Career Success Through Focused Career Development

Embarking on a career fundamentally means making a firm commitment to progressing and developing oneself throughout one’s working life. This includes constantly preparing for any eventual transitions and modifications in active employment at all stages of one’s career. However in reality career development is a concept that is generally poorly understood by most new jobseekers. Jobseekers are likely to spend more time in preparing job resumes than to formulating clear and concrete career development plans. Gaining a good understanding of career development is in fact the first important stage in searching for a job and securing one’s niche in the workplace. Having clear career plans is actually a necessary prerequisite for developing an impressive resume.
Career development is basically a combination of systematic planning and active enhancement of one’s qualifications and abilities. Successful career development is a combination of several major elements that every jobseeker needs to understand as they start charting their working life.
Elements of successful career development
Career goals: Clear career goals and objectives are fundamentally necessary for advancing in one’s chosen career path. These goals should be created to reflect both short term and long term career aspirations and objectives of the individual. As a first step these goals should be crystallized in writing. Writing down goals helps to bring better clarity on the individual’s ability to realise career objectives through current education and skills levels. These goals would then be the basis for personal development and progressive review at future stages of the person’s career.
Upgrading competencies: It is absolutely necessary today for employees to continuously upgrade their job competencies because of constantly changing organisational demands. Acquiring and improving proficiency in relevant skill and knowledge areas are invaluable for achieving personal career goals. Life-long learning is a key strategy to staying relevant in a constantly changing business environment. Thus Jobseekers should be aware that every skill needed on the job can be constantly enhanced. Also new jobseekers should never neglect to leverage on experience gained through relevant internship, part-time employment, volunteer work and campus activities to enhance their worth in the job market.
Awareness of career trends: It is absolutely vital for jobseekers to keep abreast of current industry and job market trends that can potentially affect one’s chosen career path. A career path that appears promising now could easily be derailed in the near future. New entrants should strive to learn all about the industry they are entering and areas where job growth is expected. Having good knowledge of career trends is important for setting long term career goals and plans.
Networking: Putting time and effort to building and maintaining a network of contacts and interacting with people at all levels in an industry will significantly benefit new entrants to enhance job knowledge and employability. Developing viable long term and short term career plans are dependent on such knowledge. Furthermore the next career move may also arise from such network of contacts. Constructive feedback and comments from friends, peers and colleagues would help in reviewing career plans periodically. Seeking out mentors and role models and finding out how they achieved career objectives and overcame obstacles would also help in providing guidance and encouragement for new entrants in fulfilling their career goals.
Reviewing and Updating resume: Another key strategy for career success is acquiring a unique set of competencies and accomplishments. Actively developing transferable knowledge and skills is important to allow individuals to explore career possibilities beyond the boundaries of their current career path. Regular updating of their resume will help jobseekers review their career plans periodically and define themselves in terms of skill sets and competencies instead of merely job titles.
Work-life Balance: The pursuit of career goals will invariably affect other aspects of an individual’s life and significant relationships. Thus when setting career objectives and seeking job opportunities thought has also to be given to the importance of work-life balance as well as whether money or job satisfaction has greater value to the individual.
Successful career development should eventually enable the jobseeker to find the best way to start a new career. The ultimate outcome of which will be the fulfilment of personal career goals, attainment of financial stability and achievement of work-life balance.