The University of Richmond School
of Continuing Studies is now offering career counseling
for our students who are currently admitted
to a program (certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s,
graduate or master’s program), have a cumulative
2.0 G.P.A., and have completed 12
hours at the School (transfer hours are not
eligible).
ReadyMinds is a convenient, dynamic
online confidential career counseling program provided
to a limited number of students (first come, first
serve) at no cost. Students will work one-on-one with
a nationally certified counselor via the telephone,
focusing on the student’s immediate occupational
needs, as well as their long-term career goals. Students
can take a career assessment and understand how this
assessment may relate to their educational or career
plans. Students will also develop concrete approaches
to career decision making, and receive resume and
interview skills assistance from an experienced career
counselor.
To sign up for the program or to
receive more information, please visit
our website and click on the Career Counseling
link.
What comes to your mind when you
think about career planning? Many people aren’t
sure what career planning means. For our purposes
we will define career planning as “A
goal that you desire to achieve in a selected field
or occupation with a well thought out plan to get
you there.”
WHY DECIDE ON A CAREER GOAL?
A career goal helps you focus and make decisions on
what you want to do for a living. It directs you,
motivates you and helps you to accomplish what you
want. A career goal helps you focus and make decisions
on what you want to do for a living. A career goal
can be a specific job -- such as a clerk or teacher
-- or a career goal can be a particular field you
want to work in, such as transportation or education.
A career goal may help you discover your talent, skills
and abilities and possibilities that you wouldn't
have thought of. Many possibilities exist with any
career you choose. Having a career goal can guide
you to doing what you want to do in your life -- rather
than just aimlessly drifting from job to job.
Once you choose a career, it would be to your advantage
to think strategically about the steps you need to
take to accomplish your goal.
The future is unpredictable; however, you should still
make career goals and plan the necessary steps to
your goal.
EXPECTATIONS/DISAPPOINTMENTS
With every goal there is an anticipated desired outcome.
We call this an expectation. Our expectations help
keep us motivated. When we realize our goal, we often
feel joy and satisfaction.
All of us have expectations and disappointments. In
the process in thinking about our goals, we have to
be prepared to have disappointments.
Career planning is simply goal planning with the intention
of setting goals for jobs and career.
However, the only career planning you need is the
one that is for you and
your particular needs.
Career planning is getting information, and with that
information, you make a goal, and then plan the steps
needed to obtain that goal.
The world we live in works in certain ways. The more
one knows how it works, the better one can achieve
those goals by utilizing the processes that will give
you the advantage. Career planning is simply goal
planning with the intention of setting goals for jobs
and career.
In order to remain competitive you need to be as flexible
as you can and continually increase your skills. Some
things you can do are: go to school, take workshops
or seminars, keep up with trade journals and talk
to people who are knowledgeable in the field. Today,
it’s almost mandatory for us to take some form
of training all through our career to keep up with
the times.
When I talk about training or skill, I’m not
just talking about things like organization and time
management, although these are important. However,
stress management, problem solving, risk taking, and
overcoming procrastination, to name a few, are equally,
if not more important, to getting to your goal.
WHY IS CAREER PLANNING IMPORTANT?
Let’s suppose you choose a field. Career planning
is not planning for that field on a one-time only
basis, but it’s a continuing process; in fact,
you can call it a lifetime process. We are always
learning and growing, and as we do, our interests
and needs also change. Career planning is not just
making plans to obtain your “perfect”
job or career, but to help you make the many adjustments
there will be along the way as you learn about you
and your world or work.
Career planning is estimating, predicting and calculating
all the steps necessary to achieving your goals. In
the process, you are always making choices. When you
choose one alternative over another, this is called
an opportunity cost. An opportunity cost is the cost
of passing up your next best choice when making a
decision. In career planning, we need to always be
mindful of our opportunity costs and take into consideration
all that will come our way. Those who have successful
careers understand how the game of work is played.
As you can see career planning is more than just looking
at jobs and positions and working hard.
