Developing
an Individual Career Plan
Once you have
researched and chosen a career direction, it’s time for the fourth
step of the career planning process – Developing an Individual
Career Plan.
By developing
an individual career plan, you can focus on what you want to do and
decide specifically how to get there. An individual career
plan usually has two major parts – activities and timelines.
First, write down what your career goal/objective is, then list the
activities you must do to get from where you are now to where you
will be when you reach your goal. Give yourself deadlines for
when you want to do each step. Remember to make these
deadlines reasonable – but don’t give yourself so much time that you
get side-tracked or too little time to realistically accomplish your
goal. Be sure to check your plan often as a reminder, and you
may also want to share the plan with a friend, co-worker, or family
member. This process can provide some accountability for you
as you move towards your chosen occupation.
Once you have
determined what career path you want to follow, decide what you need
to do to prepare for that career. Do you need special training?
If so, research the schools that offer the kind of training you need.
What kinds of experience will you need to be successful in the career?
If so, research internships or work experiences. What kind of
resume should you be developing? Are your job seeking skills as
refined as they should be? And finally, where will you find that
job you are looking for?
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