How to Develop a Career Plan

If you want to develop your career, you need ambition and motivation. But you also and above all need to define a career plan. This is not a “one-step” plan where you just want to change your job to something more lucrative or interesting. The career plan goes beyond that. It is made up of a set of objectives. And actions allow you to achieve your professional objective in the long term. Without it, it will be difficult for you to decide which direction you want to take in your professional life. Follow our practical guide for career management by leadership coaching that allows you to both develop your potential. And achieve your set goals!

Where are you currently?

Before determining where you want to go and what route you want to take. You need to take stock of your current situation. To do this, carry out a self-assessment of your professional situation, your personality, your preferences, your skills, and your values.

Here are some questions to assist you to do your self-assessment:

We are the things that motivate you?
Are your soft skills?
Level of professional constraints are you ready to accept?
Are your strengths and weaknesses?
You are looking for in a job?
Do you need to thrive?

From this self-assessment, you have successfully determined your skills, whether technical or behavioral. You now know what sets you apart, and what makes your added value in the professional world. It is these strengths that will allow you to take a new step in your career.

Where do you want to go?

From this assessment of skills and your professional experience. Now formulate your ideas on the type of position and sector that interest you, in the form of a brainstorming session. Note down all the plans that come to mind! You must start from the principle that nothing is impossible, but you must remain realistic. Check that your desires are up to your skills and that the economic reality allows your objectives to be achieved. Indeed, the profession or activity you are targeting must offer solid long-term prospects.

It is possible that after this analysis you will conclude that a professional reorientation is necessary. Remember, it’s never too late for a new career by the executive coaching services. Even retirees make career plans! For executives, interim management, for example, can open new doors. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to do a skills assessment. Many approved organizations can provide you with answers by helping you define. A coherent professional project or validate a training project. Carried out during or outside working hours, you can now finance this assessment thanks to your professional Training Account. To set up a training file, you simply need to log into your account on the government website.

From this assessment of skills and your professional experience. now formulate your ideas on the type of position and sector that interest you, in the form of a brainstorming session: note down all the plans that come to mind! You must start from the principle that nothing is impossible. But you must remain realistic and check that your desires are up to your skills and that the economic reality allows your objectives to be achieved. Indeed, the profession or activity you are targeting must offer solid long-term prospects.

Finally, your reflection could even take you beyond the French borders. Yes, an international career is also a possibility to consider in your career development. Expatriation is indeed more and more popular with employees and has many advantages. More advantageous remuneration, positions of responsibility, or even a more interesting living environment. Closer geographically. It is also possible that your career goal can only be realized outside the company where you work today. Indeed, in your current company, you have only one choice, which is offered by the organization chart.

Finally. It is also necessary to consider the fact that managers often have in mind the career plan of their close collaborators. If you think this is the case. It is useful to compare your career plan with the one envisaged for you by your manager during your assessment interview.

How to get there?

You have defined your career direction and made the necessary decisions; you now need to deduce the path to follow. The knowledge or experience to acquire, and the time necessary to achieve it. How soon do you want to reach the first stage of your plan? What method will you have to execute to get this? What tools do you need? Above all, take your time and proceed step by step for more peace of mind. Successful people, whether they are sportsmen. Businessmen, or artists, are always incredibly focused on one goal, then another when the first is achieved, and so on. To help you, specify your objectives and define a skills assessment by answering the following questions:

What is your project for the next 6 months? Coming years?
How and when will you achieve your training goals? What school or type of diploma are you aiming for (MBA, DESS, DEA, etc.)?
When and how will you obtain the required experience and skills?
How can you use and grow your network and how quickly?

Once you have determined your goals and the means to achieve them, you will know which way to go. You must keep track of your career plan and stay on course. Nevertheless, do not be reluctant to detach yourself from it when an opportunity occurs. Or on the contrary, each time you do not feel comfortable in your position. You foresee professional or personal difficulties or that you simply want a raise.

As you will have understood, your career plan must adapt according to personal and professional circumstances. But the orientation that you will have given to your life at the start of the career plan will still be. “palpable”, even in 40 years. And from the reality that you will live then, you will have to change, reorient your initial career plan. Therefore, you must build a flexible career plan with help of career transition specialists, “sliding” over the years. To adapt it to your successes or your failures, in real-time.