Effective Career Management is the Key to Finding Success

Considering the times we live in-what with a declining economy and job-related woes proliferating across the globe-these days the topic of career management could not be more important. Career management, of course, is not something only to be recurred to in times of crisis; it's a process (and a skill) which needs to be implemented throughout every stage of our adult lives, both when things are looking up and when they are looking down. At the moment, however, in the midst of the growing unemployment rates that are sweeping the developed and developing worlds, many people are looking with great hope and expectation to the potential benefits which effective career management may have for them.

Considering the widespread sensation of panic or nervousness that has come over the job market, it's important to come to have a clear vision of precisely what career management is, and how to carry it out effectively and comprehensively. Not only is it important to remember to keep career management in mind when the going's good, but furthermore it's important to remember all the pertinent areas of career management-not to overlook crucial aspects, during good times or bad. So, to start, let's take a look at the three fundamental aspects of career management:

Long-term goals and strategies. In career management, it is absolutely fundamental that you have a goal in mind for the long haul and that you have a notion of how you intend to get there. There's really not much to "manage" if these two elements are lacking, after all! As far as setting a long-term goal is concerned, you will need to first of all consider where you stand in the course of your career at the moment, on the one hand, and what the probabilities of your service/product still being marketable in the long-term look like, on the other hand. With regards to the former point, remember that the earlier on in your career the more difficult it will be to think for the long-term and to set goals for the long-term that feel realistic or achievable. With regards to the latter point, remember to try to factor in advances in technology and possible issues of redundancy when determining how marketable your particular service or product will be way down the line. This is a hard bet, and doubtlessly several unknown variables will come into the mix at one point or another; nonetheless, in pursuing a career, it's a bet that either has to be made, or the person in question needs to seriously consider switching to another line of work.
Networking. Managing a career is all about having personal and professional contacts-without (a lot of) them, you will not have the sources of support necessary to help you advance professionally. Working adults with a career in the works need to remember that it is wise to work on or elaborate absolutely every potential contact (if only to have the person on a list of names you'll never end up calling), and furthermore that burning bridges will never help you get anywhere. Many contacts may not yield anything all that significant in terms of your career advancement, yet every once in a while there is that one-and you need to be able to open a dialogue there at the right moment, which is why networking is so important in the first place. Within the realm of networking, there are three areas of interest that need to be pursues separately yet with equal energy: the place where you currently work (both among colleagues and superiors); the professional associations which represent your activity; and the major recruiters and/or companies where you hope to perhaps work in the future. Lavish these three areas with loads of networking, and you will do your career an enormous solid.
Résumé polishing and updating. How marketable can you possibly be when your résumé is representative of your professional standing from over a year ago?! Maintaining an updated résumé on at least a yearly basis shows people (recruiters in particular) that you take the process of career management seriously and that you're not just counting on luck and/or a good first impression. Remember that when you reach crucial turns in the road during your professional career, you may have to reinterpret the importance of previous work experiences and present them in a new light to justify your current direction. In this sense, remember to update your personal statement when appropriate to reflect any developments in terms of goals and principal strengths. Keep in mind that an updated résumé is a brilliant tool no matter what career path you are pursuing, as it enables you to seize opportunities as they arise without the need to stall (in order to bring your image up to speed). If you feel that your résumé is a little stale, you should think about enlisting the help of a career coach as this is just one of the specialist services that they offer.

These three branches or areas within career management combine-when properly fulfilled-to drastically improve the readiness of a working professional to take on bold new opportunities and to make the kinds of leaps forward that will afford them the stability they are looking for.

Finally, it is important for professionals to put together a contingency plan in case their original plan doesn't work out just the way they wanted to: after all, successful career management isn't so much about accomplishing exactly what you set out for yourself, but rather it's about making the best of the opportunities which present themselves and overcoming the setbacks that inevitably arise. As mentioned at the beginning, there are unknown variables that may surface and alter the marketability of a given product or service in the mid- or long-term. In such cases, working professionals need to know how to harness their experience, skills and network and apply them to a new path (whether a slight change in direction within the same field or a complete jumping of ships has taken place).

In the end, success in the long run cannot be had without all of these factors being brought together under one master plan, diligently implemented from the very beginning of a professional career.

Sam D Goddard writes articles on a variety of topics, including business, careers and credit control services, among others.

Career Planning: To Be Effective Get This Right!

Career planning can take many forms. It might have started in high school when you observed you favorite uncle doing well as an accountant. Or maybe a college career counselor steered you into a growing industry. Perhaps, after working a few years a friend recommended you for an open position in the company where they worked.

Maybe planning your career was the realization one day that you had to keep abreast of what was happening in your career and you planned to read a few appropriate books.

And just maybe you wrote out a detailed plan, build a method to upgrade your skills, researched a viable career path, added some flexibility to keep aware of possible career changes and periodically reviewed your career progress.

For a career plan to be effective you have to get this right. It's like building a vehicle and neglecting to put in a fuel tank. The vehicle may look great, the paint will attract attention, and it may have the latest in technological advances but bottom line: without a fuel tank it's no better than a great looking lawn decoration.

