Career Planning

Effective Personal Finance helps in managing your career better?

Sep 25th, 2008
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Effective has a very important role to play in managing your career. here are few reason why managing your finances will help you in managing your career better:

Save to avoid compromise in your career: A good kitty in savings will prevent any desperate measures to compromise in career. Just compare the case of two executives who are being laid off – one is having one year’s take-home pay in the bank and while other is no savings. the second executive will immediately try to settle for a job (whether he likes or not) to save himself from financial distress. Savings are a big relief for the desperate feelings of needing a job when you don’t have cash in the bank. Savings allow you to better choose a position that meets your needs and not taking any job because you need the money right now.

Lower debt helps in more disposable income: If you have lower debt (loans) means you will have lower monthly installments to pay. This will give you that extra flexibility and while working you can enjoy more from life by having more disposable income. Also if your job is in danger, having lower debt means your payments are low and will help you in preserving your cash flow from your savings. This means you can survive without a job for a long time if required.

Credit Rating reflects your capability: Your credit rating will have a great influence on your ability to be hired. Some of the companies, with your written consent (background check), can see your credit information. Hence the companies can use that that information for not hiring you. If the candidate can not manage his finances how will he manage the job?

More savings means more money for the future like – retirement etc. Not having enough savings will significantly reduce your choices about your life and career. For instance if you want to make a decision to choose to no longer work – your savings will be a determinant factor.

Can take more career risks: How well you manage and invest your money and finances will sure have an impact on your career options. More savings cushion will help you in taking more risks – which may help you in earning more (higher risk – higher returns).

One of my sincere advise to candidates is to make a personal finance plan while making career plan. They go hand in hand together as our savings come out of our earnings from job and our future jobs may depend on savings.

Insist on the Best for Your Career

Aug 27th, 2008
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By: Donald Mitchell

I remember looking for a job just before I finished graduate school. I poured over lists of companies that were located where I wanted to live, and I dreamed a lot about what it might be like to work in different industries.

I was reminded of when several my friends graduated with MBA degrees the preceding year and the goals they had.

One handsome, tall fellow wanted to become a vice president of an airline. I asked him why, and he told me that you could become a vice president of an airline at an earlier age than in other industries. Smiling, he also mentioned that as a single man he liked that there more unmarried young women working for airlines than could be met in most other industries.

A married couple had more modest ambitions: to get jobs in the same city that would provide opportunities for challenging careers. If the city was a nice place to live, that was an extra benefit. When both gained jobs in Seattle, Washington, they were thrilled.

Another man had spent a lot of time as a sailor on a nuclear submarine before graduate school: Any job that didn’t involve working underwater was welcome to him.

All of that sounds pretty reasonable, doesn’t it? Little did I know that we were aiming very low.

A recent MBA graduate helped me see that much higher goals can be set. It was quite an eye opener. Let me tell you his story.

Ramesh Venkatraman was born in a beautiful village in a part of southern India that is well known for entrepreneurship in exporting products around the world. Accompanying his father on professional trips expanded his geographic horizons at a young age. His early schooling, college, and graduate studies were undertaken in a semi-urban setting renowned for its textile exports. Having absorbed so many influences, you might think that he entered a career that connected back to those origins, but that was not the case.

After completing a master’s degree in science, Mr. Venkatraman was preparing to join a Ph.D. program; however, he joined the Indian space program instead, expanding his perspective on what can be accomplished. You are probably expecting to read that Mr. Venkatraman then became an astronaut . . . but that’s not what happened.

Instead, his focus turned earthward and outward: He entered the information technology (IT) industry and began work in the United States, gaining important skills in IT at firms like KPMG, FedEx, Compaq, BvOI, and ABN AMRO Bank. Supremely talented, his quickly rose through the ranks from project manager to program manager to vice president.

In the corporate world, he came across many talented individuals who caused him to raise the bar on his dreams and aspirations, directly and indirectly tapping into his hidden talents.

One fine day, he learned that a highly respected colleague was an MBA and a Ph.D. student at Rushmore University. The colleague shared that he would soon be moving into a strategic management function from a technology management position, and the colleague became head of strategy and planning for a leading financial institution.

