Creating Your Career Blueprint

Kathleen KesslerCarole Stacy MSN, MA, RN

Ready..Aim..Shoot

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.

Before you create your plan….

• Understand yourself• What do you really like to do?• What do you do really well?• What do you dislike doing?• Talk to nurses in a variety of roles.• Job shadow• Get out of your comfort level, be a little

adventuresome (or may a lot).

Goals Need to be..

• Personal (Your own)

• Practical (Worth the time and effort)

• Possible (You need to think you can do it)

• Pleasurable (Enjoy the process)

Barriers to Achieving Our Goals

• Too many at one time• Unrealistic standards• Negative self talk and

surroundings• Measuring by failures

Goal Categories

• Family• Job• Spiritual• Intellectual• Social• Physical• Financial

CPR

• Categorize your goals

• Prioritize your goals

• Recognize your priorities

Personal SWOT Analysis

• Strengths: What sets you apart from others?• Weaknesses: things you aren’t good at, or

areas where you can improve.• Opportunities: Identify elements you can

build on or take advantage of to improve your chance of success.

• Threats: Things that can derail your success

Define your Career Objectives

• What do you want to accomplish?• Why is this important to you?• Write a Career Mission Statement “ have my DNP by the time I am 40 with my own family practice”Ideally this should be a 5 to 10 year perspective

Set Major Career Goals

• Specific- make sure your goal pertains to one particular outcome

• Measurable- definable end point

• Achievable- you must be reasonably able to accomplish

• Relevant- must relate to what you are trying to accomplish

• Time bound- otherwise you may not ever get it done.

Creating your blueprint

• Conduct a skills audit, what you have, what you need, where you can get what you need.

• Create an action plan for each career goal• How will you accomplish this?• What support do you need?• Where can you get this support?• Find and use mentors!

Create a Career Development Plan

• Do your homework• Be realistic in setting your goals• Make a plan and update it yearly• Don’t over promise yourself• Accept that you may need to go at a slower

pace, one missed goal doesn’t equal failure.

Questions and Comments