The New Year marks new beginnings and time for a fresh start. As you consider your resolutions and changes for 2010, have you mapped out your career goals? To help make career planning easier in 2010, consider using a career ladder! As you further your career into the New Year and beyond, think about the steps you will take on your own personal career ladder. Read over this blog post and create your own ladder, filling in the steps you have taken and where you would like to go.
Take the time to reflect on your career first. What steps have you climbed on your professional development ladder? Reflection is an extremely important tool for evaluating your potential growth. Consider the following:
- What industries did you enjoy in the past?
- What tasks/projects did you excel with?
- Where were your greatest successes and worst failures?
- What is your academic history?
- What personal qualities do you possess that could help build up your career?
In order to meet your professional development goals, you need to create a short term and long term strategy. Start off with a vision of what you want to achieve. Where do you want to go in the following months and upcoming years of your career? Now, break down this vision into attainable short term and long term goals. Plan your moves to push yourself up your ladder. Consider what kinds of opportunities and risks you will have to take. Each level will require new skills, responsibilities, tasks and authority. How can you prepare yourself now to handle these changes down the line?
Now that you’ve reflected on the past and built a strategy based on your current career, you can fill in your career ladder! Take the time to sit down and write up your own game plan to jump start your career growth in 2010. Although we’ve only listed some of the considerations that must be taken when planning your career, remember that taking these steps now will help you reach your ultimate career goals down the line.
Click here for a sample Career Ladder for a professional in the finance/accounting field.
Click here for a blank Career Ladder.
Sources: PTDA.org
