Career Development PlanRome wasn't built in a day, and nor will your career be. It takes deliberate effort and meticulous planning to achieve your predetermined goals. A career development plan is the perfect guideline that keeps one on the track which leads to the ultimate goals

A musician must make his music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to ultimately be at peace with himself. ~ Abraham Maslow

Your true calling has to answered to be at peace with your conscience. Many debate whether destinies are written in heaven or made here on earth. However, a self motivated person learns to lead a life by honing his inborn skills. Dreaming about a dream job is not going to get you one. Sketching your own career development plan is the only way of ensuring you follow your innate interests to turn them into a rewarding career. A career takes shape when dedication towards sharpening skills sets are supported by unwavering focus.

Factors To Consider

GoalA goal is a choice you make. It is a decision that is taken once and for all. Question yourself about what is it that you want to achieve in life. It can be anything from the amount of money you want to earn, the kind of work you wish to do, a position you want to herald or a task you want to accomplish. Narrow down on what your final aim is to write your own plan.

Mission StatementA mission statement is a brief statement that captures the essence of your goal. It states what the goal stands for and explains raison d'être for writing it in the first place. A succinct mission statement about your goals becomes the quote that keeps you from deviating from the chosen path.

Available ResourcesResources are the means to achieve the goals. Your education, time, experiences, life skills, physical abilities, funds, and your support system are termed as resources when it comes to etching a successful career path. Make a list of what you have, how much of is at your disposal, how much can be deferred in case of unavailability and so forth. This will give you a realistic idea of what the available resources are that are going to help you achieve your predetermined goals.

Required ResourcesWhile making the aforementioned list, you must have come across items that are not available for you. For instance, you need to study more, get extra coaching, manage a few more funds and so forth. Make a similar list and find out what are the alternatives to get these too. Research and look out for ways to get these requirements. Filling in these gaps is the first step towards accomplishing your goal.

Goal Completion TimelineTime is a luxury, and no one can afford it. Thus, if you want to get into a certain college or be a part of a particular field then you need to start now. List a sequence of events that need to happen before the set time frame. This way you will know the exact amount of time you have and the work that needs to be finished before that. A planned effort is always better than an unplanned one as it helps you assess your actions at every juncture.

Overcoming ObstaclesAs you embark on the journey to get to your goals, you will come across obstacles on your way. However, dealing with these goals in an undeterred manner is the only way of moving ahead with your resolve. While you are making the timeline, list the obstacles that you are likely to face. For instance, lack of family support, no education loan, time crunch or overburdening responsibilities of elderly parents, children and siblings are some of the obstacles that can interfere with your ultimate goals. Find out how you can deal with these hindrances without losing focus.

Being over critical or overconfident can cause serious trouble while trying to make a career from scratch. Every fall must be taken as a challenge and every fulfilled step must be accepted as a job well done. A well made career developmental plan will assist you at every halt to move further towards your set objectives. They say failure in planning is planning to fail. However, a detailed plan will provide you with solutions to overcome the obstacles.By Mukta GaikwadPublished: 5/19/2011

Important Objectives of Career DevelopmentCareer development is a long and continuous process in a person's life. Since the aptitude and interests of people are different, career planning is done through various practical ways. In this article, we shall know about the important objectives of career enhancement.

Useful Tips for Successful Career PlanningAfter completing formal education, the next task for students is to decide the field they want to make their career in and plan accordingly. This Buzzle article contains a few tips that can be used for career planning.

How to Write Career ObjectivesA career objective is a description of your career goals and explicitly states your desire for a particular position in an organization. Written on a resume, it should be short and to the point. For those of you having difficulty writing one, here's how to write career objectives.

Career Development Plan TemplateDrafting a career development plan can help you gain perspective when you lose sight of

your goals. A simple template has been provided here to aid you in the process of drafting your own career development plan. Take a look.

How to Find a Satisfying CareerA satisfying career is one that you can wake up to in the morning without that dreadful thought of 'should I even bother going to work?' Let's find out how to make a choice about whether a job is really for you or not in this write up...

Career Development Plan TemplateDrafting a career development plan can help you gain perspective when you lose sight of your goals. A simple template has been provided here to aid you in the process of drafting your own career development plan. Take a look.

