Career Advice by Randy

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This is a tough question to answer for most. The day-to-day of your job or your business consumes you and often doesn’t provide the time for you to pause and reflect on where you have been, and most important, where you are going in your career. In today’s employment market, it is critical that you put yourself first and not just work - but actively manage your career. Think of yourself as the CEO of your own company - You, Inc. This is the reality of today.

We hear all too often about a friend, co-worker or client who has just had the rug pulled out from under them - they lost their job, and it was unexpected. Still others appears to have jobs and careers that, to the outsider, seem like they got it made, but we find out that they are bored, not feeling valued and not learning.

This is why having a career management plan is so very important. The experienced manager of their career is usually fully engaged in their job and continually managing their career - not simply going to work everyday - but managing their future. Managing one’s career is like managing your finances - you establish a plan, routinely monitor your results and make adjustments as the market changes to get the best return on your money. The same goes for your career - you establish a plan, timetables and measures and adjust your plan as the market or opportunities change.
To better understand what career management is, the following description accurately describes what career management is and is not. The last line is so important:

“The ability to actively manage one’s work life, make choices and career decisions in a rapidly changing environment. It is accepting responsibility for the strategic and proactive management of your career and being career-resilient and in control your own career actions and satisfaction. Career management is not job hunting - job hunting results when one does not manage their career.

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of professionals & executives who are not looking for a job, but rather seeking help with outlining and managing a career plan. In the past few month alone, I have seen even more interest in career management planning as the economy does it’s ups and downs.

Developing a career management plan is an essential tool as you navigate your way through opportunities and challenges. The plan outlines your goals and establishes planned and measured actions. For example, it could be as simple as:

Work with specialist to update resume 1/1/00 and 7/1/00 and update career journal

Attend one networking event and establish three contacts monthly

Meet with career specialists twice yearly to discuss plan, strategy and opportunities.

Passively monitor job activity in my chosen profession

Some who have active and engaged career management plans will not be pursuing a new job or business opportunity for 1 - 2 - 3 or more years, but they are planning now, creating a career journal (accomplishments, successes, what you learned and of course, what didn’t work) and using resources such as coaches and career management specialists as their guide and face to the market, so to speak. They are truly in control of their greatest personal economic resource - their business or their job.

Take this sage advice to heart:

Career management is not job hunting - job hunting results when one does not manage their career.

Commit to developing a career management plan today — and be ready for those opportunities that may be presented.

Dan Moran is President & Founder of Next-Act, a career management & transition firm located in Colonie. He specializes in helping people make career choices, and seek new jobs. He is also a Certified Facilitator for Get Hired Now! and Get Clients Now! programs which helps those in career transition and companies get results.

You can reach Dan at 641.8968 or dmoran@next-act.com
On the Web: http://www.next-act.com
blog: http://humanresourcematters.typepad.com/mattersofyourcareer/

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It is not too late to start taking steps towards debt management.