The career you choose can impact many aspects of your life. For greater success and satisfaction, the career planning process should start immediately after you earn high school diploma online.
A career development plan will ease your career planning process. The plan gives a clear roadmap for achieving a set personal career goal. A career development plan is a package of many things. The following discussion will enlighten you more about a career progression plan.
Purpose of a Career Development Plan
A career development plan outlines the following:
- Your current career level
- Your future career dreams
- Challenges you must overcome
- Ways to overcome challenges in your career journey
A career development plan aims to help employees and students achieve their career goals. In order for the plan to be successful, you must be determined to grow your career. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Your career development plan is meant to promote your growth as a professional and as an individual.
Employees recognize employers and managers that help them grow. Most people want to work for employers who recognize their individual potential. Initiating a career progression plan can increase workers’ retention rates in an organization.
The other objective of a career development plan is to boost your resume. A development plan helps employers recognize and appreciate the future potential of their workers. Through the plan, you can visualize yourself beyond your current capacity.
A plan also aims to promote organizational transparency. The plan encourages managers and employers to provide their employees with the necessary resources for career growth. As a result, employees’ trust and loyalty levels can increase.
For an organization as a whole, career development plans can boost productivity. Helping employees refine and enhance their skill sets enables them to perform their jobs better. As a result, productivity and the company’s value increase.
Lastly, career development plans aim to cut costs. By investing in their employees’ development, employers can rely less on outsourcing expertise.
Elements of a Career Development Plan
The first element of a career development plan is self-assessment. Self-assessment involves examining your personal career needs. You will assess your interests, potential, developmental desires, values, skill sets, and other related things.
Self-assessment will help you make sound career decisions. As a result, you will easily choose a more satisfying career path.
The second element is career opportunity exploration. Career exploration involves analyzing potential opportunities/occupations. You will then narrow down the opportunities based on your capacity and interests.
Thoroughly research the available career occupations near you. Look for job specifications and descriptions. Compare the pros and cons of each. Other ways to gather information about a career include:
- Getting recommendations from professionals
- Volunteering at places of interest
- Job shadowing to learn about a specific position
- Participating in an internship at a company of interest
Adequate preparation is necessary after selecting a particular career path. Preparation involves identifying the requirements you must meet before getting into the career field.
The last element is developing an action plan. An action plan will help you track your career moves and achieve your set career goals.
A good action plan can take you from the career starting point to your destination much faster. Here are the things to include in your action plan:
- Both short-term and long-term career goals
- A resume and cover letter
- The necessary education and experience
- Effective job-search strategies
- Job interview practice/rehearsal
Implementing a Career Development Plan
The first step to implementing a career development plan is knowing why you need it. Be clear on why you want to grow your career and achieve particular goals.
For employers, identifying the workers needing career growth is crucial for the plan’s implementation. The workers frustrated with their current careers are the best target for a career development plan.
The next step is taking a self-assessment test. A self-assessment worksheet will help your employer better understand your capacity and interests.
The other step is evaluating what you can achieve in an organization. Know how various jobs and processes work. Sharing knowledge with others will help you assess a range of opportunities and be clear on your capacity.
Earn High School Diploma Online
Today, many online learning institutions help students start their career planning. If you have not yet obtained a high school diploma, career planning and development can be easier if you first earn a high school diploma online.
You can get the right information from managers and employers on how to achieve your career dreams. Career development plans help companies have the right people to perform the right jobs. As a result, the workforce excels, and the company grows in the long run.
