How to Perform a Career Check-Up

Periodically evaluating your career helps you to focus on the progress you've made and plan your next move. You should assess your progress at least annually. This can be done using a career journal or on a computer. Consider the following as you carefully evaluate where you are now and where you are headed.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Career Roadmap
• Evaluation of Progress
• Career Journal
• Computer

1. Take a "backward" look by thinking over the previous 12 months about how effective your performance was on the job. Did you experience any job successes or improvements in your work relationships?

2. List your career goals and the progress you made towards achieving them. Have your vocational interests and/or personal needs changed? Have you developed any new skills?

3. Rate your overall job and career success during this period from ineffective to highly effective. Are you moving in the right direction? Have job circumstances or working conditions changed in the last year?

4. List your significant accomplishments as well as the barriers and unanticipated obstacles you faced.

5. Take a "forward" look and list your job and career goals for the next 12-month period including the top strategy you will use to reach each goal. What has to happen for you to feel truly satisfied that you have achieved your objectives?

Tips & Warnings

• Make your career happen for you-not to you. Whatever your dream or aspiration, reaching it is up to you.

Resources

• Evaluate Your Career & Work Relationships
• How to keep from being fired

[Desula]

on 7/13/2008 Thanks for this career advice.

[vikki9]

on 7/11/2008 Practical tips - thank you!