Career management is a very personal responsibility. All of us want to have a bright and shiny future, like they say in the movies and literature. This means, you have to come up with simple plans to ensure that our jobs turn into careers. If you have just started working or you are at a crossroads with your current job and are looking to turn that into a career, you need to know the right way of going about it.
Career management has everything to do with knowing where you stand right now, deciding where you want to go and how you plan to go there.
Current Position
Every career management plan begins with you asking the simple question, where do you stand right now? There are two places to start from.
You have just finished college or school and are looking to kick start your career. At this juncture, you could consider studying further. The more knowledge and skills you possess, the better are your chance to land a career oriented job. There are considerations to take when looking to study further. Most of it usually comes down to money. If you are not pressed to start earning right away, then studying further is always a good idea. If you are not in the money, and not sure studying is the best thing to do right now, then start looking for a job.
If you are already working in a job, then look at the company and the position you are working on right now. When you were hired, your company human resource personnel would have shared with you some kind of a plan as to where you could probably find yourself a few years from now. All companies do this but how many of them are being honest about it? There is no way to find out except to ask co-workers who have been in the system for a while and find out if the promises made to them are being are true.
Assuming that the company does have a set career path, there is another factor to worry about. Even if you are going to get promoted, get an increment and all other employee benefits because of your excellent work ethics, is that what you want? It’s all about asking yourself if that is what you want. If you do, then you don’t have a problem and you already have a career. If you don’t, then it is time to think of other alternatives.
Entry Barriers
If you are already in a job and not sure about where it is taking you, then you will have a sliver of doubt bugging you like crazy. You are always wondering, if not the current employer then where? A lot of folks have been in this situation before. The best thing to do is to ensure that you have some kind of a money pot as a safety net, when you start exploring. We are not suggesting that you quit your current job and start driving around the offices of companies that you plan to work in, looking for an interview. That would not be the smartest thing to do.
The smart thing to do is to find out what is it that prevented you from becoming part of an industry and company in the first place. Perhaps at that point of time, you were pressed for money. May be you did not have the skills or the job wasn’t available in your current city. Start by looking at how you can circumvent some or all of these problems.
Let’s look at the barrier of skill. Was there a lack of specific skills that prevented you from securing a job that would lead into a career? Then, it is time that you did something about it. You are probably working eight to ten hours a day, no more than fifty hours per week. Use the remaining time to sign up for a weekend and evening universities to acquire skills that are needed to get ahead in your work life.
If you are pressed for time, then you can consider joining online universities which will help you acquire skills that would allow you to overcome barriers to new jobs and hence careers. If you are not sure about what skills you might need and really need some help in this regard, then it makes sense to speak with career management companies. Career management services are filled with people whose job is to interact with people from different industries. This will allow them to understand your current position and recommend the best way to go forward.
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