Career Planning: Preparing For Roadblocks Ahead

Creating a clear career plan is one of the best ways you can identify whatever it is that you need to advance in your career. Not only this, effective career planning will also serve as your road map to achieving your goals.

As you do career planning for building a great career, you should focus not only on the positive steps you need to take to develop your skills. It is important that you also prepare yourself for the roadblocks and pitfalls that may eventually come your way.

AGE

Needless to say, age is one of the main factors employers look at when hiring employees. Although being an older employee can be an advantage because you have the experience that others don’t, there are still certain traits of older workers most employers don’t prefer. For instance, it is generally believed that older people are not so enthusiastic about learning new computer skills and how to use modern tools and gadgets. Older employees also tend to be concerned about the benefits they can get from their employers. Thus, if you decide to change careers or jobs after hitting middle age, be ready to receive fewer benefits than younger workers.

EXPERTISE OR KNOWLEDGE

Regardless of whether you already have a college degree, this doesn’t mean that you have the particular knowledge or background required for a certain career. Knowledge here pertains to your education, training, experience and certification. Therefore, you have to keep an open mind to the possibility that you may need to take additional courses or undergo specialized training programs in the future so that you may qualify for the job you are targeting.

TRENDS

As we all know, it is hard to predict how stable a company will be a couple of years from now. It seems that every industry is vulnerable to economic turmoil and instability. It is, therefore, important that you develop various transferable skills, which you can use in any kind of job or industry. Also, you should keep yourself up-to-date with all the trends and changes in the industry you want to engage in. This way, you will have an idea of what the future of your profession will be like.

EXPERIENCE

Most employers prefer job candidates who have vast experience in certain fields. But this doesn’t mean that they favor job hoppers. There is a big difference between a person who keeps on switching jobs and a person who has spent many good years in various industries. If you get rejected for a job because you lack experience, don’t get discouraged. Like what coaching and mentoring experts advise job seekers, take the time to explore other opportunities where you can also gain valuable experience.