How to Develop Long-Term Career Strategies

Think of yourself as a business and your career as the long term business plan. Like all businesses, a career has a life cycle. To reach your career goal, you must create a career strategy. This process of creating a career strategy will be adjusted throughout your career development.

Instructions

1. Research your industry and profession. Visit staffing agency websites, along with your company website to determine the standard order of progression for your career field. Understand the requirements for each promotion in the chain. This includes the educational, licensing and experience requirements.

2. Break your goal into manageable milestones. Make your milestones difficult, but attainable. Do not set milestones that are impossible to reach, or take too long to complete. This can lead to discouragement. Develop a time line that you can use to measure your progress.

3. Involve your manager or supervisor in your career planning. Make your career goal clear to them. Your manager is responsible for providing skill development, mentorship and salary progression.

4. Perform a skill assessment of your current knowledge. Determine where your strengths and weakness are. Build a plan around strengthening your weak areas, and take advantage of your strengths. Ask for responsibilities that will develop your current skill level.

5. Enroll in certificate or continuing education classes necessary for advancement. Keep a training log to map your progress. Utilize all company sponsored training and development resources. You will continue to repeat this step throughout your career.

Tips & Warnings

• Evaluate and manage your compensation in accordance with your assigned duties. If you are assigned new responsibilities, make sure that your compensation level matches your new position. Repeat this process each time you are assigned new responsibilities.

• Be prepared to change your employer if your career is not progressing. Some companies and managers are not interested in your career development. Be aware of this, and have a plan in place to address this problem. It may be necessary to request a transfer within the company, or to leave for a new employer.