A lot of us take up jobs and within a while, find ourselves going into the 'where is my career going' phase. It is kind of unnerving at that time, though it may just be a passing phase. But, such a situation arises when we fail to plan the career goals we wanted to achieve within a given time limit. So, the best solution to avoid entering such a phase and expending tons of energy getting through it is to draft at least a basic career development plan, so that you have a rough idea about what you want to achieve within a specific period. Here, we provide you with a simple career development plan template that you can use to create your plan.

How to Draft a Career Development Plan

To be able to draft an effective career development plan, you have to first decide what your career goals are. A lot of us find ourselves aimless, but there must be something that we see ourselves doing in the future. Even if you are performing a particular job just to gather finances to start up your dream business, having a career development plan will always aid you with it. Alternately, if you wish to move up the ladder even within your organization, there are definitely some steps that you will have to take to get there. So, what goes into a career development plan?

What goes into a career development plan, largely depends on your personal choice. It can be as detailed or as rough as you want it to be. As long as it gives you a perspective of the bigger picture, any template for a career development plan can be helpful. Developing a career plan should be viewed as a long term process, a document that will keep evolving as your time passes and as you continue achieving your career goals. It can include the motivators that drive you toward your goals, the values you would like to keep in mind while you are trying to achieve them, and the resources you are going to use to get there. It could also include your key strengths and your weaknesses, and areas where you have to put in that extra effort to get better toward goal achievement. Also, this plan has to be before you at all times, so that whenever you find yourself questioning what you are doing, you can look at it and remind yourself of what you have set out to achieve. It will also help you monitor your progress and growth over time.

To this template, you can add or deduct whatever you like, so that it suits your personal needs. As mentioned earlier, every time you find yourself feeling weak or unable to perform a particular job, look at this career development plan, and muster all the strength and motivation you need to see yourself through. Good luck!By Puja LalwaniPublished: 4/18/2011

Short and Long Term Career GoalsCareer goals are something that help you keep on the right path of the career which leads to what you really want. This article shares some short term and long term career goals examples with you.

Planning is one of the most important things that people tend to neglect when it comes to their career. Having a sound plan for the desired career path is very essential for one to enjoy his or work and have a successful career. Whether you like your current job or not, if you are looking for a career change, or if you are looking out for your first ever job as a fresherman, you must have a plan for your career. Well, it is easier said than done. But with little time and efforts it is possible for one to lay your own career path. A bit of vision for the future and discipline can help you draft and focus on your career goals, be it short term or long term.

Examples of Short Term Career GoalsShort term goals are something that you want to keep doing on a regular basis or something you want achieve in the next few weeks, months, or years. Well, it is quite a subjective term as people have their own understanding about short term goals which are subject to the nature of one's job and career aspirations. But generally, anything that you want to achieve on a regular basis or within two to three years period can be considered as short term goals. Some of the examples of short term goals are as following:

Improving one's current business skills by taking out an hour on a daily basis.Aiming at handling new responsibilities and fulfilling them within speculated time frame.Keeping the work place clean, neat, and tidy everyday.Completing the tasks at least one day before the deadline.Never taking work and office tensions at home.Balancing the work and personal life efficiently.Never to keep work pending for the next day or next week.Taking up training sessions or joining hobby classes after or before office hours.Keeping one self updated with latest information and development in the field of work.Working on skills and educational qualifications required for higher or desired profiles.

Enjoying the current job and giving one's best to the current job.Keeping an eye on new career opportunities and developing the required skills.

These were some of the generic short term goals that one can have depending on the nature of the job. For example, a short term goal for a writer could be, finishing seven articles within a week, or improving language and grammar skills by studying it for half an hour every day, etc. Similarly, a short term goal for a functional consultant could be to meet the clients and work on their problems in a month's time or take up foreign language classes to deal with clients from other countries, etc.

Examples of Long Term Career Goals

Long term goals are again very subjective to the nature of the work of an individual but they generally involve certain drastic and major changes in the career, such as job change, second career, or starting a business, etc. To achieve long term goals a person needs to be patient and dedicated and also have to work regularly towards achieving the final long term career goals. Many people refer to long term career goals as something that they want to achieve over a four to five years' span. Given below are some of the examples of the same.

