When it comes to starting or advancing your career understanding your preferences of where you would like to work and what you would like to do becomes a challenge. This is where mapping out your career becomes ideal. Some ideas such as mapping out your five-year plan, taking a skills inventory, and determining what kind of organization you would like to work at are all items that need to be assessed.
Five Year Plan
The vision of your future is important. Deciding where you would like to be and setting intentions for your career and future, can give you a roadmap and idea of where you would like to go. Personally, when I set out my five-year plan I like to start with my bigger goals in mind, followed by breaking them down into smaller achievements to be obtained. If a five-year plan seems like a bit of a stretch given the world we live in right now, then consider a 1-to-3-year plan. Either way, this will give you an idea of what you would like to work towards.
When setting your plan out first think about the bigger ideas you want to achieve. Is it that post-secondary education you want to finish? A book you want to start writing? A promotion at work? Whatever your goal is starting with the big plan and then breaking it down into smaller chunks will help you get where you want to be. The main point is to write it down. For every goal I planned for, I always achieved a goal I wrote down unless there was a situation that took me in a different direction.
When making your plan always leave room for adjustments, as things can change, or your goals may take you in a different direction than planned. When this does happen, you will be prepared and will not view it as a setback. Flexibility is key.
Setting Preferences
Determining your preferences when planning for your career is key to ending up in a workplace that will be ideal for the long term. Think about what you want. Do you want to work in a small company or corporation? Do you want a structured environment or an environment that is freer flowing? Thinking about the type of company culture you would like to work in is a good place to start.
Following this, you can think about what kind of management style you want. While it is true that can can’t always choose our managers, we can do some research into what the overall management style is at a company. Asking questions during an interview about what the management style is like at the company or doing some research on websites like GlassDoor.com is a great place to start when it comes to your company research. Keep in mind that the opinions on these websites are posted by a variety of individuals, so seeking out what the company’s management style is like during an interview is a great way to build a connection and show interest in the role.
These are just a few ways to seek out what preferences you desire at a company. Other things to consider are company benefits. Do they offer flex hours, how many days a week do you work, will you work shift work, seek out what they offer as far as vacation and sick time, what is a company dress code like among many other things to consider. Take note of these things when researching the company and engage in conversation, this will help you to navigate the company culture.
Skills Inventory
A skills inventory is an important aspect of a career switch to gain an understanding of. Not only does it help you to know what skills you can contribute to an organization, but it aids in self-discovery too. Think about what the employer is offering and asking you to do. Even if you do not meet all the requirements for the job posting, still take the chance to apply! Chances are if you found something intriguing about the job posting, then somewhere you have experience and skills that you can use as a transferable skill on your job application.
Transferable skills are not just soft skills like communication and organization. For example, you have a degree in finance, and you went off more in a business administration concentration when you started your career and worked in related positions for several years. You may think that your skills aren’t relevant because it has been many years. The truth is that you have those skills which can be transferred from an academic sense into a professional skill you can still use on the job.
Other items related to transferable skills that you can consider are the type of populations you worked with, software programs you know of or have been trained in, experiences from volunteer and academic settings, research and analytical skills, organization, and time management.
Overall, combining these three topics can set you off on the path to creativity when it comes to finding that next job or making a career move. Think about what you would like to do, then consider what you need to get there. You might discover that you have a wide variety of skills that will help you move in the direction you want to move your career in.
Bliss + You 