Future Success Starts with a Winning Career Plan!

A winning career plan for future success through effective written career planning.

"Committing your goals to paper increases the likelihood of your achieving them by 1000%." Brian Tracy

Jack had worked at Wal-Mart for over four years and was in his early 20's. In the past year he was promoted to department manger in his local store. His education ended at high school although he had gone to a junior college for one semester.

He had visions of someday being a store manager but had no idea how to advance his career to that level. What did he have to do to get his career on track to the store manager level? Working hard? A lot of very capable people work hard every day but never seem to get anywhere. No, the real effective focus lies elsewhere.

If you want to promote your career to two or three levels above your current position lets follow Jack as he builds a workable and efficient career plan. We already know he enjoys the job and the interaction between the employees and customers. He's not afraid to work hard and he works smart because that's the reason he got promoted to department manager.

First, as Brian Tracy stated, the goals have to be put on paper. Jack's goal is to be a store manager but there is an intervening step, that of assistant store manager. So let's work with Jack at putting his career plan together. Here's Jack's career plan:

1. In the next 30 days have a meeting with the store manager to determine what qualifications are needed to get promoted to assistant store manager?

2. Complete the department manger computer training modules within the next 60 days.

3. Read two books a month on motivation, retail finance and other areas of effective supervision and management.

4. Spend time every day becoming familiar with the sales and other data important to managing his department and the entire store.

5. In the next 45 days get to know at least four personal things about each employee that works for him and each store department manager.

Depending upon the outcome of number one above Jack will have to add whatever the store manager advises him to complete. If he finds he needs to complete certain activities in a set period of time to qualify to be an assistant manger that will be added to his career plan. He will then write them out and take number one off the list. As a matter of course he should plan on talking with his assistant manger and store manager about the progress of his career plan at least every month or two and bring them up to date on his progress.

At least every three months or maybe more often Jack will have a meeting with himself. He will gage his progress and make adjustment to his career plan as required. On thing he learned when he writes out his career goals is to put the goals on index cards and have one on the visor of his car, another in his check book and another in his pocket. He plans on reading his career goals at least five times each day.

With this career plan Jack is well on his way to moving to the next level at Wal-Mart. Further, he is building the foundation to qualify himself for a store manager's position. Developing your personal career plan is not difficult if you quantify each step, don't get too far in the future, and write out your career goals, step by step.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Career Planning Ideas, valuable articles and a free seven day career planning guide. Discover up to date career and recruitment strategies at our Employment Guide all to assist you in planning and advancing your career.