Aiming to achieve the highest position in the company. Say becoming a CEO, HOD, dean, or the manager of the company or the institute.Switching to a new job at a higher profile or to a profile that is completely different from the current profile. For example, a writer could aim to become an instructional designer after five years.Converting the hobby into a business or a career. For example, a person interested in baking can plan to start his own cake shop after few years while currently working with a local restaurant or a hotel.Retiring early is also a long term career goal for many. A person may plan a second career or make enough savings with the current job that would allow him to retire early.Having a private business and providing a consultancy to other companies is also one of the good long term career goal examples.

Many people do not know what they really want to do as in career wise and that is why they cannot really plan out their career goals. But even then having a temporary and flexible career plan is mandatory in order to find what you are really passionate about. For those who are clueless about their career path and career goals it is suggested to analyze your current job profiles, current lifestyle, likes and dislikes and then choose a career accordingly. So set your career goals right away and taste success whenever you want.By Geeta DhavalePublished: 4/6/2011

Career Goals and Objectives ExamplesIf you're looking for sample career goals and objectives examples, so that you can get

some ideas on how to write one for yourself, then this webpage is going to help you immensely. Keep reading to know more...

We all encounter situations in our professional life when we have to write career goals or career objectives in our resumes. Even though you may have gone through numerous examples of career goals, by doing research on the Internet, merely copying a career objective suitable to your job title and adding it your resume isn't enough. We all have the habit of writing career objectives based on the job title and it is logical to do so. However, if you don't have the required skills and work experience, the hiring manager or the recruiter will be able to identify that, easily. Hence, applying for jobs that match your credentials, education, skills and work experience is very important. In that way, you can prove to our prospective employer that you're the best person for the job. By exposing you to numerous career goals and statement examples, we'll help you in this article so that writing career goals is not a headache for you.

Writing Career AimsIf you're willing to write your career goals and objectives, you can take care of the following points.

For resume writing or job search, write your career objectives based on the job title. Here it is assumed that you're eligible for applying for the job.In cases where you're a bit unqualified for the job, try to write a balanced career objective focusing on your strengths. May be the manager will consider you in the interview.Be specific while mentioning your career objectives. Write the job title, exactly as mentioned by the employer.If you're writing your career goals and objectives in your laptop or notebook, feel free to elaborate it. Write all that you wish to accomplish in a certain period of time. Writing your career goals will help you become more focused on your targets.Ideally, career objectives in resumes must be one sentence or at the most two sentences long.You can adjust you career objectives in resume depending on the job title you're applying for but make sure your changes are not drastic and you're focusing on your strengths.

Entry-Level Job Seekers

Seeking forward to an entry-level position in accountancy utilizing my strong analytical and mathematical skills with a Master's degree in accountancy.Recent college graduate, with a degree in mass communication and two diplomas in Spanish and French languages seeks an entry-level position in an online content writing firm.A candidate in the final semester of computer science engineering seeking for an internship position in a software company who can utilize my programming skills in programming languages like JAVA and Oracle.

For Experienced People

With an extensive experience of 14 years in the field of marketing in FMCG sector, I'm looking forward to a marketing head position in a MNC.With 10 years of experience in the Oil and Petroleum industry in Gulf countries, seeking for a managerial position in a petrochemical company where I can utilize my experiences to lead a team and help in boosting efficiency of the firm.To secure an assistant professor position in economics in a national level university with a master's degree in economics and 4 years experience in state level universities.Civil engineer with 14 years of work experience in infrastructure projects seeking the post of a project manager in US.

By going through the aforementioned career goals and objectives, you must have got an idea on how to write career related goals. By doing a proper analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, you can know yourself more closely that will help you to write a better career goal.By Kundan PandeyPublished: 1/28/2011

Long Term Career GoalsGoal setting is necessary to achieve success professionally. Learn about the long term career goals in this article.

When we are fresh out of college, how many of us actually have a clue about what we want from our careers? I would say, none! Yes! It's true. Unless and until we have had some good and some bad life and work experiences, we do not know what we want to do with our lives professionally as well as personally. However, once we have enough experience in life, we should waste no time and start with career planning immediately.