Encouraged by that example and wanting to build on his IT success, Mr. Venkatraman decided to earn an MBA degree. He hoped his studies would add the skills and knowledge he would need to become a generous entrepreneur, one who would share any wealth gained with employees and other stakeholders.

He also selected Rushmore, primarily because he would have more freedom there to tailor his studies and courses to meet his personal objectives. The freedom he gained provided lots of motivation to learn, and Mr. Venkatraman graduated a little more than a year later.

Asked just before his graduation what his goals for using his MBA degree were, he reported that he now wanted to found a billion-dollar business in a short amount of time. Wow! What a contrast that goal was with what my friends and I had thought about at the same stage in our business training.

Curious about the shift, I asked Mr. Venkatraman to tell me more about how he decided on this new direction. He responded that the course work at Rushmore made him realize that greater things were possible than he had considered before. Wanting to help others, he also began to appreciate that the more successful he was as an entrepreneur, the more people he could help as a philanthropist, a role he hadn’t thought about playing before.

He now feels confident that he can accomplish that aggressive goal and is working hard to achieve it. He is also considering earning a Ph.D. from Rushmore.

Naturally, few people accomplish the full scale of what they hope to achieve. Often, they accomplish quite a bit less.

Even if Mr. Venkatraman falls far short of his new goals, he will probably accomplish more than he would have by merely fulfilling his pre-MBA goals. By learning the power of thinking carefully about what he wants to accomplish, his education served him better than mine did.

What are the lessons for you?

Are you insisting on the best from your career? If not, why not?

Ask yourself what the best could be for your career if you shoot for the top. Then get busy!

Author Resource:-> Donald W. Mitchell is a professor at Rushmore University, an online school. For more information about ways to engage in fruitful lifelong learning at Rushmore to increase your success, visit http://www.rushmore.edu-

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A Ten Step Guide To Changing Your Career

Aug 10th, 2008
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By: Shaun Parker

Many people at different points in their life decide that they wish to pursue a different career. Sometimes it is just a passing interest or repressed childhood dream and this article is not suggesting that your should resign from your account manager position to become a rodeo clown, however more and more people are retraining and pursuing different career paths.

Perhaps you are looking for something with more satisfaction, maybe you have bested all the challenges that your industry has to offer or perhaps you are looking for that golden pay check. Whatever the reason this article breaks down the overwhelming concept of changing your into ten simple steps.

1. Decide what job you really want. The importance of this part of the process depends on the circumstances of the individual job seeker however for most people with existing financial responsibilities it is crucial. The secret is finding a balance between what you really want to do and what is realistically achievable. It is essential to seek career advice and industry knowledge from impartial advisers preferably from within the industry you are examining.

2. Obtain the relevant training or qualifications. Use online resources and job search websites to look at the current market and at what level you can afford to enter the industry. It will not be financially viable for many people to accept entry level positions so you will have to keep working in your current role and study part-time. This is a good way to meet people training at similar levels from within the industry and employers will respect this as it shows you really want it.

3. Gain work experience in that field. Another great way to impress future employers is to do work shadows or work experience. This is more applicable to certain industries but it will build up your industry contacts, allow for networking and give you valuable practical knowledge you can apply in your courses.

4. Update your CV catering to the industry and specific position. Start building your CV as early as possible using this experience. Seek advice from industry professionals and your tutors about structure and content. Use online job searches and CV wizards to get ahead of the game.

5. Monitor trade magazines, websites and job search websites. Knowledge of the job market is essential because timing is everything in job searching. The trade magazines of the industry provide crucial information about the main players, legislative changes and trade organisations that will prove invaluable in job searches and interviews.

6. Register with Job Search sites. This resource is fantastic as you can float your CV then wait for responses, judging the effectiveness of your CV in the process. This site will be used by many specialist recruitment consultancies within the industry so keep a note of which agencies are handling the jobs you are interested in.

7. Listen To The Recruitment Consultants. When it comes to specialist recruitment, always listen to the consultants. They know what is going on in the industry and can give invaluable advice about CV, potential employers and where the money is.

8. Be pro-active and send CVs, request applications for positions and follow up when you say you will. This is imperative as you need to manage the consultants to a certain extent, build relationships and instil confidence by meeting deadlines and commitments to contact.

