Career Planning
 How to come up with a realistic  Career Plan For Your Dream Career

Successful Career Planning

You need to give careful thought to career planning. Don't just select a career path because:

•  it leads to one of the 'hot careers' of the day.

•   ready availability of jobs in your chosen field,

•  the amount of money potential in the chosen career.

• Prestige or Power symbolism associated with the career in your mind

• Family or parental pressure... it is the family business/career etc.

• Glamour n shine factor... Like being a movie star, modeling etc.

• Your personal likes and dislikes

Since you will be spending a lot of time, money and effort along your chosen career path...

• You will be paying for the training or education

• You will be spending time , energy and effort on the training

• You will be looking for a job in your chosen field.

• You will be putting several long hours, hard work and effort everyday into your chosen career.

• In fact you might even live your entire life in this career field.

Just remember you will be reaching 'career burnout' faster than a cookie in a hot oven if your chosen career is not aligned with your innermost feelings, strengths and beliefs. Also your very first career usually has an impact on your entire life and outlook even if you make a career change later on.

 So it's very important you pay special consideration to career planning. Here are some pointers to help you:

What are your strengths... For instance if you are good at math, you might want to consider a career in engineering. Are you good in writing?, are you good in life sciences? etc... base your career choice on your strengths.

What do you enjoy most... Do you like playing with kids; do you like animals; do you like old people; do you like toys; do you like fashion accessories, do you like computer games, do you love nature? ... you could base your career choice in a field associated with what you enjoy doing most.

What inspires you most... a lot of kids these days are inspired by cartoon heroes... spiderman, superman etc... of course careers in the line of heroism are non existent, yet you could work with the underlying principle of helping people in distress... You could join the health services, you could join the fire services, you could join the police, or some other career which fulfils the underlying need of helping people.

What are your values... Think of the following scenarios... Can you identify with any of the described scenarios?

• lots of time to spend with your family?

•  time spent  away from home travelling?

•  Persuading people?

•  Selling or sales?

• Politics?

• Honesty, integrity?

Be true to your nature. A career in line with your values, can be your best career choice.

Here is an exercise that can help you uncover your true career path:

1. Write down an essay 'about your chosen career.... and describe it in great detail'.

2.  Write up a very in depth essay about what you want to do in your life.

 Both the above exercises will help you think about what you really truly want to do.

Once you have selected a career plan, here is a small but effective test to make sure it is right for you:

 Visualize or imagine yourself doing the work you will be expected to do everyday in your chosen career...
 Imagine waking up in the morning, stretching lazily, then getting out of bed, getting dressed in the way that is expected of you in your career, getting into your car and driving away to your place of work. You walk into your work place or office, store your bag, hang your coat, and get to work... imagine the work you are supposed to be doing... is it operating a machinery, working with a person, working at a desk, doing paperwork... imagine your work in the greatest possible detail... how do you feel... are you enjoying it?

If yes, then go for it , else review your career plan....

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   Copyright [C]  Shahnaz Rauf

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