To be successful in one's career requires some goal setting. You should be very clear on what all expectations you have from your career and job. When we talk of goals, it includes both long term and short term career goals. Scroll down to know of some tips which will help you arrive at your goals.

What are Long Term Goals?First of all, let's start with distinguishing between long term and short term goals. As the name suggests, long term goals are those which you plan to achieve over a longer period of time, anywhere between three to five years. On the other hand, short term goals are those that can be achieved in a year or so. The following examples will further help in your understanding of the same.

Example#1For some people, stability in one's job and profession, can be a long term goal. Such people would stick to the jobs that they are currently holding and give it their best. For a company's growth, professionals who prefer stability in their jobs, are the main

contributors and hence most sought after.

Example#2Another example of a long term career goal is to start one's own business. Professionals who prefer flexibility in their jobs, are risk-takers and innovators, who want to earn equivalent to the effort they put in, usually set starting a business as their career goal.

How to Arrive at Long Term Goals?To arrive at your goals, you should know yourself very well. You should know what are your strengths and weaknesses, what motivates you, what are your likes, dislikes and passions in life. Along with this, you should know what kind of personality you have - whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, social person. Do you prefer individual jobs or you are more comfortable as a team player? Focus on yourself and come up with a list of careers that you think you would want to venture into.

Define what success means to you. Is it financial stability that you are looking for or learning new things and gaining experiences? Knowing your own personal definition of success will further help you to determine your goals. Also, take into consideration your current situation. Be very realistic when setting long term goals.

In the end, out of the list of careers that you have prepared for yourself, keep on eliminating till you arrive at the final choice. Of course, arrive at it after a lot of thought and deliberation. For those of you who are already in some job, this exercise will help you to re-think about your goals.

Taking ActionOnce you know the career path that you want to take, identify the qualifications and skills required to reach your goal. Some of the skills which are mandatory in the corporate world today to be successful in one's career are - communication skills, problem-solving, decision-making, team building, critical thinking, social skills, besides the basic managerial skills such as planning and organizing. So build these skills over the next couple of years for your career development.

Since the corporate world changes so rapidly, be prepared to bring some changes in your goals in the future, if the situation demands. One last advice before I sign off - when setting career goals, always be ready with the time-frame and the action you are going to take, to achieve them. This will ensure that your goals do not just remain on paper! Best of luck!By Aastha DograPublished: 1/28/2011

Career Goals: Examples of Career GoalsA career means the profession or field one chooses to help provide for a livelihood. Here are a few examples of career goals to help you chart out a career plan. A properly planned career will take us a long way in the future and stand us in good stead, and for this it is

vital to have career goals.

An important step in life is setting career goals and working towards them. These goals can be short-term goals that we plan for the coming few months or in a years time, or they may be long-term goals that we look forward to in say, the next 5 or more years.

Enlisting the various career goals that you wish to achieve is a systematic and step-by-step way of achieving what you desire career-wise. The following career objective examples can be useful in setting your goals.

Examples

Aiming at acquiring enough expertise in the given field/industry so as to enable you to start your own businessChoosing your hobby or any such thing that you are passionate about as your professionGetting a promotionKeeping in mind that you have to change your jobTrying to feel happy about workPutting on priority that you will learn a new skillTo set your goal on doubling productivity or salesTo make a personal brandTo balance work with other personal activitiesAiming for a raise

Examples of Short Term Goals

Short term career goals are the goals you set for yourself to follow on a daily basis. These are the basic goals that you follow to help you in small ways. Though these may sound trivial, having short-term goals will help you in the long run. Here are a few examples of the goals one needs to keep in mind for the immediate present.

To reply to e-mails from clients and seniors everydayTo keep the work place neat and tidyTo manage time properlyNot to exceed break timingsTo be interactive with co-workersTo spend quality time with the employees, if you are at a managerial positionMake it a point to be cheerful at workTo excel at the current project you are working onTo increase your speed and proficiency at the work placeTo learn a new skill like a computer program, etc

Examples of Long Term Goals

Your long-term career goals help you to know how involved you are and how serious you are about building your career. A person with a clear vision of the future will not find it

difficult to answer this question. But many freshers, who have ventured into a new field, usually get stuck when asked "Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?" The long-term goals are actually based on the short ones only, but are those things we need to keep in mind and work towards in respect of our career in the long run.

