When you find your way forward in your career, it is good to think about what you want and what path choices you want to make. Once you have chosen the course, you need to adapt how you present yourself. When formulating the goal of your career, start with yourself. Therefore, you need to start with reflection before starting your career planning. Think about what you want to spend your time on in the future, what makes you feel good, and what drives you forward. Your driving forces shape how you think and act. It can be about you want to influence, develop, take responsibility, create results, or streamline, for example. Ask yourself how well you take care of and consider your driving forces as a manager. And what would you like it to look like?
Map your skills
The next step in your career planning is to put into words what you are good at. What knowledge and experiences have you accumulated during your life? How did you use them? What achievements are you most proud of? You can probably use more of your experiences and knowledge in other roles and industries than those you previously have. It is sometimes called transfer knowledge. Your qualities are also crucial for how well you fit in and thrive in different roles and organizations. Examples of qualities are flexible, ambitious, diplomatic, and communicative.
Map out your opportunities
Developments in society, political decisions, and the economy are factors that can affect different industries, employers, and professional roles. Find out what conditions and requirements affect you in your current or future position. Maybe you need to strengthen some of your skills to continue to be attractive in the market where you want to work. Follow news, industry magazines, and forums of various kinds. Actively participate in specialized groups on, for example, LinkedIn or Facebook, with curiosity and openness before making new contacts. Share your own experiences in discussions and ask questions to learn from others. A thorough analysis of the world around you can open opportunities you did not know existed and help you follow your passion and interests.
By also making yourself visible in the proper context, you expose yourself to new opportunities.
Make your development plan
Depending on what goals you have in your career, it can be good to develop a development plan. The development plan can identify how you should approach your long-term goal and what obstacles you may need to deal with. You may need to identify several short-term milestones and what steps you need to take to achieve them. Although goals and plans often change along the way, there is a point to the actual career planning work, as it allows you to reflect on your direction and your possible path choices.
Think about when you change careers
Making a career can mean different things to different people. It means that you work in a role where you thrive, develop, and achieve the results you want in your professional life. It can also mean that you are looking for responsibility for a new industry or a new employer. It can be about “climbing” up the hierarchy or specializing more. Sometimes your development plan and career goals may mean that you need to change careers. You may also be forced to change careers against your will for reasons beyond your control. Regardless of why you are changing careers, some things will be crucial for your planning:
- Be patient and be realistic.
- Map your skills, your transfer knowledge, and your opportunities.
- Ensure you have documented the results and challenges you have met in your professional role.
- Dare to ask for help and take advantage of your network.
- Dare to learn new things.
Profile yourself
As a result, you can discover how to profile yourself in your area of interest. Maybe you can find a niche or an area of expertise where you can take an extra clear place in discussions and debates. To then make a dream come true and not lose the urge on the way to a goal that is difficult to reach is an art. The trick is to set intermediate goals and reward yourself. If the plan becomes too abstract and distant, it is easy to lose power. Instead, set smaller goals that are close in time. Taking a small step in the right direction is more fun than just standing still.
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