The career planning process can be divided into six
steps:
- Self-Assessment
- Career Exploration
- Targeting
- Career Preparation
- Marketing Yourself
- Career Management
Career planning is a process and is always ongoing
and often runs in cycles. When you desire change in
your career, the process can be repeated many times.
In planning your career, try to find the people who
can be mentors for you and assist you along the way.
Career planning is no different than any goal setting
and planning. The difference is that you are specifically
separating your career and job goals from all other
goals you may have.
The reason most people do not turn their wishes and
dreams into reality is because they don’t take
these wishes and dreams and make them goals. A
goal is a dream with a deadline.
There are many reasons why people don’t make
goals for themselves. The biggest reason is they don’t
understand that the process of goal setting is a skill.
All of us have made some goals in our life and achieved
them. But most of these were not large or life changing
goals like going into business, changing careers,
becoming wealthy, writing a novel, going from office
clerk to a top executive or becoming an expert in
your field.
The successful people set goals; they plan and follow
the plan. Goal setting is a process and a learned
skill with many parts to it. Simple, short-term goals
may be done in your head, but more complex, long-term
goals, should be written, evaluated and monitored
frequently. The longer it takes to achieve your goal,
the more you will encounter problems, changes and
frustration.
Goal setting is as much art as it is science. The
more you understand the process and the more skills
you acquire, the better are the chances in reaching
your goal. By seeking your goal you will help build
your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Goal seeking is growth building. Goal planning is
life planning. As you define your goal, it will define
you.
Life presents us with unexpected events all the time.
So when we set out a goal we must understand that
there may be many roadblocks to reaching a goal.
Barriers that come up often cause a person to abandon
a goal.
Many people think that by writing down their goals,
they fear they will lose their spontaneity or flexibility.
Goals aren’t rigid and once it’s written
it’s cast in stone and one can’t change
it. No one knows the future. What you plan today can
change dramatically in an instant.
However, a well thought out goal can anticipate many
otherwise barriers that would stop you. Barriers that
come up often cause a person to abandon a goal. It’s
like running into a wall, and then you run away from
it.
Suppose you want to go from a clerical worker to a
manager. Before you do anything further, ask yourself
“Why do I want to achieve this goal?”
You may say, “I want to achieve this goal because
I want to have more status” or “I want
to increase my salary” or “I believe I
can be a good leader and this can help me achieve
my long term goal of becoming a top executive in my
present company or another company.”
Now ask yourself “Why is this important to me?”
You may say, “It’s important to me because
I want to go as high up the corporate ladder as my
talents and abilities will carry me.” Then ask
yourself, “Why is this important to me?”
You might say, “Because I want to prove to myself
and to others I’m an achiever and I want to
have the prestige and status of a corporate executive.”
Ask yourself again, “Why is this important to
me?” Try doing this for as long as you can.
What you are attempting to do is get to the core reason
of why you want to do something. This exercise will
help you to clarify your intentions and goals. It
will help you determine your motives and it may actually
cause you to say, “Now I know what I truly want,
which is status and prestige.” By doing this
you may see that there are other ways of achieving
your goal besides being a corporate executive.
It’s sometimes easy to say, “I want this”
when it might actually be something else you want.
This can help you save wasted effort by making sure
you truly want to pursue this goal. It will also help
you with your motivation and determination when you
can positively say to yourself, “Yes, this is
truly what I want,” and you will be more committed
to this pursuit
In summary, many people are dissatisfied in their
jobs and career. Career planning will help maximize
your potential and satisfaction in your work.
Having a career plan keeps you focused and motivated.
It helps you to anticipate problems and barriers that
may come and what you can do to avoid the problem
or barrier, solve it and continue on, or it may point
out your deficiency or weakness so you can get the
skills or resource needed to deal with the potential
barrier.
Career planning will give you confidence that you
are in charge of your career and life and you have
the power to decide, act, and do what you want to
accomplish your goals.
Article reprint
from Jeff Rowe at www.jobseekersadvice.com