To strategically move into a position where you can lead a teamTo be able to double the profits of the organization within a specific time period or start your own businessTo save enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirementTo gain as much knowledge as possible and satiate your thirst for knowledge

Career Goals Examples for Resume

While mentioning your career goals in a resume, it is of extreme importance to be employee centric. The employers should be able to gage your seriousness in acquiring the job and should see you as a potential employee who will add value to the organization. Mentioned here are some career goal examples that you can pen down for your potential employers to read and get an idea of your aims and ambitions.

While mentioning career goals in your resume, you can highlight that long-term career goals can be achieved when they are broken into a few short-term career goals which are more tangible.You can say that your short-term goal is to find a position in a stable company, like the one you have applied for and where you will have growth opportunities which will make utmost use of with your performance.You can also mention that you are comfortable being a team player. And as part of the team you can co-ordinate well with others which will in turn help the team to excel.

Career goals help us to retain our focus and shape our lives the way we want. So take your lives into your own hands. Spend a few minutes to sit back and contemplate where you want to be in the future, and chart out a plan for your life with the help of the examples given above. May success be yours!By Veena AruldassPublished: 6/10/2010

Which Career is Right for MeAre you fresh out of college and have started planning for your future? Are you wondering which career is the right one for you? Here are some tips to help you out.

Selecting a career and career development form an important part in everyone's life and therefore, choosing the right career becomes equally important. But, let me tell you one thing, not everyone is able to choose the right path. Many people spend their lives running behind things which are not meant for them, or in which they are not interested, but are doing it just to earn a living. Do you want to be one of them? Certainly not!

Let us discuss what a person expects out of a career? Or specifically, what you would like your career to give you? Happiness, satisfaction, success and fame, security, excitement, time for family and friends and money. Well, these are the basic factors that one expects out of a career. You can decide the order of these factors according to your demands and expectations.

Choosing a career is very important for everyone. This is because if you have a definite path to follow in life, it will be helpful for personal goal setting. With your goals set, you can start working in a definite direction and succeed in life. Now, you might say, "Come to the point. I know all this! Just tell me, which career is right for me?" An interesting fact is that all the above mentioned facts themselves are going to form the base of your career development and also help you to select your career. Read on to find out how...

Selecting a Career

Determine Your InterestThis is our first point of discussion, because what interests you is more important that anything else. Do not let the different career opportunities in the market confuse you. Rather you should be able to find the career of your interest. Do not let your dream to 'get set in a career' make you fickle-minded. If this happens, you will find yourself doing something that you are not interested in. Follow your interests. Do not opt for a medical profession just because your friends have done it or your family members have told you to do so. Of course, the medical profession is indeed a good career option, but here the question is, are you interested in it? If yes, then go ahead.

Think LogicallyNow you have decided on your interest. Suppose you have chosen to pursue a career in engineering. Think whether you can afford to study engineering? Do you have enough resources available to initiate and continue with the studies? Are you good at science and mathematics? If yes, then don't wait! Step ahead. But, if you have an element of doubt for all such questions, you need not worry! Just make sure that you make all the necessary arrangements and avail a bright career that is waiting for you.

Foresee your Career ScopeMany times, people choose a career which is booming currently, but then the demand for it collapses after a few years which can lead them nowhere. Such people do not have any option other than a career change. But remember, changing careers is not always feasible! However, to avoid such a situation, choose such a career that has a bright future after some years or at least when you will complete your studies and start working. Do some research and also consult your elders in this regard. Their experience would help you find a way out, but yes, clearly speak about your interest to them. Do not think of a career having a bright future 20 years down the line, as choosing such a career is of no use at this stage. Choose a career which has a steady future in terms of growth. However, small ups and downs such as saturation point in the field or economic recession are part of the global economy. Such things should not divert you from your motive.

Make a ListWhile making a choice for a career, make a list of all the things that you expect out of your career. I have already mentioned the basic expectations, find out whether you want something more. Check out if your career would fulfill all of them or not.

