How Career Planning Can Help You Get Ahead

Are you feeling stuck in a boring and unfulfilling job? Or maybe you’re looking for a job but you’re not clear on which career direction you should pursue? No matter what stage of your career you find yourself in, career planning can help you establish a focused vision and achieve your full potential in your career.

Career planning is the process of setting goals for career advancement and creating a roadmap of concrete action steps to achieve those goals. Although career planning requires time and effort, it has many benefits. First, by establishing a long-term goal to work toward, you’ll find clarity in your career path and renewed motivation for your daily grind. A career plan can also provide you with an escape route from a stagnant job.

Career planning will also help you recognize and take advantage of opportunities to advance your career. The goals you set during career planning will influence all of your subsequent strategic decisions. Since you know what you hope to achieve in your career, you’ll be able to evaluate job openings and other opportunities to determine if they fit your plan for reaching your objectives.

Finally, career planning is an effective tool for success in advancing your career. Benefits of career advancement include earning a higher salary, achieving increased job satisfaction, refining your skills and expertise, and gaining access to exciting new opportunities.

Career advancement might look like moving upward to a leadership role, transitioning to a new occupation, receiving specialty training, or taking on increased responsibility. In order to advance in your career and achieve your goals, you need to not only create a career plan but also develop the skills needed to qualify for your ideal position. For tips on developing leadership skills for career advancement, consult the infographic below.

Infographic courtesy of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.