Plan Your Next Career Move

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Plan Your Next Career Move

Now is the perfect time to reignite your career, laying the groundwork that will propel you to the next level. Key to doing this is to conduct a year-end assessment of how your skills were enhanced over the last 12 months.

"But I just received a year-end assessment from my company. Isn't that enough?" you may ask.

Not really. "Keep in mind that the company is looking to see if you have met its goals, which is what it should be looking for," says Carol Wood, a career counselor/career management consultant with practices in New York City and Riverdale, New York. "But your goals might differ from the company's."

It's really this simple: You don't want to wake up 10 years from now and discover that you haven't arrived where you would like to be. You need to re-evaluate your job and your career every year and contrast what you have accomplished with your goals. Otherwise, you may end up where you don't want to be down the road. A recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 75% of the nation's employees would be seeking a new job this year, so now is the right time to begin your assessment.

Career Assessment Do's and Don'ts
Write out an appraisal form in order to be most effective. It may include such items as your:

Goals and objectives
Competencies
Development plan

While you may choose to carry out your appraisal in a looser, less formal , this is a good springboard from which to jump. To gain the maximum benefit, Wood recommends probing deeply and with specific questions in mind. Look at your:

Strengths and weaknesses
Skills and abilities
Interests
Values
Preferences
Obstacles
Personal

Wood also suggests asking yourself, "Which skills do I want to use? Does my current job provide the opportunity to use these skills? Do I want to move on to another job?"

Writing out your appraisal form will help you to see things in a clearer light and serve as a guidepost. List major projects worked on individually, contributions made to departmental projects, and how the work you do impacted your company as a whole.

Don't overlook the significance of what Wood calls "values clarification." What values must you have in your career, and what can you do without? How high a priority are salary and benefits? What's your —do you like structured or unstructured work? For example, says Wood, "Engineering firms are mostly highly structured and conservative—is this you?"

Values clarification is a critical point because, as Wood points out, "We are happiest when we follow our values and interests. If you look at the jobs you've liked, what was it about them that made you happy? These are the values that will travel with you throughout your career."


From Words on Paper to Action Steps
Now that you have a clearer picture of your career path, it's time to plan your next move. For some, a career evaluation may validate that they are doing just fine and should stay the course. But if you're ready to take your next career challenge, step back to see the larger picture. According to Wood, a common snag is that people don't always consider the skills they need to have before they are able to advance. "This applies to scientists, technicians, people from all different industries. They really have to look outside of the box. What are they lacking and how can they get it? What are their transferable skills?"

Wood advises jobseekers or those in transition to research the market and the industry. What will the market bear? Does what you're looking for exist? Check out the classified ads. Talk with your FPC recruiter. Interview the decision-makers in companies you are interested in. Get the word out to friends and family.

And when you do get the opportunity, don't be afraid to ask the real crucial questions: Is this what I want to do? How can I benefit the company—and vice versa?

"You really have to sit back and look at all those things that are important to you before you search for a new job or ask your boss for a new position," Wood urges. Sure, you want to match what a company is looking for, but will the company match what you are looking for? "I always advise people to take a break even if they think they'll love a job and ask, 'Does this job meet all my criteria?'" Wood says.


Career Assessments Can Lead to Unexpected Conclusions
A thorough assessment of your career can result in surprising findings. You may discover, for example, that you have been on the wrong career path. "Very often, goals are changed when you realize that you don't particularly enjoy what it is you thought you wanted," says Cindy Russell, a benefits manager with 10 years of experience in HR. "For example, when your career path leads you to a supervisory position and you find that you don't enjoy that aspect of your job."

You may also learn that what was once important to you is no longer. While reviewing his career path, one individual realized that he had been pursuing the wrong objective. "My pitfall is that I didn't grasp how much I was chasing the dollar," he says, "and how that affected my personal life." Now that he believes "a career is not only about money—it's about quality of life," he has adjusted his goals to reflect this new outlook.

Your assessment may not result in such dramatic findings, but it will get you thinking about your career.


The Final Word: How FPC Can Help
While no one knows better than you what you want out of your career, how do you get there? When you work with an FPC recruiter, they play an invaluable role by providing an entirely objective input. FPC recruiters possess intimate knowledge of your field and know exactly what companies are looking for. They can assess your credentials to see how you measure up, narrow down your strengths, and identify what is really important to you, thereby helping you to focus on your goals and guiding you in the right direction. And in today's extremely competitive marketplace, that's an edge you can't afford to do without.

Source: http://www.fpcnational.com/index.php/career-tips/managing-careers/8-managing-careers/49-plan-your-next-career-move