Knw How to Make a Career Plan in 8 Steps in 2024
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Know about possible career options
Start learning about career options by asking friends, family, and co-workers about their jobs. Find out what skills they use and what qualifications they have.
Ask them what they liked and disliked about their jobs and experiences before their current position.
Next, research top companies and find professionals in the field. Attend in-person or online networking events or set up informational interviews with experts.
To gain hands-on experience in a potential profession, pursue volunteer opportunities, internships, or job shadowing experiences.
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Explore growing job markets
Growing job markets offer the most professional potential. Try talking to experts in your field to learn about some of the most exciting opportunities.
Read top publications and online news sources for your field, and see emerging careers that interest you.
For a more comprehensive view of growing job markets, review data-based studies such as the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of the fastest-growing occupations.
With a glance, you can identify which jobs have the most potential and offer the highest average salaries.
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Identify a Career That Matches Your Skills
To choose a field that makes you feel confident and booming, consider the technical skills you learned at school or work.
For example, you may know how to teach concepts to a classroom, operate heavy equipment, or develop a media buying plan.
Next, think about your soft skills, which are your acquired behaviors and traits. Match your technical and soft skills lists to career paths to see how well they fit. For example, you may know how to analyze a problem critically or excel at communicating clearly.
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Understand Career Aptitude
By reviewing the degrees, you’ll need to work in your desired field.
Identify whether you will need an undergraduate degree in a specific discipline and determine whether you will need a graduate degree to pursue advanced positions.
Next, check out professional certifications to help you excel in your field and review licensure requirements.
In your area, make sure you’re legally qualified for the job.
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Assess Salary and Other Benefits
the earning potential in your field, try browsing careers by salary or industry. Here, you can find median annual salaries for common occupations and identify factors that could increase your earning potential, such as obtaining an advanced degree.
When you review job listings, take note of the benefits each position offers, such as health care, vacation time, and telecommuting opportunities.
These benefits can reduce expenses and improve your quality of life, making them essential to your total compensation.
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Compare Possible Career Paths
After considering some possible career paths, compare your options. One may require many more skills and an additional degree, which may be more time-consuming or expensive than other options. Others may have much higher earning potential.
Next, compare how well each career path matches your core values. One can allow you to develop the personal qualities and relationships you desire.
Another may inspire you to do your best professional work. Review your list of pros and cons to assess which career path will help you achieve your goals.
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Set up Smart Goals
Since following a career path can take years, break down broad objectives into smaller goals that you can track. Try setting SMART goals to guide you through the process:
Specific
Make your target as precise as possible. If you aspire to become a teacher, set a specific goal, such as getting a job teaching high school biology in your local school system.
Measurable
Measure your progress. Set criteria such as completing a bachelor’s degree in education or applying for 10 jobs that meet your requirements.
Rece
Set goals that you can achieve. To confirm that your goal is attainable, consider individual steps and how realistic they are.
Relevant
Any career-related goal you set matters. Think about how important the goal is and whether it will help you reach your long-term objectives.
Based
Give time limits to your goals. If you commit to a specific deadline, you’ll have an easier time achieving the result and motivating yourself to take action.
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Develop a Career Action Plan
To create a map for your professional future, review the action items from your SMART goals and chart the steps you’ll need to follow.
Then, put them on a paper or digital calendar to establish your schedule. Keep your career action plan readily available so you can review it regularly.
Check off each step as you complete it, and reward yourself for big and small accomplishments.
Revisit and revise your career action plan as needed. New economic opportunities, technological advances, personal preferences, and trends can all lead to necessary career planning changes.