9. Get the interview and attend as many interviews as you can. The consultants are only there to get you an interview so have that objective with them. Attend as many as possible as they are valuable learning experiences and you might come back to that company in five years time with more experience. Even bad interviews are learning experiences.

10. Do not listen to interview techniques. They are crude, false and employers can generally see through them. You must be yourself, even if that means being nervous. If you have done your preparation then there should be no nerves, both you and the interviewer want you to be the right person for the job so enjoy it and use it as a networking opportunity. Each interviewer is another industry contact.

Happy hunting and good luck!

Author Resource:-> Shaun Parker is a leading online job search expert with many years of experience in the recruitment industry.

Article From Articles Promoter

Using self-assessment inventories to plan your career

Aug 2nd, 2008
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One of the key step in making a career plan is choosing a major, goal setting and planning a . Career advisors are available throughout the world (you can ask your own Career Guru also) to help you evaluate, select and pursue a rewarding career option that is in harmony with your skills, your interests, your values, and your personality.

Some of the popular self-assessment inventories used worldwide are:

  • Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator
  • Campbell Interest and Skill Inventory

Here we are providing you links to some of the prominent self-assessment inventories for career seekers. You can explore interest inventories online through the following links:

The Jung Typology test will give your type formula according to Carl Jung and Isabel Myers-Briggs typology along with the strengths of the preferences. It will give the description of your personality type. Princeton Review Quiz asks 24 questions which evaluate relative merit of each occupation in your view to chose what you like most. Work values calculates values dear to you at work.

Take the tests. You can write a brief review about your experience on comments to this post.

Resignation Tips

May 23rd, 2008
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The following eight Tips will help you to leave with a lasting positive impression.

1. How to give news to your Boss about your resignation ?
You should resign in person to your boss. Present a copy of your resignation letter. Be simple, direct and most importantly respectful. The only reason you should give for leaving is that you have decided to take another position or purse other opportunities. No matter how unhappy you were with conditions at your present job, hold these feelings in check. Most importantly, do not tell any co- workers of your leaving until you have told your boss.

2. The Formal Resignation Letter.
A formal, typed, signed resignation letter should be presented to your boss when you meet to break the news. Keep the letter as simple as possible. The letter should state that you are leaving to take another position and your effective last day. Do not add details about your new position or the reasons you are leaving your current company.

3. Give proper Notice before leaving the Job
In most industries it is the norm to give 2 to 4 weeks notice when leaving a job. Remember that it is often difficult to fill open positions. You do not want to burn bridges by leaving your department in a rush. In some departments, you may be asked to leave as soon as you resign due to security concerns. Even if you have noticed that this is the practice, still offer a few weeks notice in your letter; it is up to your employer whether they take it or not.

4. Be Mentally Prepared for resistance
Your current boss may not want you to leave. It takes time and money to hire and train new employees. It is often easier to entice someone to stay than to start from scratch. Be mentally prepared for this resistance. Enticements to stay often include more money or more reasonable hours. Before you resign consider how you will respond should your boss make a counter-offer.

5. Try to Avoid Negative Talk.
Once word gets out that you are leaving, unhappy co-workers may think you are the perfect person to complain and commiserate with regarding all that is wrong with company. Be wary of joining them in their grumbling. You never know if you might someday wish to work for your present company again. You certainly do not want for anything you say on your way out the door to come back and haunt you.

6. Working during notice period
Securing a new and more appealing job is no excuse for not getting your current work done. You should continue to come to work on time. Do not leave early or take 2-hour lunches. Strive to be productive. If possible try to finish projects before you leave. You were a hard worker before you gave notice. Don’t destroy that hard-earned good reputation by giving in to short-timer syndrome.

7. Make sure to take all your personal belongings
When you leave take all your personal possessions with you because once you leave you may never see them again. This includes personal files stored on your computer. Companies often erase hard drives when preparing to re-issue computers to other employees. Make sure you take all pictures, books, etc.

8. Exit Interview.
Many employers conduct exit interviews with departing employees. Typical topics include experience at the company and reason for leaving. Do not use this as a forum to vent your frustrations. Be as gracious as possible; speak of your appreciation for your experience at the company.

By simply following these eight steps, you will leave a lasting and positive impression with your previous employer and former co-workers.So its important to always keep positive relationships.

