Identifying Career Option
Leading to Attaining One’s
Personal Goal
CAREER PLANNING
Career planning refers to the process
of making educational and career choices based on
knowledge of oneself and of the environment. The
purpose of career planning is to encourage individuals to
explore and gather information about various educational
and career opportunities thus enabling them to develop
realistic career goals.
The career planning process can be divided
into four stages. These stages include:
(1) self-assessment
(2) knowledge of academic-career options
(3) in-depth evaluation and goal-setting
(4) career plan implementation.
SELF ASSESSMENT
Self-assessment refers to an
individual’s ability to gather information about
his or her interests, skills and abilities, values,
and personality type.
KNOWLEDGE OF ACADEMIC-CAREER OPTIONS
Knowledge of academic-career options refers to an
individual’s ability to gather information about the
world of work. Knowledge of specific jobs, occupations,
and organizations; work conditions; required
education; job outlook; and chances for advancement
are important factors in choosing the right career.
CAREER PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
The last stage of the career planning process is
career plan implementation, which involves making
an initial choice and taking steps toward reaching
career goals.
The primary focus of this stage is on job and educational
preparation. Individuals at this stage should make deliberate
efforts to
(1) apply to various education and training programs,
(2) gather information on specific companies,
(3) develop a job search strategy,
(4) develop resumes and cover letters, and
(5) prepare for job interviews.
Make a Career Plan
A career plan includes the short-term
and long-term goals for your career. Career
planning is the self-evaluation and planning
done by a person to have a strong career
path.
1. Knowing yourself
Assess yourself to know who you are and what
you want. It also means understanding your
strengths and weaknesses, your passions and
fears, your desires and dreams, your likes and
dislikes, and your tolerances and limitations.
Knowing yourself means knowing your purpose
in life.
2. Exploring your options
Discover careers to find what you really
want. Assess your skills and interests. Focus
on what you want to do and how to get
there. Learn the skills needed to pursue the
career of your dreams.
3. Making Decisions
It is the process of making logical choices
from the available options by identifying a
decision, gathering information, and
assessing alternative resolutions.
4. Moving On
It is more about learning to live and managing your
career to help yourself succeed. It is important to move
forward because there are things in our past that should
not hold us back from improving ourselves. And, in career
development, improvement and change are always
occurring.
Setting goals is one thing but finding out how to make
your plans a reality is another. At this point, you
already know that it is important to have goals and
plan for your career and life; you have learned ways to
set goals. But do you know how to carry out those
goals and stick to your plan over time?
There are six steps to make a career plan:
[Link] yourself to know who you are and what you want.
[Link] careers to find a career you want.
[Link] goals to reach the career.
[Link] your skills to prepare for your career.
[Link] a job that matches your goals.
[Link] your career to help yourself succeed.
1. A short-term goal is something you
want to do soon. The near future can
mean today, this week, this month, or
even this year. It is something you
want to accomplish soon.
2. A long-term goal is
something you want to do
further in the future. It
requires much longer time and
planning
1. Write it down. Write down your career plan so that
you will remember it and you can track your progress.
You are more likely to commit to your plan that is
specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely
(SMART). Put a copy of your plan some place where
you can see it often such as on your bedroom mirror
or the refrigerator door. Let me describe to you first
the SMART goal setting model.
SPECIFIC – Each goal must be specific
and as clearly defined as possible. You
can have multiple goals, but each one
must be clear.
MEASURABLE – Each goal must also have
clearly defined metrics for how it can be
measured – either for progress or the end
goal.
ACHIEVABLE – It can be easy to get
carried away when setting goals, but a
goal that is ultimately not achievable will
deplete your motivation. Keep goals small
and achievable.
RELEVANT – this is where
putting some time in to plan
your goals can pay off.
TIME-BOUND – make sure you set yourself
realistic deadlines for each goal and its
required steps to keep you focused and
motivated.
2. Set deadlines. Make one of two goals that you
can achieve within a few days or a week. Then
make other short-term goals that only take a few
months to complete. Over time you will see how
many tasks you have completed and how much
closer you are to accomplishing your long-term
goals.
3. Reward yourself. Working toward your
goals is hard work. Think of small rewards to
give yourself when you accomplish
something big or small. These bonuses will
help you stay motivated.
4. Have an accountability partner. It is important to
try to complete your goals with a company. Find one or
two people who will help you stick to your plan. This
can be a friend, a job coach, or your supervising agent
(or corrections agent). Your partner will remind you of
deadlines and give you encouragement when you face
setback.
