How to Manage Your Career--Part I

How to Manage Your Career--Part I

How do you find your ideal career?

You may have entered a career that someone else suggested for you. As long as you agree and feel suited to it, no problem in moving forward. If you don't have a passion or get excited about it, chances are high you won't stay in it long. You may not reach the success you would have in something better suited for you.

There thousands of career options open to everyone today. Becoming successful in work where you can excel and experience sustained gratification are highly possible.

How to know the perfect career is the question.

Starting out to make money is the greatest mistake in life. Do what you feel you have a flair for doing, and if you are good enough at it, the money will come.
- Greer Garso

A number of factors are motivators, and money is usually at or near the top. It involves some serious thinking to make the right choice; otherwise searching for another option within 2-5 years is almost certain--or worse--staying in a position that drags you down rather than energizes you.

Most people change their careers at least 7 times over the course of their life! As unbelievable as that sounds, it’s a fact! Career planning is essential for long term happiness and transitions.

Career planning isn’t restricted to people who are frustrated and confined to their job. It's also beneficial to those who are happy with their current jobs.

This article is about career management, and it can serve as a useful tool to find fulfillment in your career. We will help you determine the vital criteria in your chosen career and help you produce a winning (CV) Curriculum Vitae, which literally means Life List, that sells you right off the page!

We will also look at a variety of interview techniques, how to prepare for them and help you hone your negotiation skills to acquire better terms and conditions.

We spend more than half of our lives working. It pays to take some time to evaluate several factors, whether you are preparing for your first job or looking for a career change or enhancement.

Think about this:

Say, it’s your desire to be in a high profile executive role, and you also want to have a balanced personal life. These could be conflicting goals. One may get compromised to achieve the other effectively. If you try to succeed in both goals, you might fulfill only one or possibly neither of them.

This is where career management plays an important goal. It helps you sketch a career plan to ensure that your personal and professional goals, aspirations, values and beliefs are in perfect cohesion.

When balance is not in place, you might achieve your professional goals at the expense of your personal happiness or vise versa.

Is it worth it?

Starting with the end in mind will help to avoid many pitfalls. Hence, before we go into techniques and strategies to manage your career, we need to spend some time looking at your own overall life plan and where your career fits in your scheme of things.

Watch for How to Managing Your Career--Part II