Are you planning your holiday
more than your career?
Did you know 40% of people DO NOT plan their careers?
- Most people plan their holiday better than they plan their career.
- Are you one of the 40%?
- What is your career plan?
This happened to me… I was 32, I was at a loss after a business opportunity had left me in a sticky position financially and with no career direction. I was at the stage I wanted to start a family but knew, I needed to get a plan… and quickly!
It was then that I decided to plan my future and made a conscious choice to build a career rather than jump from job to job for more money. By setting out and executing on my plan I happened to move from a £12k base salary to a somewhat healthier package and to Sales Director of a £100m + division of a $5bn global company in a very short space of time.
Does your career needs a spring-clean?
A career planner, Susan Adams, states you should designate time and effort to take stock of where you are professionally. Many of us get so caught up in our day-to-day duties that we lose sight of whether we’re on the right path.
Why plan your career?
There are a number of reasons why you should do this.
- Things change through no fault of your own
- A new boss that does not see your worth.
- An acquisition of your company which leaves you in a hole.
- Commission plans change for the worse.
- They take away your accounts.
- Your job role changes and not for the better
- Good Practice
- It is good practice for yourself to do this. It keeps you focused, you see your development and will help you understand where to go in your career and whether you are on track or not.
- Redundancies
- Have a plan in case this happens to you. The world is so dynamic now that this is so commonplace.
- Roadmap
- If you do not have a roadmap for your career, how do you know if you are on track – whether it is more money, more responsibility, a change of culture etc.
Tips For Spring-Cleaning Your Career
Re-work your CV – you should do this on a regular basis, perhaps twice a year, updating achievements, responsibilities and wins. It also helps you do self analysis on your own personal development and where you need to invest in yourself. This could be training, self development, work-life balance.
- Linkedin – your net worth is your network – Update your LinkedIn profile and build your network. This will certainly help you when you to increase your chance of opportunities. Build your network before you need it.
- Network – build your network of sponsors including recruitment consultants –Network both inside and outside your organisation. The best time to network is when you’re not actively searching for a job.
- Bragging rights – Update your “brag-a-logue”, a short story that incorporates a few bits of information about who you are and what you’ve done. Think of a few positive things you can say about your work, and be prepared to share them during fly-by encounters with your boss.
- Goals – What is/are your goal(s) in your career?
- What next? – What are your plans and actions to take your career to your ultimate goal and how many steps/jobs would you need to get there?
- Who can help you? – Get your manager and organisation to help you do this.
- Career path – Make long term plans and break it down into steps, create a “career path”. Add timelines where possible but remember, it is a fluid and ever changing journey
- Lastly – Get a mentor or a coach who can help you with this. They could also help you review & hold you accountable.
Get in touch with us here at Ice Recruitment for more information on how we can help you plan your next career move.
