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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Career Search Action Plan

Tweetchat today in #careerchat was on your Career Search Action Plan

Here are some of the highlights -
What are the main components of a career action plan?
  • Where you are, where you want to be and the plan is how you are going to get there
  • Plan should be broken up into time frames - 3 months, 6 months, 1 year 5 year etc.
  • A start point and an end point. Know how you will start and have a reachable goal in mind, with room to adjust.
  • As with any plan - C.A.P. must be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely
  • An interim step... figure out what you want, then make SURE that is REALLY what you want. Volunteer, Intern, job shadow.
  • I like looking at LI profiles of people who do what I want to do. Great info on how to get there.

How do you get started on putting together an action plan?
  • assess skills, find ones needed, how to obtain the new skills, how to market yourself once you have the new skills
  • You might want to use sites like the @Vault or @glassdoordotcom to help you research
  • Make 3 column list of jobs that interest u, traits/skills nec., & how u will acquire those skills.
  • Prepare Short term and Long term GOALS 5. Prepare action plan to sort the achievable
  • Conduct info meetings with colleagues and referrals of people who have the job you are after. Learn how they got there! 
  • Your HR Department may be a resource for career plan help, especially if you would  like to stay with your existing company
  • Studies show if you articulate it (tell someone) your goals, you're MUCH more likely to do it.

When do you need to adjust/revisit your action plan?
  • You should look over it often, even it's just quarterly. If you have gone astray, it's time to kick it back into motion.
  • whenever you attain an original goal, you need to reevaluate, you need an if/then philosophy
  • If something isn't working or you found a new direction
  • Know your PERFORMANCE EVALUATION system-very important thing to do to keep track of career action plan as an employee
  • If you find yourself dreading work more than loving it, time to re-evaluate
  • Don't wait until you've been laid off or are in a tough spot to start thinking about your plan, it'll be too late
  • Career action plans must be PROACTIVE not REACTIVE
  • Do you stick to the same profession or change completely? yes, if there is growth potential, if not change!
  • Have you written your career plan or is it all in your head?

If you are working on your career plan, you can use http://www.illinoisworknet.com/vos_portal/residents/en/Prepare/ as a resource to help you in the planning and assessment process.