Oppurtunities & Challenges of Working Abroad

May 14th, 2008
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Some one has said that – A new country brings new opportunities, new challenges and also new difficulties.

in a foreign country can be quite challenging for some people especially where interaction with other people is part of the job profile. In such a situation, knowledge of the foreign language and an understanding of their culture can be helpful. Those of us who have had an experience of traveling abroad through work or for leisure have a better chance of adapting well in a foreign land. Indian professionals are very successful abroad in almost all countries of the world.

At some point in their lives many people dream about living abroad for a while or travelling and seeing what more there is out there – and one of the best ways to finance yourself whilst you travel and explore and learn about new cultures and languages is by utilizing a skill that,

There are many benefits associated with spending time working abroad and some of them are:

  • Broadening cultural horizons
  • Gaining invaluable cross-cultural skills and experience
  • Enjoying new and exciting challenges
  • Meeting, working with, socializing and dealing with a very broad range of people
  • Earning better salaries

The skills learned abroad assist many professionals with the overall advancement of their careers as they prove that they are dynamic, adventurous and able to cope in demanding situations.

Opportunities Abroad
Today with globalisation, the world has become better connected. Asians, especially Indians are open to taking up jobs in other countries that offer good opportunities for career advancement and provide an improvement in their present financial position.

Some of the most attractive countries for working abroad include -

  • USA – offers a high standard of living and chances for improved lifestyle for professionals. Key opportunities in USA are for Medicine, Research & development and Software professionals.
  • Dubai & Middle East – Professionals with strong technical skills can earn a high income in these countries. Key openings in this region are for Petroleum & Chemical Engineers, Retail, Sales and Factory workers.
  • Australia – offers good opportunities for entrepreneurs and professionals in various fields. Good infrastructural facilities are available here.
  • Thailand & Indonesia – skills in accountancy and technical knowledge can be helpful in building a career here. Software professionals, manufacturing professionals are required.
  • Africa: African countries although not very high in the list of job seekers – offer great potential to earn and save. Key countries where opportunities available are – Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa. The African countries attract expats from almost all countries including some of the developing countries like USA and UK. The openings are for manufacturing, mining, petroleum, retail, distribution and sales professionals.

Before planning a career abroad and taking up a job in anew country, pay attention to the following matters -

• Size & Type of Company offering the Job Abroad – It is usually a good idea to join a multinational Company when relocating abroad as they have clear policies which hey tend follow well.
• Duration / Time period of the Assignment – Find out the duration for which you will be sent abroad. It is advisable to look for long term assignments which will provide you a chance for career advancement and growth.
• Opportunities to Save – Find out the cost of living in the foreign country and whether or not the company will provide you with housing and medical facilities. Only if these details are taken care of by the Company, you will have the opportunity to save.
• Location and Salary Structure – try to calculate your net saving and evaluate.
• Tax policies & Standard of Living
• Political and Social situation

As of us are well aware, removing oneself temporarily from his/her typical environment provides a means by which an individual inevitably begins asking new and/or deeper questions of oneself and one’s society.

Interactions between and among diverse groups of Indian professionals abroad have a unique potential unlike any other interaction occurring within the country. They share the experience of being an India living outside of India. Whereas, within the borders of India, nationality as a means of identification is often replaced by more specific identifications, or micro-cultures, such as state, language, religion, sub sect etc. Sharing this heightened awareness of being an India outside India while simultaneously acknowledging the self-reflection process provides a potentially ideal learning platform. Through interactions between and among diverse groups of Indian, professionals can help one another progress in their various stages of identity development.

Evaluating the Job Offer

May 13th, 2008
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Once you receive a , you have to decide if you want the job. Fortunately, most organizations will give you a few days to accept or reject an offer. There are many issues to consider when evaluating a .
  • Will the organization be a good place to work?
  • Will the job be interesting?
  • Are there opportunities for career advancement?
  • Is the salary fair and justified for my profile?
  • Does the employer offer good benefits?
  • Now is the time to ask the potential employer about these issues—and to do some checking on your own.What’s the most important thing to consider?
  • Do you have enough – whether it is salary, health benefits, or vacation time?
  • Or could it be the corporate culture or the length or your commute?
  • What about your boss and co-workers — will working with them be pleasant?

