Most people want to develop their career so they can maximise their earning potential, and take on new challenges. However, it can be difficult to know how to do this.
This article outlines how to develop a career plan which sets out your long and short term career goals and each step you need to take to reach your long term goal. This focuses your attention on moving towards your goal. Without a career goal or career plan, many people find themselves drifting from role to role without developing their career.
Choosing your career goal
Some people have a specific role in mind which provides a clear career goal. Other people focus on working in a particular function e.g. Project Management, HR or Finance in which case it can be helpful to choose a management or senior leadership role within this function. This is your long term career goal. Over the next few steps, we will break this down into short term goals.
Developing your career plan
Once you’ve decided on your long term career goal, assess your skills and experience and identify which skills you need to develop. Let’s say your long term goal is to be a Finance Director and you are currently a Finance Assistant. Look at some Finance Director job descriptions which list the skills and experience required, assess where you are currently and identify which skills you need to develop. This is called a career gap-analysis.
Once you have identified the gaps in your skills and experience, plan how you can develop these skills or gain this experience. This may involve attending training courses, obtaining professional qualifications, or increasing your experience by undertaking specific roles.
If we look at the move from a Finance Assistant to a Finance Director, this may involve completing an ACCA or CIMA qualification. Roles as a Financial or Management Accountant, roles leading a team perhaps as a Finance Manager / Accounts Manager, as well as specific financial skills. It may be helpful to research the specific job titles of the roles you will need to undertake and to complete this review for the other roles which you have identified.
How should I document my career plan?
Your career plan should include your long term goal, and the specific steps you need to take to reach your long term goal. Some people find it helpful to turn the steps into short term career goals. It can be helpful to document the steps using a table, so it is easy to monitor your progress, however it doesn’t matter how you choose to document this.
You may find it helpful to record additional information such as specific job titles so you can use these as keywords when you search for roles.
Reviewing your progress
You should regularly review your progress, to maintain your focus on progressing towards your career goal.
When considering a new opportunity, ask yourself how this role will help you progress towards your goal. If the role doesn’t provide an opportunity to develop your skills and experience in the areas you require, it will slow down your career progression. Likewise, once you have developed the required skills and experience in a certain role, it is time to consider your next steps. This focuses your attention on moving towards your goal rather than slowing down your progress or drifting sideways without developing your career. It’s worth looking at your career plan at least once a year to review your progress.
Do you need career advice or professional help in developing a career plan, identifying the skills you need to develop, and your next steps? As a Career Coach, I provide individual coaching, either as a one-off session or as part of a career coaching package – please don’t hesitate to contact me.