Explore your UniquenessYou might be average looking, but remember you are unique and there is no one in the world like you! Do not sail in the boat of common people, just running behind money or just working for the sake of earning bread. Choose a career that would bring the best in you and therefore become a good medium to prove yourself to this world.

Make a Wise ChoiceKeep one thing in mind, All that glitters is not Gold. My objective behind saying this is that you should not run behind glamor or things that look beautiful from far. Make a wise choice. Whatever your expectations might be, after all everyone looks out for happiness and satisfaction. Some career options might appear thrilling and exciting to you in the beginning, but with a detailed study, you will understand the drawbacks in them. Therefore make sure that your career choice is wise and you won't need to repent on your decision in the future!

Hopefully after reading these tips you must have got a definite answer to your question as to which career is right for me. Understand these tips and I am sure you will be able to choose that right career for yourself and also be able to deal with career planning. Become successful and leave a lasting impression on everyone's mind. Wish you a bright and prosperous career!By Ujwal Deshmukh

Important Objectives of Career DevelopmentCareer development is a long and continuous process in a person's life. Since the aptitude and interests of people are different, career planning is done through various practical ways. In this article, we shall know about the important objectives of career enhancement.

Efficient career planning has assumed great importance in today's competitive job market. In order to excel in our chosen field, we need to be completely focused, have the basic knowledge and skills, and possess a genuine interest for the field. These days employers make an effort to launch career development programs for their employees in order to increase their productivity and help them achieve their organizational goals. Before we learn about its objectives, let us understand this concept first.

About Career Development

Career development refers to the process of continuously managing your professional work. This process assists people in defining their career goals and aspirations clearly.

Education is the first step towards developing a career as without access to education, people will not be able to deliver their best at their place of work. Education received in various institutions such as elementary school, high school, and university helps in increasing the depth of a student's knowledge. Career enhancement and development is also concerned with personality development as a person needs to present himself in the best possible way in his workplace to make a mark for himself.

Along with quality of education, career planning also emphasizes on the vital aspects of training and employment. Knowledge and facts learned in classrooms need to be applied smartly to do the work assigned in a satisfactory way. For this, good deal of training needs to be provided to the employees by their employers. Also, the result of the training should be monitored by consistently evaluating the performance of trained employees on various projects. By delivering a good performance and meeting targets in set deadlines, employees can climb the corporate ladder faster and obtain promotions with increased compensation.

Objectives for Employees

Identifying our strengths and weaknesses is a major objective of career enhancing. Our career can move in the right direction only if we make a concentrated effort of utilizing our strength fully and working on our weaknesses. A person understands his worth and gets a feeling of self-awareness by having a plan for his career growth.

Career development programs aid in increasing flexibility of employees. Because of globalization and international expansion policies of companies, employees may have to work in different places across the world. So, adapting to the changing conditions and expectations is really a big challenge before employees. In the absence of career development programs, employees may witness a reduced productivity which will affect their career growth and advancement.

Career planning programs help workers to work with people belonging to different nationalities and religions. So, indirectly, they are responsible for the efficient working of teams in a workplace.

Information is another objective of career enhancement and development. Employees and students must have the right information about career planning and the various opportunities available to them at the right time to capitalize on opportunities and achieve their goals. They need to be aware of the skills and qualities which are essential in a modern business environment.

Objectives for Employers

Career planning is helpful for employees as well as employers. It helps in raising employee productivity and commitment of employees towards their organization. Career initiatives taken by senior management officers help a lot in retaining talented employees who can be an asset for the organization in the long term. Career planning also helps in

cost saving as training existing people and making them job ready is cheaper than hiring new talent continuously. It guarantees an employees job security and provides chances of further advancement in the company. Employees can contribute greatly if they get maximum job satisfaction at their workplace.

In short, career development means improving the quality of life by achieving our dreams and aspirations through planned efforts. Though people often talk about the words 'career' and 'goals' in school, the real career enhancement process begins in childhood itself under the able guidance of parents. The good values taught in childhood help in developing a positive and optimistic attitude in children which helps them in dealing with bigger challenges in the future. Career enhancement efforts taken by employers and teachers can succeed only if the person has a strong willingness or desire to make progress. So, youngsters need to have a positive frame of mind to succeed in life.By Charlie SPublished: 11/22/2011