Let’s review
You have worked hard to reach this point, so remind yourself that you have
- Taken stock of your current situation
- Written a powerful CV
- Identified opportunities to develop that are available in your everyday life
- Planned some development activity for the year
Keep in touch with the present
We have established the importance of understanding the present, so going forward it’s a good idea to review your personal development plan every so often to keep it up to date. You can amend your plan to reflect changing circumstances and goals. It’s important to acknowledge your successes, so keep a list of the things you have achieved to keep yourself motivated. Remember to keep your CV up to date by reflecting your development and any additional responsibilities you may take on.
If you have appraisals in your organisation, you can use your plan to prepare for your meetings with your manager.
Top tips for career planning and management
Think long term Sometimes it’s difficult to think a long way ahead, but if you can develop the ability to do this, it will allow you to pursue more ambitious goals and spot opportunities to help you along the way. Focus on long term goals as well as thinking about this week.
Plan long term Planning your career will help to even out the ups and downs of life and gives you some control over things that are out of your control. If you are faced with a sudden job loss, having a long term plan will help you to stay calm, not to panic and make a snap decision that you may regret.
Take small steps We all have demands on us and it can be difficult to incorporate development into our already busy lives. Think about how quickly time passes ….. take small steps each week and you will be surprised at how much you can advance over a year.
Invest in yourself Investing in yourself is a bit like a savings account. In the same way that saving small, regular amounts builds into something more significant over time, if you focus on developing yourself and extending yourself in small ways, over a few months it’s amazing how you can build your capability and your confidence.
Get involved Don’t be shy when chances to be involved in something new emerge – volunteer, close your eyes and jump! It’s a great way to test yourself and realise how capable you really are.
You’re now in a position to influence how you react to changes as they arise because you have put yourself in the driving seat and will be able to engage with work more effectively and feel more confident about planning your life and finances.
A final thought …..
‘The future depends on what you do today.’ (Mahatma Gandhi)
