The power of choice is both liberating and terrifying, as you suddenly realize your future depends on committing to decisions without any guarantees. Developing a career plan can help you refine your path and navigate around hurdles, but unexpected life events often lead you to the most rewarding job opportunities. To avoid a lifetime of regret, design a flexible career plan that complements your character while leaving plenty of room to grow and take detours.
1. Know Who You Are and Where You're Going
People who care about you often tell you to stick to the tried-and-true industries to avoid a life of financial difficulty. Whether you're a recent graduate or an experienced professional, you are most knowledgeable about what makes you tick and what pushes you to work harder. Perform an honest evaluation of your interests and skills, and ask yourself which tasks completely sap you of energy and motivation. Identifying what is important to you and what you want out of a job makes it easier to generate a wishlist of relevant training and experience.
2. Investigate Your Options
Instead of accepting broad advice from every well-wisher, ask friends and relatives what duties they perform at work and what they love and hate about their jobs. Take advantage of any opportunity to intern or job-shadow people in positions that interest you, and use all of your exploratory research to start filtering out jobs that are completely wrong for you. A focused career plan starts to emerge as you learn more about yourself and gain realistic insight about the expectations of different professional roles.
3. Set Attainable Goals
Chasing your dreams helps you stay driven, but setting highly idealized goals can make you feel like a failure when your career plan changes. Find a balance between fundamental and motivational goals. Fundamental goals are defined by who you are and the conditions you need to thrive. They help you set standards for your career choices, such as deciding between a higher paycheck or a position closer to family. Whether short or long term, motivational goals inspire you to improve and pursue fulfillment. When a job repeatedly clashes with either set of goals, you know it's time to rethink your career plan.
4. Stay Open and Active
Avoid letting a seemingly secure position lead you down the path of complacency. Too often, professionals leave their networks and training untended, so they are forced to scramble for new connections and skills when attractive job opportunities arise. Maintain a competitive portfolio throughout your career by being attentive to changing trends in your industry and regularly taking on challenges that exceed your current job description. Make yourself indispensable to your superiors by asking what responsibilities they expect you to handle at the next level and training in those skills today, instead of procrastinating.
Much like the classic board game "Life," your career plan has many possibilities, which are all subject to random twists and turns that may send you in directions you never expected. The key to success is recognizing that your plan exists to give you peace of mind, and you have the freedom to revise it as much as you want.
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