Career Planning: It's a Lifelong Project

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Career Planning: It's a Lifelong Project

Career planning: A process of matching your career needs and priorities with the options available to you in the labour market, and re-evaluating your plans as necessary.

It used to be that people thought of a career as cradle-to-grave employment working for one company. But those days are gone. In today's ever-changing labour market, it's more realistic to think of your career as a series of jobs and occupations. Here's why:

Your values and priorities will change. Think about what was important to you five, ten years ago. Have your priorities changed? Do you think they may change again? Many people find that their needs change as their families grow, or that what gives them personal satisfaction changes as they grow older. When making your career plans, try to look as far into your future as possible.
The world of work is changing. New technologies, growing international competition and slow economic growth at home are creating new industries and forcing existing ones to restructure and look for new opportunities. How can you make sound career decisions in a rapidly changing work environment? It's a good idea to study current trends and try to guess how they'll affect your future.
Your skills must develop throughout your lifetime. When work changes, employers look for people who have the skills to handle the new requirements. You may have to go back to school to upgrade your skills or you may be able to get on-the-job training. Either way, you can count on lifelong learning as a part of your future employment.
Flexibility, adaptability and versatility are important keys to your career success. Economic, social and political changes are happening at a faster rate than any other time in history. Successful organizations can "turn on a dime," adjusting to rapidly changing consumer demands. Employers are going to want you if you're the kind of person who can handle the pace and challenges of new situations.
Be a valued employee. Are you productive, responsible and thorough at your job? Do you communicate well and cooperate with others? Do you take the initiative and can you work independently? Successful careers are built on motivation, enthusiasm and good teamwork skills.