You need a career development plan. Here is why

When it comes to going on holiday, it is common to have a plan:

First, you evaluate the type of holiday you want:

• Do you want to go to the beach, a river, a lake or the mountains? Do you want to stay in the country or go abroad?
• What do you want to achieve with these holidays? Do you want to relax, explore, go on an adventure, spend time with my family? Do you want a place with activities for my young children or teenagers?
• What is your budget? How many days off do you have?

Second, you explore options:

Let’s say you decided to go to Brazil. Should you go to Bombas y Bombinhas, Bahía or Rio de Janeiro? What hotel should you book? To make an informed decision, you read reviews and decide what the best options for you are.

Third, you make a plan:

You plan how to make this holiday a reality. How will you get there? By plane or by car? How will you pay for accommodation?

Finally, you take action:

You make the bookings and start your trip.?

It is common to plan our holidays like this. But how common is it to plan our careers this way? The process of career planning is similar, but in reality, it is something that many people don’t do. If we are used to planning our holidays so well, why don’t we plan our careers the same way? Career development plans are often overlooked, but they make a huge difference in your professional life.?

What is career development?

Career development is a series of steps that lead you to your professional growth. In the same way you decide on a destination for your holidays and plan accordingly, career development consists in deciding what job you’d like to have in the future and plan how to get there. It involves:

Evaluating the type of job you want

• Do you want a full-time or part time job? Do you prefer fixed or flexible hours? Do you want to work in the office, remotely or both? Do you want to work for a startup, or a big company? Do you want to work for a company in your country or abroad? Do you want to relocate??
• What do you want to achieve with this job? Are you looking for financial security, learning opportunities, freedom to work remotely, etc.? Remember that your job needs to fit the life you want. Your life shouldn’t fit your work.?

If answering these questions gets difficult and you don’t really know what you want, something you can do is start by defining what you don’t want. This will give you a good starting point to discover what you do want. Also ask yourself what you would be keen to learn, and then, what you could do with what you learned. Be honest with yourself and think of things you are ready to spend time doing. If there is something you think you like, but are not doing yet, it may mean that it’s not what you really want to do.

Exploring options

In the same way you read reviews of places and hotels before booking, read and do research about the jobs you are interested in. Network and talk to people who work in the companies you are interested in to see if you’d really like to work there. It often happens that people think they want to have a certain job or work for a certain company, but after doing research, they realise it isn’t what they expected. Think about the beautiful photos on the hotel’s website, versus what the hotel looks like in real life. Reality can be disappointing, right? Avoid disappointment and do good research.

Plan

Once you’ve done your research and found a job you are truly interested in, plan how to get it. Do you have the skills you need for this position? If not, where and how can you get them? Do you have the experience you need? What should you do to gain it??

Take action

Apply for the job, or let the company know you are interested in working for them. Make sure to tailor your CV for each job you apply for.?

Who is in charge of your career development?

Your boss? Your manager? No, you! You decide where you want to go and create the opportunities. You don’t have to do it by yourself; in fact, it’s easier if your manager and mentors help you. Be open and honest to your manager; ask what you have to do to get the position you are interested in, and create a measurable action plan to achieve that objective. If they know what you want, they can help you achieve your goals. Having clear expectations and communicating them is key for implementing your career development plan.?

Why do you need a career development plan?

To make sure that your career helps you achieve your goals in life. Remember that your job needs to fit the life you want, and not the other way round. Your life shouldn’t fit your work.?

A career development plan also helps you focus your time and energy on things that are going to help you get where you want to go, not on things that won’t add value. Going back to the holiday example, if you are going from point A to point B, why would you take a detour to point C if it’s not on the way? It will only waste your time and energy.?

Do not underestimate the power of having a career development plan; it will give you clarity, focus and direction. If you haven’t thought about this yet, this is your chance to start creating your own career development plan. Use the ideas in this article to guide you; you won’t regret it!