Write your own career path

Want to write your own Career Path? Here is some help from CareerCola.com on writing Career Path.

Why write your own Career Path?

Career Path or Career Planning are much abused words in HR lexicon – many times used by HR practitioners to fulfill their agenda. You can not leave the important aspects of YOUR career in the hands of some “HR practitioner” whom you barely know and who may not even know anything more about you except your name and designation. You have to take control and write your own career path.

Never accept the paths given to you – make your own

Yes – organization have set paths based on concrete hierarchy. This makes the options available to you limited. Organizations also are lazy – late to react to changing demands and hence they are always late to change the career paths, roles and organization structure – most of the times unless they are forced to do. If you accept the paths given to you by Human Resources or your supervisor – you are doing injustice to yourself. You have to make your own – based on your goals and dreams. If later you find they match a path in organizations book – OK. If or if not – you have your own path.

How to write your own career path?

Here are few recomemnded steps – if you dont like them find your own..

Start with end in mind – what is your goal in career? What you want to achieve?

Identify where you are

Note down various paths to reach that goal

Select the best scenario and make it your plan A

Select the second and third best to make Plan B and Plan C (life is not predictable always)

Now check if your plans have any similarity with organizations Career Path

Discuss them with your mentor, supervisor and HR and formalize

Remember – you have to write you career path otherwise someone else will write it!

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.