As you can see there are a number of factors to take into account and only some are negotiable. You can try to get a higher salary or health benefits are often standard packages. The corporate culture isn’t going to change for you, and your boss and co-workers aren’t going anywhere. Each of us, of course, is different. And what carries a lot of weight for some of us is insignificant to the rest of us.

The organization: Background information on an organization can help you to decide whether it is a good place for you to work. Factors to consider include the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location.

You generally can get background information on an organization, particularly a large organization, on its Internet site or by telephoning its public relations office. A public company’s annual report to the stockholders tells about its corporate philosophy, history, products or services, goals, and financial status. Most government agencies can furnish reports that describe their programs and missions. Press releases, company newsletters or magazines, and recruitment brochures also can be useful. Ask the organization for any other items that might interest a prospective employee. If possible, speak to current or former employees of the organization.

Background information on the organization may be available at your public library. If you cannot get an annual report, check the library for reference directories that may provide basic facts about the company, such as earnings, products and services, and number of employees. Some directories widely available in libraries either in print or as online databases.

Stories about an organization in magazines and newspapers can tell a great deal about its successes, failures, and plans for the future. You can identify articles on a company by looking under its name in periodical or computerized indexes in libraries, or by using one of the Internet’s search engines. However, it probably will not be useful to look back more than 2 or 3 years.

During your research consider the following:

1. Does the organization’s business or activity match your own interests and beliefs?
2. How will the size of the organization affect you?

Large firms generally offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than do small firms. Large employers also may have more advanced technologies. However, many jobs in large firms tend to be highly specialized. Also large firms are rigid about their salary and organization structure.

Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.

3. Should you work for a relatively new organization (startups) or one that is well established?

New businesses have a high failure rate, but for many people, the excitement of helping to create a company and the potential for sharing in its success more than offset the risk of job loss. However, it may be just as exciting and rewarding to work for a young firm that already has a foothold on success.

Job content: Even if everything else about the job is attractive, you will be unhappy if you dislike the day-to-day work. Determining in advance whether you will like the work may be difficult. However, the more you find out about the job before accepting or rejecting the offer, the more likely you are to make the right choice. Consider the following questions:

1. Where is the job located?
If the job is in another section of the country, you need to consider the cost of living, the availability of housing and transportation, and the quality of educational and recreational facilities in that section of the country. Even if the job location is in your area, you should consider the time and expense of commuting.

2. Does the work match your interests and make good use of your skills?
The duties and responsibilities of the job should be explained in enough detail to answer this question.

3. How important is the job to the company or organization?
An explanation of where you fit in the organization and how you are supposed to contribute to its overall goals should give you an idea of the job’s importance.

4. What will the hours be?
Most jobs involve regular hours—for example, 40 hours a week, during the day, Monday through Friday. Other jobs require night, weekend, or holiday work. In addition, some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. Consider the effect that the work hours will have on your personal life.

5. How long do most people who enter this job stay with the company?
High turnover can mean dissatisfaction with the nature of the work or something else about the job.

Opportunities offered by employers: A good job offers you opportunities to learn new skills, increase your earnings, and rise to positions of greater authority, responsibility, and prestige. A lack of opportunities can dampen interest in the work and result in frustration and boredom.

The company should have a training plan for you. What valuable new skills does the company plan to teach you?

The employer should give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited?

Salaries and benefits: When an employer makes a job offer, information about earnings and benefits are usually included. You will want to research to determine if the offer is fair. If you choose to negotiate for higher pay and better benefits, objective research will help you strengthen your case.

You may have to go to several sources for information. This may include internet and your industry sources. Recruitment consultants may also be a great source of information. You should also look for additional information, specifically tailored to your job offer and circumstances. Try to find family, friends, or acquaintances who recently were hired in similar jobs.

If you are considering the salary and benefits for a job in another geographic area, make allowances for differences in the cost of living, which may be significantly higher in a large metropolitan area than in a smaller city, town, or rural area. For example cost of living in Mumbai is higher than Jaipur so you should be compensated for same. You can use Cost of Living index published by Government to compare COL in various cities.

You also should learn the organization’s policy regarding overtime. Depending on the job, you may or may not be exempt from laws requiring the employer to compensate you for overtime. Find out how many hours you will be expected to work each week and whether you receive overtime pay or compensatory time off for working more than the specified number of hours in a week. This may not be very relevant for managerial staff – but an indication of working hours and office timings will help you in making decisions. These days many openings are for BPOs serving clients abroad and work in night shifts – check if the company provides cab facility, night shift allowance etc.

