The importance of career planning

What is career planning?

Career planning refers to the active management of your career and the structured planning of its future. To effectively plan your career, you should consider your personality, skillset, and desired role alongside the changing job market needs.

When you plan your career, you decide on a path that will meet your needs (financial, emotional, or otherwise) and manifest your aspirations. It’s all about making better decisions for yourself so that you can live the life you dream of.

Think about it: someone with a full-time job will spend a third of their day at work for most of their adult life. If this job isn’t chosen wisely, it can hurt health and happiness. Career planning is an effort to architect your existence.

It’s not simply a matter of choosing an ideal profession, either. It’s also strategizing what you need to obtain the position and how you will get there. For most of us, this is a gradual process; this is why career planning considers someone’s long-term trajectory.

When should career planning begin?

You undoubtedly were asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” when you were a young child. Don’t worry! Nobody expected you to start career planning at the kindergarten stage.

However, it’s good to be aware of your strengths and interests throughout your life. For example, if you’ve always had a passion for art, this may be a sign to pursue a creative profession. If you love being outdoors and loathe technology, you’d probably prefer to avoid the office.

In high school, many students meet with a careers advisor. Career advisors help young people take the first steps in their career journeys, whether seeking work, an internship, or the right education opportunity. Career advisors are for adults, too!

If you didn’t have that experience, you might have undertaken independent career planning. Have you ever researched a job that interested you or taken a course to complement your skills? In that case, you’ve already been planning your career without realizing it.

When you feel confused by your career options or like you’re operating on autopilot, performing some planning is a good idea. Years can be lost, and opportunities missed when you stop checking in with what drives you.

Think of career planning as a chance to renew your inspiration and refocus. It’s never too late to make a change, and it’s never too soon to start strategizing!

Why is career planning important?

Just imagine someone without a plan to understand why career planning is essential. Rather than pursuing the best opportunities, they agree to whatever they’re offered. When work becomes stale, they consider it a fact of life rather than considering what could be done differently.

Will this person enjoy life to the maximum, fulfill their potential, and achieve their deepest dreams? Of course, work isn’t the only thing important in life, but it does play a significant role in our day-to-day existence that shouldn’t be left to chance.

There are many reasons to take control and commit to a career plan:

You can make strategic decisions

When you have some idea of your destination, you’re better equipped to make the right decisions that will lead you there. You can assess opportunities based on whether they will benefit your long-term objectives, which can help you make smarter decisions.

You can reduce the temptation of derailing distractions

The job market is incredibly crowded, and many positions may appeal to you for different reasons. Remember that when you accept one opportunity, you disqualify yourself from others. Career planning helps you choose the right ones.

You can ensure you acquire the necessary skills

If you don’t know where you want to end up in your career, you could find yourself underqualified for the role. A chosen field and a general idea of the position you’d like to occupy will ensure that you prepare yourself by accumulating relevant skills, education, and experience.

How should I approach career planning?

An excellent first step is to perform a self-evaluation. Make a list of your most vital skills and the issues, interests, and pastimes you’re most passionate about. You may begin to see some patterns emerge.

Then, close your eyes and imagine your perfect day at work. Would it be fast-paced and challenging, full of interaction? Or would it be solitary, peaceful, and focused on one activity? Would you like to work with young people? Animals? Computers? These questions aren’t basic; they’re fundamental. They can help you focus and narrow down your options.

Once you have the results of your self-evaluation, you might consider taking them to a careers advisor. The job market is constantly changing, so there may be exciting jobs that you haven’t even heard of yet. You can also perform your research online.
Look at career trends and emerging industries to find lucrative opportunities. Check if the roles that interest you are compatible with your circumstances: would they meet your financial needs? Can you realistically meet the person specification for this role, now or at a later date? Would you be able to work in your preferred environment? How competitive is the market, and how could you get an edge on the competition?

People can arrive at the same destination by taking different paths. For example, just because you studied art history at the undergraduate level doesn’t mean you can’t transition to a career in business management later in life! If you don’t yet have the qualifications or experience needed, explore alternative ways to obtain them.

If you’re a budding entrepreneur or just want to improve your business skills, we have a range of Effective courses at EDU Effective Business School to help you achieve your goals.

Remember, once you’ve gathered the information you need, you can start to craft long and short-term goals. A great tip is to break significant, overarching objectives into smaller, bitesize chunks. Make goals clear, actionable, and realistic with our microlearning strategy!