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The moment and the current job market is marked by constant changes. In this sense, much more than stability, professionals focus on performance. That is, more and more professionals invest time and effort in improving their career, in order to develop personally and professionally. With that in mind, we have prepared this material so that you can understand what a career plan is and how to create it. Check out!
Those who seek professional development must be aware that this is not a simple task, nor an easy one. In addition, it is necessary to consider a series of efforts necessary to be able to grow in the current and very competitive job market.
In this way, drawing up a detailed and focused career plan becomes important in this journey towards success. Because, the more you know what directions you need to follow and what kind of opportunities to look for, the easier your journey will be.
The elaboration of a career plan is seen as a primordial step for the development of professionals. It is an efficient strategy for a person to be able to have a short, medium and long-term vision regarding the possibilities for growth, especially when the professional is already inserted in an organization.
Have you ever stopped to think about what your professional life will be like in 5, 10 or 20 years? This question is very common in job interviews to assess what your goals, vision and ambitions are. Through it, the recruiter seeks to assess whether their objectives are compatible with the organization’s.
And if you know very well what to answer, then you’ve already taken the first – and most important – step towards drawing up your career plan.
By career, we mean the trajectory of the professional from his arrival at the company or position until his departure. It can be in one or more than one company. There are professionals who set goals for 20, 30 years. Planning, having goals, being committed to the organization or your position, and developing your potential within your expectations, brings motivation to meet your goals, and many benefits for your career.
With that in mind, the career plan is nothing more than a set of possibilities and well-defined objectives that serve as a guide for growth and professional evolution.
Within an organization, the career plan concerns the structured program that stipulates the path that each employee will follow within the company. This plan determines which skills are required for each hierarchical position. As well as what are the expectations of the company – and the employee – in relation to that position.
However, in recent years, the career plan is no longer just a benefit offered by the company, becoming an individual plan, in which each professional sets their own goals.
And whatever your goal, creating and making your career plan happen will require a lot of dedication, ability to communicate and planning.
If, on the one hand, the internship makes it possible to confirm the professional choice, the career plan will define the entire course of what the professional understands as professional success.
And now that you already know what a career plan is, check out the step-by-step guide we prepared to explain how the process of creating your plan works.
The first step is to know where you want to go. The tip is to set real and possible goals to be achieved within a certain time. Dreaming of becoming a great company director is a very ambitious and valid goal. But, you need to be clear that it could take years for you to reach that position. Especially if you just joined the company and are not in a leadership position.
Therefore, set real goals that you will be able to achieve within a certain time. It’s okay if you need to readjust these goals from time to time, as you reach higher positions in your industry, for example.
To help you think better about your goals and according to your expectations, ask:
What job do you want to be in 5 or 10 years from now?
What salary do you want to receive until you reach it? And what salary do you expect to receive when you reach the goal?
Finally, describe the list of skills and abilities you will need to acquire to achieve the goal and to assume the role properly.
If you prefer, you can break your goals down into smaller steps to make it easier to accomplish. The ideal is to think in the short, medium and long term.
With your planning in hand, it’s time to get your hands dirty. If your medium-term goal is to become a manager in the sector where you work, define the necessary steps and knowledge you need to acquire to reach the position.
And don’t forget to readjust your plan over time to see if it still makes sense for you, or if you need to update it. After all, established goals can change according to new opportunities. Therefore, it is important to reassess what your main professional desires are from time to time.
Growing professionally is not something that happens by itself. The career plan will guide your journey. Therefore, communication and dynamism are essential in this process.
Talk to people who are already in the position you want to be in. That is, sit down with your manager and try to understand what his path was until that position, when he started his career, what tips he can give you, what skills are needed.
Showing interest in the organization’s business is also very important. If you are a dedicated professional, the people responsible for promoting you will always have an eye on your performance. Know how to listen, observe and be proactive. Commit to your goals, but, above all, to the goals of the organization in which you are working.
All these aspects will help you to realize your career plan.
In addition to the step-by-step above, we’ll list 7 quick and essential tips below to help you create your ideal career plan. Check out:
To help you create your career plan, you need to understand what the current state you are in is. So, to evaluate all the points of your professional life at the moment, you can think about the following questions:
What is your current occupation?
Do you feel happy and satisfied with it?
What do you like to do most during your work routine?
What do you least like – or dislike – to do in your routine?
What actions can you take to change the things you don’t like?
Write everything down and reread it, only then will you be clear about what your current moment is. Also, after answering these main questions, at the end you can define:
Your personal mapping: identify your values, talents, skills, interests and motivators.
And your skills mapping: create a list of all the technical and behavioral skills you already have.
It’s no use just defining what your current state or your desired state is. To get committed and feel motivated, you need to understand what’s behind all that desire, that desire. Again, some questions may help you understand:
Why is achieving this goal important to me?
What do I expect to find when I reach the goal?
Why is it worth achieving this goal?
What will happen after I reach this goal?
With all these answers, you will be able to stay focused throughout your journey. And don’t worry about getting all the answers on the same day, some of them take time.
Identifying answers to previous questions becomes much easier when you invest in self-knowledge.
It is very important to define who you are, where you want to go, as well as what are your main values, strengths and points that need to be developed. Through this knowledge, your entire journey towards your professional success will be much more peaceful.
Exercising self-knowledge will help you define which type of work and function really matches your profile and personality. This prevents you from getting frustrated up front.
In addition to knowing yourself, it is important to know your area of interest and what you need to know to work in a certain market niche. To do this, do in-depth research on the industry. Find out about the big companies, trends, challenges and opportunities.
Talk to professionals in the field who can offer you helpful, up-to-date advice. LinkedIn is a network that can help you a lot in this task.
Take courses, participate in lectures, projects, events and workshops, dedicate yourself to getting to know the market.
Your career plan should start running from the job interview. This tip is ideal for you who are making a career transition or looking for a professional replacement .
In other words, it’s important to discuss your expectations with the hiring company. Make it clear that your goal goes far beyond financial compensation. You seek a successful career and are willing to dedicate yourself to achieving it.
Making these questions clear at the time of the interview will help you understand whether the company really aligns with your profile.
Talking to professionals in your field, both those who are in the same position you are now, as well as professionals who are in the position you want to work in, will give you a sense of what you need to do to achieve your goals.
That is, creating professional relationships is important for career advancement. This attitude makes room for new offers and new opportunities in the market, beyond the company where you already work.
In conclusion, do personal marketing. Knowing how to sell yourself is one of the main foundations for a successful career. We are all the time selling ourselves or selling something.
Your name, your professional background and your skills are your brand, so find out how to sell them to achieve your goals.