Also take into account that the starting salary is just that—the start. Your salary should be reviewed on a regular basis; many organizations do it every year. How much can you expect to earn after 1, 2, or 3 or more years? An employer cannot be specific about the amount of pay if it includes commissions and bonuses.

Benefits also can add a lot to your base pay, but they vary widely. Find out exactly what the benefit package includes and how much of the cost you must bear.


CHOOSING A CAREER PATH

Apr 19th, 2008
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WHAT DOES “” MEAN?

Most journeys have a path and a destination and a career journey is no different. “Career PATH” means the direction in which you want your career to go in and the destination you would like it to achieve. Some of the elements of Career Path are – job, industry, and responsibility you want to take, recognition you want, and way you want to work.

Some of us choose just one career PATH in our lifetime; however, many of us may want to revise our career PATH one or more number of times. You may be choosing a career PATH because either you are starting your career OR you want to see new opportunities or fulfill new ambitions or may be changes in your job or industry have forced you to consider new career PATH.

HOW TO CHOOSE A CAREER PATH

In earlier times most of the people were on a career PATH which they have not consciously chosen and which has been given to them by circumstances. We here such stories – “My father was a painter and his dad before him” OR “In our times we did not have college in our town so I have taken this job” OR “My college School didn’t offer me those subjects”. And some even say that “It was the first job I had and I’ve just stayed” OR “There are not many options for girls”

With the changing times people have become more conscious of choosing their career. Even some of the job portals take advantage of this fact that people are not happy in wrong career choice (Must have seen that TV commercial of Monster – “Caught in the wrong job”). In the new age your choice of career PATH is important and should be an Informed; and well thought-out choice

INFORM YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR CHOICES

You will need to keep yourself informed about – You, the influences which may affect your choices and your options.

About You: You will need to consider some of the crucial aspects and ask questions like (1) what you want from life? (2) What are your motives for working – some work for money, some for learning and so on? (3) What rewards you want from work? (4) What are your key skills (5) how much you want to change and how much you are prepared to change for job?

Influences on your choices: Many factors can influence your choice of career PATH. Understanding what they are and how they might affect your choice will help you put them in right perspective and decide which ones should influence you. Key factors which may influence your choice of career PATH are – (1) Changes to types of work and ways of working (e.g. computers have changes many jobs) (3) Changes to the availability of education and training (4) your financial circumstances, and (5) other people in your life (e.g. family).

Your options: If you are considering a change in your career PATH; your options will fall into one or following category – Change your skills, Change your job or industry or Change your way of working. To identify your options you may need to inform yourself about The nature of specific jobs or industries, opportunities in specific jobs or industries, skills needed for specific jobs or industries and training and education opportunities.

MAKING WELL-THOUGHT-OUT DECISION OF CHOICE

You have seen that you may need to be informed about a lot of things before you can start making a choice. Some people feel that they able to make choices on their own, you may prefer or need to discuss your choices with other people (may be Career Guru ;) at careercola.com). The person could be someone at your workplace, or someone who does professional career counseling or may be your cousin whom you feel is appropriate. We recommend you to seek independent advice from a careers guidance adviser who can also give you access to professional resources such as a career matching exercise, which can help you to identify career PATHs which would suit you.

Are you thinking about changing your career?

Apr 9th, 2008
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Are you worried about how difficult the transition is going to be? Then you are not alone.

Many people go through similar anticipation when thinking about attempting a career change. Your career is among the most important things in your life, and changing it is one of the most stressful decisions you will ever make. Be Passionate The reason why you would even consider a in the first place is probably because you feel passionate about something and want to pursue it. There is no sense in making a change if you are not going to be any happier than you already are. You may be earning a five-figure salary, but if it is not making you happy and if you are not content with what you are doing, then it might be a good time to switch.Changing careers should be about passion and personal fulfillment. Do Your Research Make sure that before you make the final decision you conduct a thorough research on available opportunities. You need to analyze what skills you have and what skills you may need to acquire for your new job. You should be confident about salary prospects and other relevant information. You may have lots of expectations about the career you want, but conducting the necessary research will help you look beyond this rosy picture. Work with a mentor, such as a career coach, before you make the final decision.

