Career Planning

Planning your career and setting career goals are very important when applying for jobs. By going through this process, you can determine your level of expertise, whether you are applying for the right jobs for you and identifying skills, which need further development.

Setting your career goals will allow you to work-out which positions you are qualified for and are interested in thereby enabling you to go after them with confidence.

So, how do you go about planning and setting goals? Answering the following questions will set you on your way:

Where are you currently at?

Where do you want to be in the short term (your short term goals)?
What motivates you in your work, eg, income, interesting work etc?
Are you growing and learning in your current environment?
Are you fulfilling any of your existing goals?

Where do you want to be in the future?

What are your career target/s and goals?
What are your personal target/s and goals?
What are your medium (2 years) to long-term (5 years) goals?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What skills, abilities and experiences do you currently have and could offer employers?
What are your major achievements (both in employment, as well as, in your personal pursuits)?
What areas need further development?

How will you get to where you want to be?

What do you need to do to get where you want to be, and what resources are available to you to assist you (eg, training, mentoring, researching and networking)?

What is your action plan/s?

Record your goals, how and when you intend to achieve them, as well as, the possible outcomes or consequences (both good and not so good) of them.