Career Planning & Development Tips 📝

There is a difference between career planning and career development. Career planning is setting career objectives and determining how to accomplish them. Career development is gaining skill, experience, and education to achieve career objectives. The career-planning model steps in what follows can help you develop your own career plan.

The key to career success is to determine what you do well, what you enjoy doing, and how to find a job that combines your interests and skills. Others can help you get a job, but you are responsible for selecting your career. Based on your self-assessment, you must decide what you want from your job and career and prioritize these preferences. Some of the things you should consider as you think about your career preferences are what industry you want to work in, what size organization you want to work for, what type of job(s) you want in your career.

You need to set goals and act on them. Set short- and long-range objectives. Develop a plan that will enable you to attain your objectives. You must determine what skills, experience, and education you need in order to progress from your current level to your career goal. But be open to unplanned opportunities. Review your objectives, check your progress at least every few months, and change and develop new objectives and plans. Update your résumé as you improve your skills and experience. Having a good career coach or mentors can help you get a job and advance through stages.