s helpful to understand how they influence your behaviors. Look for the messages beneath the emotions; let your heart and your head work together to find the best solutions.
Don’t rush yourself.
Anxiety and urgency almost always have a negative impact on decision-making. Don’t let a ticking clock push you into a choice you haven’t properly evaluated. Sure, you likely don’t have an infinite amount of time with which to work, but avoid placing unnecessary deadlines on yourself. Be thorough and balance your desire for a quick resolution with your need for a well thought-out decision-making process.

NOT making a choice is still a choice.
You can’t simply ignore a decision that has to be made and expect it to go away. Choosing not to choose is an abdication of power but it’s still a choice in its own special way. It’s the choice to observe rather than participate, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are times when you’re better off simply letting a situation run its course without attempting to steer it in any direction. Sit back, allow events to unfold, and let the path form naturally.

Refuse “either/or” dilemmas.
There are always more options. When you trap yourself in limited thinking, you fail to see the real opportunities. Don’t place artificial restrictions on yourself or the possibilities the world has to offer.  When you face an “either/or” dilemma, look for the grey space in between. This isn’t an empty void; it’s a deep and endless well of potential.

Build trust.
Trust in yourself, trust in others, trust in the Universe. Have a little faith that everything will work out well, whether or not the future looks exactly the way you had imagined it. Remember that change is constant and you have the resources to manage whatever comes along. Your choices have consequences that shape your reality; you always have the opportunity to make different choices in the future and create a new reality for yourself.
Remember that a well thought-out choice is never wrong, no matter what happens. It might be tempting to blame yourself when things don’t turn out the way you had anticipated, but this accomplishes nothing. Don’t dwell in regret. Simply accept the lesson and move on. Take what you’ve learned with you and use it the next time you face a difficult choice in your career or elsewhere in life.

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How To Make A Tough Career Decision, When You're An Anxiety-Riddled Lunatic?

The story: I’m an artist currently making my living with design work and small teaching gigs. I’ve been offered a relatively decent academic job in a place my partner and I don’t want to live. We love where we’re living now, I’m fairly happy with my job(s), and have a decent amount of time to pursue my artwork.

The complications: My partner is quitting her job—the one that has given us a steady and reliable source of income while I’ve been freelancing. No matter what we decide to do, she will be quitting to try and make a go of her own creative career, which has been steadily gaining momentum in her spare time. The ideal for her would be for us to do this together, to combine our creative/art/design pursuits into a joint business venture, and go for it. And when I think about how I ideally want to spend my days, making things with her is a no-brainer.

However, facing the prospect of making a go of our art careers has me almost paralyzed with fear. In the typical situation, I would be telling you that my big fear is moving across country for this job, and you would be telling me to face my fears and do it. And while the idea of a move to a disappointing place coupled with a potentially time-and-creativity-sucking job in academia is indeed cripplingly fearsome, the idea of staying here, giving up our safety nets, attempting to live as artists--and failing--is HORRIFYING. Basically, my worst fear: confirmation that we don’t have what it takes.

My ultimate goal in life is to make art, every second of every day. But I have, of course, been taught to believe that that’s basically impossible, and that an academic job is fraught with complications but ultimately necessary. And I do love teaching, but all of the teachers I know are barely able to pursue their artwork anymore.

We’re still young, we have energy, love, boundless creativity and few responsibilities (no house, no kids), a healthy cushion saved up, and my partner will continue to receive her salary for three months after quitting. If we stay and it doesn’t work out, we won’t starve. There are many temp jobs we’re qualified for, people willing to take us in, and there’s always next year’s (equally tempestuous and uncertain) academic job market. It would be our dream to stay in the city we adore, with our friends and professional connections, and be able to live off of our creative work together. That’s the daily life I get most excited about. And yet the prospect of really going for it has me paralyzed with fear, instinctively looking for the first salaried position I can find. Do we take the flat road, the reasonably safe and secure choice, or do we jump off the freaking cliff? I realize this is a decision that only we can make, and that I’ve left things too vague to solicit good advice…

My actual question, friends, is what strategies are there for making this decision in an intelligent way, without becoming blinded by anxiety? How do we weigh all the different variables? What aspects of the decision are forgetting to even consider? And once a decision has been made, how do I move forward without second-guessing, or succumbing to fear or regret?

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