Career Action Plan

Career action plans are documents that detail all aspects related to your work life. These plans are not only for those new to the career field. Seasoned professionals and those in transition will benefit from taking a look at where they are, where they want to go and what they need to do, although their plans may have a different focus.

Objectives

This section details not only your desired job but what is important to you in a career. Things like flexibility, mobility, telecommute opportunities, educational benefits and more should be included in this section.

Skills/Experience

Detail all your skills (software, duties, etc) and job experience. Include education and internships in this section. Include your resume here and update it if necessary.

Job Search Resources

This goes beyond popular job search websites. List all of your professional resources (past supervisors, friends through religious or social groups, former schoolmates) and look into professional organizations and government resources with local activities.

Weaknesses

Be sure to honestly evaluate your weaknesses and address them in the goals section of your plan. This may be lack of experience or education, communication issues, or that family is a higher priority than your job.

Goals

Your goals should be a mix of both short-term and long-term ones. You may need specific education to keep up with the marketplace or to work on communication issues or building a professional network. Be specific and include a timeline to achieving your goals.

References

• MTWorld.com - Develop a Career Action Plan
• Quintessential Careers: Your Career Action Plan for the New Year
• 2009 Career Action Plan to Help You Realize Attainable Goals: The Glass Hammer

Resources

• Designing Your Career Action Plan
• A Career Action Plan
• Career Services: Building a Career Action Plan

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