Developing a Strategic Vision for your Career Plan
If you’re like the average individual, you’ll experience several career changes during your professional life. Whether you love your job or feel frustrated with your current responsibilities, it’s recommended that you carefully plan out your career objectives — but without turning down one-time, potentially life-changing opportunities.
In order to be successful, you need to develop a career plan that includes both short-term and long-term objectives, which should be realistic, specific, measurable and timely. Depending on your vision, short-term objectives should be attainable in the ensuing months or years; the time frame for accomplishing long-term objectives is usually five years or longer.
To create your own short-term and long-term goals, use the following suggestions:
- Short-term objectives. The key to a short-term career plan is to establish realistic objectives along with their corresponding strategies. Also, take these aspects about yourself into consideration:
- – Personality
- – Strengths and weaknesses
- – Passions and dislikes
- – Ideal job and lifestyle
- Long-term objectives. Long-term objectives should be about identifying and developing critical qualifications that will help career advancement and are also aligned with your personal goals. Accomplished professionals usually hold the following skills:
- – Interpersonal
- – Creative thinking
- – Problem solving
- – Decision-making
- – Project management
- – Computer and technology
- – Verbal and written communication
Regardless of where you’re at in your professional life, reflecting on your future career path will help you evaluate how satisfied you are with your accomplishments and allow you to take the necessary steps towards improving your situation. Burchard and Associates can help you in your career planning.