The fuel of you career plan is a robust financial plan. If you plan to add to your skills and you do not have the financial resources to pay for the tuition or spend the funds to attend an important career related conference you career plan will be stalled.

If you discover a business opportunity and you don't have the funds or the credit record to finance the purchase your career frustration will climb off the charts.

A few years back an engineering graduate and his wife decided they would live at a modest level and as he moved up the career ladder and would save and invest everything above an agreed upon income level. He reached the CEO level of a large company but he and his family continued to live in a home and spend more like one of his company's mid-level managers.

An opportunity arose where a company was selling a unit in which this executive had a great deal of experience. He was able to purchase this multi-million dollar operation, with his own funds and borrow the balance because of his impeccable credit record.
You may not get to the CEO level of a large corporation, few do, but opportunities are all around us. A small company comes across your radar screen; you see the chance to make it better and more profitable. A hard to sell piece of real estate is lingering on the market, the seller is motivated, and you see opportunity.

You become interested in a franchise opportunity and you have the financial resources to make it successful. All become possible because of the financial planning that you have incorporated into your career plan.

There is another big advantage of a robust financial plan that works hand-in-hand with your career plan. As your financial resources increase, you have no outstanding debts, except for a small mortgage on your primary residence, your career flexibility climbs. Changing careers now becomes possible; even if you have to take a cut in income because you have the financial resources to fill the income gap.

Moreover, without a heavy burden of debt, you are less concerned about keeping you job. You can take positions that might be unpopular but are right for the business. This is a recipe for rapid career advancement.

So in developing your career plan don't neglect the financial aspect. Your well-developed financial planning will be the fuel that moves your career plan forward. And isn't that's what career planning is all about, advancing your career or putting you in position to make a proper career change at the right time.

John Groth has changed careers seven times during his working life. Learn more about changing careers and career planning at http://careersafter50.com. Discover how others over age 50, built winning career plans and found the right careers by career planning after 50.

Career planning tips-free tips for effective career development

Career planning involves planning your career path and determine in advance the career development of things that you need to do to get to the desired destination.

The first step to effective career planning is to ask what you want to be in life. Which career to pursue?

You want to be a doctor of medicine, pharmacist, engineer or lawyer?

Career development along these professional disciplines is often very simple. For example, if your career path is planned to become a lawyer, you know you have a law degree and attend law school.

However, career planning and career development go far beyond what you have studied in school or discipline where he specialized during your college years. Career planning is more than anything else.

Career development when properly planned involves taking your destiny into their own hands, decide what makes you happy and then structuring all your training and career efforts in the direction of your career path.

Suppose, for example, has a degree in economics and now have a job. Ask yourself: "why did I study economy?"

In general, there are three reasons why people study a particular discipline in college or University.

1. Can be very passionate about the course or

2. they may have studied the course because this is what he wanted mum and Dad or

3. they may have studied the course because he could not get admission to study their preferred course

The good news is. .. you can shape or re-shape your career path, regardless of the causes that led you to your current profession.

For example, a category 1 people ... people who were passionate in their profession as teenagers ... could lose their passion for the profession as you get older and face the reality of everyday life. This loss of passion may also derive from pressures from family and special needs
challenges associated with the profession in practice.

Category 2 professionals, referred to above, are likely to go after the first love of their hearts when they are no longer under the control of MOM and dad.

Category 3 professionals are also going after their first love after their first degree.

For example, I know people who are passionate about accountng. However, they could not do the scoring for the accounting department during their pre-university days. Some of them eventually went for the courses of Economics, sociology, statistics and similar social sciences courses.

What happened after leaving school?

A good number of them went back to register with the accounting body professinal and now have professional certificate in accounting. In simple words ... they are now public accountants.

Bottom line.

The course is studied in adolescence in school need not hold you prisoner for the rest of your life if you have lost your passion for this.

I recommend that participate with a profession I love. If you have lost your way when you were young, can always retrace your steps professional no matter where you are or how old are currently.

Now with that background, back to the actual question.

Career planning strategy which you can use to plan your career path? Which practical career development strategy can put to use right now?

Perform the following steps to move your career in the direction you want.

1. Determine where you are now in your career

2. Determine and document where you want to be

3. Draw an outline of the skills that you need to get there

4. start the process of acquisition of necessary skills that have not already

5. Discuss the career plan with your wife and then your boss

6. ask to be given assignments that they move more in the direction of your career

7. Get involved in community work (if possible) that gives you the opportunity to function in the position who expect to be

8. Let nothing stop you from doing that noble career a reality

Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?

That question should help you appreciate what career development plans must be put in place to achieve your dream.

If you haven't got the career planning seriously before now, now is the time to start.

Planning ahead for a career rich in events and Blessed is the key to a happy life. It gives you a future to dream and pursue a goal to work and live for the ...

Here's a toast to career success.

Samson Itoje is an expert on career development. He provides a database of job opportunities free where employers can post job vacancies free at http://www.job-opportunity-and-free-resume-bank.com/job-opportunities.html. Resources include a resume database at http://www.job-opportunity-and-free-resume-bank.com/free-resume-database.html. Job seekers send their resume free job resume database.