What Is Career Management? Your Long-Term Strategy for Career Success

Career management is a hot topic in business, but how many people really think about what it means, who's responsible for it, and how to go about it in an effective manner? If you ask your friends what they do to manage their career, how many can give you a coherent answer? What does career management mean to you, and what do you do to proactively manage your career?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to "manage" something means to handle or direct something with a degree of skill, to treat something with care, or to work upon or try to alter something for a purpose. Therefore, to effectively manage your career, you must skillfully direct your career with a purpose and with care.

A career that is successfully managed has a defined direction and objectives. Milestones and goals are set so that progress can be measured. Needs for growth and development are identified. Options and opportunities are assessed according to whether they are likely to move the career toward the vision.

On the other hand, a career that is not actively managed tends to meander. Direction may be changed and changed again, but without purpose or direction. Skills and abilities are not nurtured or cultivated. Opportunities may be missed, while others may be taken despite the fact that they do not bring meaning, enjoyment, or long-term progression.

Sometimes people think they do not have to manage their careers because their company will do it for them, but this is attitude can be self-defeating. You are your own best advocate. Do not relegate your advocacy, support, and best interest to anyone else. Take control, and make a commitment to yourself to be your own supporter and promoter.

Career management is not something you suddenly achieve, or a point where you say "I'm done!" It is part of the journey through life and work, something you do continually to ensure your career and life reflects and honors your strengths and who you are.

To effectively manage your career, you'll first need to do some basic career planning: clarifying your vision of your career into the future, and identifying what skill gaps or other obstacles may be standing in your way. You will want to set some goals and milestones so you can track your progress.

Next, consider your personal brand at work. Does how you're perceived in the office accurately reflect your strengths, value, and career aspirations? Take a look at what you're known for, your physical appearance, the projects you're working on, and when people ask for your advice and assistance. If these are in line with where you're going, great. If not, it's time for a personal brand make-over. These can take time, as you'll need to pay attention to how you act, what you say, what you work on, and how you look over a period of time, and adjust as needed.

Finally, constantly be on the lookout for opportunities to grow in line with your career vision. While this includes promotions and job openings, also consider volunteering for projects or teams where you can gain additional critical skill sets, become known as an expert in an area aligned with your vision and interests, or gain you exposure with people who can help you in your career. Find a mentor within (or even external to) your organization and solicit their advice and knowledge regularly. Consider taking courses or getting certified if these actions are applicable to your situation.

Remember that career management is an ongoing process, and should be regularly reviewed, measured, and adjusted. Make it a priority, and direct your career with skill, purpose and care.

If you liked this article, Lauren invites you to visit http://www.careerevolutiongroup.com for additional resources and advice to assist you in strategically managing your career and team. Sign up for the biweekly newsletter containing valuable articles and tips, and receive the special report "Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Role!" as her gift to you.

Lauren's passion and talent for helping people connect the dots between their current job situations and their ideal outcomes led to her specialization in the field of strategic career coaching. She has dedicated the rest of her professional life to showing people how work can be enjoyable, meaningful, values-based and balanced. Careerevolution Group was formed to transform people's experiences of work so they can enjoy their success!

Career Moves Strategy To Beat The Jobs Slump

Plan your career moves wisely... you can't afford not to when the job market's as bleak as it now is. Good career planning safeguards your job security. Even if your current job abruptly vanishes because of unexpected events (eg company mergers, deep government spending cuts and the like), it'll help you find a new job faster.

This article covers the 3 simple steps you take to create an effective career moves strategy that protects you in bad times and helps you prosper when there are more opportunities.

Developing your strategy requires some hard thinking about previous and future career moves but nothing too complicated. It calls for a bit of research and data collection (not much) and enough confidence in your own judgement to take important decisions about your future without having perfect information.

As the first step in planning your career moves strategy, take a long, hard look at the job you've got. This is easier to do if you're able to consult key documents such as your job description, recent appraisals, personal training records and any information you've got about loved and loathed work assignments. You'll still be able to go ahead, though, even if you can't get hold of these documents.

Ask yourself is your job a "good enough" fit for you? Do you enjoy it? Do your bosses see you as having at least average potential for further promotion?

If any of your answers are "no, not really", the most urgent of your career moves is to home in on the precise reasons for the problems with your current job and remedy them before your career development suffers worse damage or you need to look for another job.

For example, suppose your boss never chooses you for the high prestige roles that would help you make future career moves. Instead of silently resenting his favouritism, turn detective and find out why these tasks are offered to your colleagues. Are your colleagues more savvy than you are at monitoring what's going on in the workplace (so they grab the good career opportunities before anyone else spots them)? Have they particular skills, acquired through attending a company course you could also attend? Find out the special reasons that give your colleagues an advantage over you, then use what you've discovered to put yourself on an equal footing.

If the job problems facing you are bigger than you can tackle on your own, consider working with a career counsellor to review your present position and work out your best career moves from here.

Having reviewed your current job, check what would happen if you had to find a new one (everybody needs a Plan B). Go online, tap in [your job title] jobs. The jobs market is lousy at present but does your speciality offer as many career moves with acceptable salaries as any other? If not, you've had a wake up call to review and change your career path.

There's a reasonable number of vacancies at your level... Are you a competitive candidate for them? The online job ads will soon show if you're short of an essential qualification or need to top up your achievements in particular areas of your job. In career planning today, it's sometimes as helpful to be a good candidate for sideways career moves as for promotion.

Last step in planning your career moves strategy.... Go online again and check the availability and requirements of jobs more senior to your own (those promotion spots you'll apply for in the next few years). If all's well, you know you've reasonable prospects for enjoying a good and secure career.

It's your responsibility to plan your future career moves - no-one else will take as anywhere near as much interest in your personal progress, income and job satisfaction. Good career planning gives you a much, much better chance of making the career moves you want and of avoiding becoming one of the desperate many looking for anything they can get at a half-way decent salary. You'll also stand out as one of the very, very few candidates able to explain their career path and future ambitions convincingly at interview!

Linda Whittern is Director of Careers Partnership (UK), a consultancy providing one to one career planning and advice for people at all stages of their careers. If your career is stuck, see what we can do to help.