Despite its level of importance in our
lives, most people spend more time planning what they are going to do at the weekend or what they fancy buying, than they do planning their career.
Career planning needn't take a lot of time and any time you are able to devote
to managing your career properly can reap significant benefits.
It is important to recognise that career planning is not just something to
think about when you are considering moving job. Even if you are not considering a move for a number of years, you need to start managing your career, as
proper career management can have just as much impact on your remuneration and progression within your existing company, as with a new employer.
Managing your career involves identifying a desired career path: knowing where
you want to go and what you need to do to get there is crucial to being able to manage the process and make the right decisions along the way. Identifying a
career path will:
- Help you objectively assess your current role and prospects, which may
either raise issues that you need to address or simply reassure you that your career is well on course.
- Put you in a much stronger position to negotiate the development of your
career within your company at your next appraisal or review.
- Mean you won't be taken by surprise if your role suddenly changes, as can
happen with internal restructuring or a takeover or merger, as you will instantly be able to assess the impact of the changes on your career strategy.
- Enable you to fend off approaches from consultants or companies who are
more interested in serving their own ends rather than understanding your career goals.
- Enable you to objectively assess different opportunities, both internal and
external, against your career map.
When we talk about a career map or plan, it is important that we recognise the
need for flexibility. You may not know exactly where you want to go, but you will almost certainly know where you don't want to end up. A good plan will
leave several options open, but eliminate the possibility of you ending up in the wrong place. Your plan may be adapted, modified or otherwise altered over
time to suit your changing career needs, but you still need a plan.
Once you have a plan, you need to review it regularly. These days job markets
change so fast, you need to manage your career on an ongoing basis. A very good practice to follow is to undertake an annual career review, along with a
briefer six monthly reassessment of your strategy.
You can conduct the review yourself, or with a recruitment consultant you
trust, and the six monthly check could simply be a conversation either with a mentor or again, a good consultant: it's up to you, but you need to work out
how you are going to monitor your career.
As we have already said, reviewing your career is not about moving; it's about putting yourself in the
best position to make the right career decisions. So even if you are very happy where you are, it's worthwhile doing now.
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