Career Tips and Advice | Career Planning

Have you been thinking of quitting your current job, soon? Or are you considering getting into another field?

To some, this paradigm shift may happen early on in their careers. But often, the yearning to reassess your career usually comes years after, when you feel that your work no longer satisfies you personally, emotionally or financially.

Perhaps, when you first landed a job, you were sure of the direction you wanted to go to---until after years of toiling, you realized you wanted something better or possibly, different. It must be time to review your career goals and revamp your personal career plan.

Career planning involves one’s career choice and the process from getting the job to growing in the job. Now that you feel the urge to transfer to another company or shift career directions, reassessing your career will help you come up with a renewed goal. Gather as much information from yourself. With your present and previous jobs as basis, recall aspects of work that you like or dislike. Think about the skills that you gained and developed through experience. Your priorities might have changed, too so take into account the personal time and commitment you are willing to devote for career advancement.

Explore the possibilities. Be in the know of what’s happening in the labor market. Information provides opportunities for advancement and presents alternatives, as well. Besides reading news and other valuable materials, talking to individuals working in the same industry or in the field you are interested in will give you ideas of the latest trends like needed skills or salary scales. Ask the person about the perks and the drawbacks of the job, and weigh them.

Develop a plan of action. If you decide to look for another job, come up with a search strategy that will allow you to gather useful information about the kind of company you wish to work for. Prepare for job interviews in such a way that you will learn to give not only the appropriate answers but also the right questions to your interviewer. You wouldn’t want to leave your present job and transfer to another company only to quit again after a few months of stay.

As you move on in your career life, the information you gathered about yourself will serve as your tool in exploring opportunities, and your career plan will help you reach your goal. Nevertheless, keep in mind that success will depend on how committed you are in pursuing your dreams. Expect that there will be obstacles; don’t give up easily. The world keeps on changing, so you need to be flexible. Prepare to make little sacrifices, and you will see the pay-offs.

If you’re contemplating a career shift, the seminars on career management and professional self-evaluation at the Career and Entrepreneurship Fair 2008 can help you. Click here to read more.