Why Managing your Career is Important

You go to work every day.  You spend 8 hours behind a desk and then earn a paycheck either weekly, biweekly, or monthly.  That money earns you the lifestyle you currently have or work towards one you are seeking. 

You have determined that you have a career.  A job that provides you experience, skills, and an opportunity to slowly “climb the ladder.”  Now, to have a meaningful career and one in which you can achieve a lot of success; you need to know where you want to go and what you want out of your career. 

You will be spending 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for most of your adult life.  It is best to choose to work on something you enjoy and want to do.  Choose something you can grow your skills, expand your knowledge, and have a variety in what you do daily. 

Managing your career does not have to be hard or feel like work (no pun intended).  It can be fun and exciting.  It is like taking a blank canvas and creating something beautiful.  This is important for anyone who wants to continually develop, whether you want to grow in your position horizontally or climb the ladder. 

Your choices will define the direction of your career and life. This is also when Proactive career planning will come in handy. But, you have to keep learning, enhancing your skills and look for those opportunities and take them.

There are certain steps you can take throughout your career to understand how your priorities are changing and what it is actually that you want to focus on in your profession. Some of the strategic tools that you can use and their importance are as follows:

1)    Self-assessment tools like SWOT analysis and Myers-Briggs

• helps you evaluate their skills, values, interests, personality traits, and preferences
• these help you identify your strengths and areas of improvement
• these also help you understand the type of positions that align with your interests

2)      Goal setting to track your career goals

• determine what tasks to do first and manage your progress to your goal
• provides a framework to define, monitor, and achieve your tasks
• you want to ensure you create SMART goals and then breaking them down in manageable steps
• track your progress regularly and this helps you feel motivated

3)      Career Paths to map out your career, assess competencies, and identify skill gaps

• outlining the steps and milestones necessary to achieve your professional goals
• this helps you see what you have achieved and what you want to still achieve

4)      Networking and mentorship

• engaging through platforms such as LinkedIn and seek mentorship
• gain insights and guidance.

Engaging in proactive career planning will help you enhance your job satisfaction, adaptability, and long-term career growth. By being conscious about who you are and what you want in your life, you become more aware of your goals and make choices that take you closer to achieving them. Proactive career planning also provides you the tools to be able to adjust, modify, and change your path to a career and life that will be more satisfying.