Title:Career Planning - What's Next?
Author:Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CMRC, CFRW
Date:July 2012
Source:www.militaryresumewriters.com and www.careerproplus.com
What's involved in building a good career plan? Before, during or after you transition from the military at some point you must plan your next career path. Of course if you don't do this – who will? And you could end up in just a job rather than a "career" that would be much more fulfilling.
Below are four steps in planning:
Step 1: Figure out what you want to do with your career. What is the objective of your work? As fundamental as that may sound, many of us spend our entire careers trying to earn an ever bigger paycheck rather than working to build up our sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at work. The U.S. Bill of Rights doesn't promise wealth to all Americans; it guarantees them Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That's what you want to focus your career on-the pursuit of whatever brings you real and lasting joy in your work-and it's never to late too start that quest.
Step 2: Identify and Attain Your Achievement goal. This is a goal that you can accomplish in the near future. perhaps the next 6 to 12 months. It identifies an outcome you can achieve in your current job or employment situation, such as the completion of a special project, the solution to an especially tough problem or the resolution of strained relations with your boss or a co-worker. The Achievement goal enables you to make a meaningful contribution to your employer-that's the only definition of loyalty that makes any sense in the 21st Century-and be loyal to yourself by advancing your own performance in the workplace-that's the only way to enjoy true employment security in the 21st Century.
Step 3: Identify your Advancement goal. This is a goal that you can accomplish in the mid-to-longer term, say in the next two-to-three years. It identifies the next job you want to hold or the next level of work you want to be able to perform. It may involve your current employer or it may require that you move to another work situation, but it will always represent a major leap forward in your effort to develop and express your capabilities in the workplace. The Advancement goal is the way you ensure that your career is always moving forward-not up some employer's corporate ladder-but ahead in terms of the skills and experience you are able to use in your work.
Step 4: Identify your Development goal. This goal is a bridge that connects your Achievement goal and your Advancement goal. It enables you to build on the success you achieve in your current job by adding the supplemental capabilities and knowledge that prepare you appropriately for the next challenge in your career. That might involve acquiring a new skill through training or a formal educational program; it might require that you achieve greater stature in your field through participation in your professional society or association; or, it might mean that you gain more sight and understanding about certain aspects of your work through discussions with a mentor.
What are you planning to do after the military?
