Getting into the job market requires you to be prepared. The career planning process allows you to discover opportunities you are likely to grow in. It includes setting achievable short and long term goals, outlining your vision and evaluating the progress made.
For an effective job search, here are the career planning steps to follow:
1. Self-assessment
The first thing you need to do is analyze your talents and potential. Be honest with yourself by understanding your skills, personality and interests to make an informed career decision. List down and focus on jobs that will help you grow in your career. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone as you make the list.
2. Career research
In this step, you are to further research by gathering information about each of the careers on your list. What is the general labor market data, educational requirement and likelihood of being hired after meeting them? Look into online recruiting sites that provide helpful resources that prepare you as well as job listings. This allows you to learn more about the positions available and what companies are looking for.
3. Experience
Writing down your potential career on paper is easy, so why not find ways to experience it practically. To do this you can volunteer or intern to gain more field practice relevant to your intended role.
4. Selection
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of all your options. Go over all your previous research as well as any related experiences very carefully. Organize and rank them by preference from highest to lowest to identify your top choice.
5. Action
Once you have gathered all the information you can use your career plan to take action and begin your job search. Have a detailed short and long term goals you will achieve as you reach your final career goal. Reflect on the challenges you could face in reaching those goals and how to overcome them.
6. Evaluation
After you get a job offer, keep track of your professional progress throughout and make adjustments if the need arises. Also make a point to constantly be on the lookout for growth opportunities.
This article was first published on Fuzu.