Career Exploration Changing your career can be overwhelming. Explore your options before you decide to make a commitment. Start by categorizing the careers you are interested in. This helps in narrowing down your options. Then pick only those that interest you the most, putting the others aside.

Ask yourself questions such as:

• Why am I exploring this career?

• Will I need additional training or education?

• What are the opportunities and risks in pursuing this career?

These questions will help give you some very important and necessary answers. You can’t really begin on the path to career change until you know why you want to change and how you will go about it. The fact is that changing careers can be very time consuming and expensive, and you don’t want to start the process flying blind. Once you have all the information you need, you can focus on one career option and work toward achieving it. Listen to your heart and head and then make a balanced decision. Whatever you do, remember you need to be flexible and devote a lot of time and energy to jump start your efforts.

Why let someone else do it? Plan your own career

Mar 8th, 2008
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is normally an activity left to the Human Resources (HR) function of an organization. The key interest of organization while planning your career is to ensure that you fit in their future plans (which may not always be in your best interests). While your best interest is in finding out how the company fits into your career plan.

We have seen individuals do financial planning, retirement planning etc. Not many professionals do individual career planning (on their own). Most of our career actions are either based on opportunities we got along the way or someone else (organization) has done it for us. We recommend each individual to do a career planning based on their individual goals.

Career Planning Defined

“Career planning is a step by step (continuous) process, by which individual selects the career goals, identifies the paths to reach these goals, formulates strategies to achieve career goals, review periodically to check progress and take corrective actions.”

Career planning is not a one time but a continuous process which has to be reviewed periodically based on environment, opportunities and individuals progress. Career planning is basically an individual’s responsibility (and not of organization they work in).

Seven steps to career planning

STEP 1: Self Analysis

Before you set to decide on what you will do in career – perform self analysis to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Identify your values and guiding principals, because unless your goals are in conformity to values and guiding principals, you will not be successful. Ask yourself questions like following and note your answers in your career workbook* (a log book you will keep and maintain for a long time):

  • What are your strengths?

  • What are your weaknesses?

  • What are your values?

  • What principals guide you in life?

* Add this site to your favorites to keep watching this space for a copy of our career workbook

STEP 2: Set your Career Goals:

Do an objective analysis of your needs and aspirations and set your career goals. You have to “start with finish in mind”. Ask yourself questions like following and note your answers in your career workbook:

  • What I want to do in life?

  • Where I see myself (in my career) in 20 or 30 years?

  • Where I am at present?

  • Breakdown answer to question 2 and list where you see yourself in 15 years, 10 years, and 5 years?

STEP 3: Analysis Career opportunities:

The country, economy, industry, and state – multiple factors drive the current career opportunities available to you. Your career goals can be reached by using multiple paths. You need to do analysis of career opportunities currently available (which reach to your career goal) and likely to be available in near future. Check what these careers demand in terms of knowledge, skills, experience, attitude, etc.

  • What current opportunities are available or will be available in near future?

  • What these careers demand (knowledge, skills, experience, and attitude)?


STEP 4: Identifying Match & Mismatch:

Now you are set to identify where your profile is matching the demands of available opportunities and where they are not.

  • Where your profile is matching to the demands (knowledge, skills, experience, and attitude) of career opportunities?

  • Where your profile does not match the demands of career opportunities?

STEP 5: Formulating the action plan:

Workout the action plans to close the gap between what knowledge, skills, experience and attitude you have and what is desired.

  • Formulate action plan to reduce or remove the mismatch

  • Formulate action plan to strengthen the match

  • If a correction is not practical go back and analyze the alternative career opportunities.


STEP 6: Implementing the action plan:

The action plans to close the gap between what knowledge, skills, experience and attitude you have and what is desired, need to be implemented. This may be a time consuming and lengthy process

  • Implement your action plans

  • Keep track of your progress


STEP 7: Reviewing Career plans:

A periodic review of career plan is required to understand whether the plan is leading to the direction you want to give to your life. Sometimes a review will be necessary to reap in the opportunities which became available due to external factors like changes in economy etc.

  • Review the career progress

  • Review the career plan make necessary changes

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