What are the best tools for managing your career?

I personally believe that one needs to be self aware to be able to self assess. Three self assessment tools that I generally rely on are 1. SWOT Analysis - Where I put myself in the situation and define what my Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats are to be in a better position to handle the situation. 2. Skill Matrix - A matrix that covers all my skills - domain specific, technical skills, lateral skills and transferable skills helps me in being aware of what I need to learn next to stay relevant in what I am doing. 3. Psychometric Test - I take up psychometric tests in regular intervals of time to be aware of how different aspects and attributes have been impacting my decisions in my career plan.

Two self-assessment tools stand out in helping shape your career path: 1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): MBTI categorizes individuals into 16 personality types, offering insights into preferences like introversion or extroversion, decision-making styles, and interaction tendencies. Discovering your MBTI type can steer you toward a career that aligns with your personality traits and preferences. 2. StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths): StrengthsFinder identifies your top strengths from 34 talent themes, revealing your natural abilities. This knowledge aids in selecting a career that leverages and nurtures your strengths, guiding you toward roles and industries where you can excel and find fulfillment. #leadership #personaldevelopment

Choosing the right self-assessment tools is crucial, and it varies depending on where you are in your career. Fresh graduates benefit from tools that uncover strengths and interests, like interest inventories and personality tests. Mid-career professionals focus on leadership and competency assessments. Those considering a career shift need tools like transferable skills analysis and career transition assessments. Scaled assessments help monitor progress and adjust strategies over time, ensuring alignment with evolving career goals.

Applicable Tools: 1. Goal-Setting Apps: There are various mobile apps available, such as Todoist, Trello, and Asana, that allow you to set and manage your career goals. These apps often include features like task lists, due dates, and progress tracking. 2. Mind Mapping Apps: Tools like Miro or MindMeister or XMind can help you visually map out your career goals, strategies, and action plans. 3. Time Management Apps: Utilize time management apps like RescueTime or Toggl to analyze how you spend your time and ensure it aligns with your career goals. 4. Self-Assessment Apps: Consider using personality or skills assessment tools like StrengthsFinder or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses.

Arriving at SMART Goals can be a tricky and tedious process for long term goals. So, I try chunking down big goals into smaller goals and then break them down into actionable tasks. At times I club two or three different actionable tasks together to bring out the efficiency in finishing the task. I generally rely on worksheets and templates to keep track of my goals. Google Worksheets has been my go to for goal setting tasks.

Continuous learning is crucial part of almost every person, and the best part of it is that we can find requested learning for free listening podcasts, blogs, taking courses. Sometimes people discover internal talent and willingness and change career preferences fully after taking some courses and become more success than in previous one.

When I self assess myself using a skill matrix, I arrive at a list of skills that would add value to my goals. I then categorise them based on priority, need and duration to acquire the skill before deciding to add new learnings to my list. Most of my learning at daily level happens from podcasts, online platforms, blogs, and videos related to my field. Note taking helps me to a great extent in leveraging these learning tools. I then try my hand at creating content from what I have consumed to assess how much of it I have actually absorbed and will be able to further put to use.

Networking has proven to be an unimaginable asset for me, especially during my career switching phase. Being a part of communities where I got introduced to like minded people who shared similar fears and apprehensions as mine has been an important parameter in my decision to choose freelancing over a regular employment after I quit my last job. I use online platforms to network with people in and out of my field and I am happy to have found few of my initial clients from the online platform LinkedIn.

Utilizing networking tools to showcase your expertise matters: ?? Engage on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and niche forums. ?? Position yourself as the go-to person by writing articles, creating videos, and sharing insights to demonstrate your expertise. ?? Attend online events, webinars, and conferences. Connect with speakers, ask questions, and mingle with attendees. ?? Collaborate with others, contribute to industry publications, or volunteer to speak. ?? In networking, you have to give first and receive

Portolio tools are a wonderful way to elevate your personal brand and tout your professional accomplishments. View each tool as an opportunity to not only speak to your skills and achievements, but to also showcase your unique personality and offerings. So, have fun! If you're unsure as to whether you have enough experience to start a blog or create a website or online platform, start anyway. As with your career trajectory, your chosen portfolio tool will mature as you take on new roles, learn new skills and acheive greater success.

One of the most effective tools in successful career self-management is seeking feedback directly from your supervisor, peers, mentors, and customers, rather than relying solely on online tools. Be specific when asking for feedback and always stay open to constructive insights. Here are different frameworks you can use when seeking feedback: ? The SBI Model: Situation: Describe the context or situation for which you seek feedback. Behavior: Specify the behavior or actions you want feedback on. Impact: Ask about the impact your behavior had on the person or the situation. ? SKS Model: Stop: What should I stop doing? Keep: What should I keep doing? Start: What should I start doing?

One of the skills that I make sure I use and develop is my ability to construct a self-reflective feedback on my daily tasks. For example, at the end of my working day, I make sure I set down for few minutes and think of what new things I encountered ( in my case new medical conditions or just a different clinical presentation maybe) and ask myself what went right and what thing will need improvement in the future. I write it down to make sure to review or read about it or maybe ask my supervisor on his feedback and any extra tips from him.

After taking two career gaps followed by a career switch each time, it almost feels like I have seen a full circle of events in the cycle of my career path. But I am also aware of the fact that there is a lot more that needs to be explored, learnt, implemented, and achieved before I can say I have successfully managed my career. Currently testing waters as a content creator whilst freelancing as a writer, I take pride in being open to try and experiment new things from scratch if need be to make my career journey fulfilling enough.