The Easiest Way to Stop Procrastinating and Start a Career Development Plan
You know you need a career development plan, but you continue to find other things to do instead. Why? Perhaps career planning can be intimidating. You may be afraid to start planning because you fear you might not have all of the information you need or you may be uncertain as to whether you can succeed in your chosen career. Those are actually great reasons to start your career development plan, as the plan can help you answer those questions.
Your Career Development Plan
First things first: what is the importance of career planning and what are some of the benefits of career planning? Many people do not know what they want to be when they grow up. Actually, many adults still wonder! They go to school and take classes that are interesting to them, but they have no actual career plan. They procrastinate when it comes time to make decisions because they are not fully prepared. When this occurs, they may end up in a job that is not right for them and that does not usually have a happy ending.
3 Reasons You May Be Struggling On Your Career Path
Finding a career path that’s right for you is a key to your long term career success, yet many people struggle with choosing a rewarding path for their career. It’s not just high school seniors or those just starting a career training program who find it hard to choose a career.
What’s the answer?
When you stop procrastinating and start focusing on your career development plan, you will find that you will probably learn a lot about yourself, in the process of learning about your potential career. What is the easiest way to stop procrastinating?
Put away all the distractions and all the doubts and do the work.
Yes, it is easier to say than to do, but once you get started and the excitement starts to build about your new career plan, you can find it even easier to focus on it.
Create a timeline for getting started on your career development plan. Write the steps involved on a “to do” list and then mark off each one as you complete them. Stay focused on the end goal – planning a career that works for you!
Career plan development steps
The steps you will follow in your career planning and development are important, to find the right fit for you and your new career. Now that you have conquered your procrastination and are focusing on your exciting new career possibilities, you will start your career planning by asking questions about yourself.
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What do you do well?
- What do you dread doing?
- What kinds of chores frustrate you?
- What types of environments help you thrive?
- Where do you want to be, career-wise, in five years or ten years?
- If you are making a career transition, what skills will transfer to your new career?
The next step in the process is to determine what types of jobs fit well with the answers to those questions. In the career planning process, after identifying specific job opportunities, you should:
- Network to find people who work in the career areas you’ve chosen
- Request informational interviews with the hiring managers
- Be sure your resume accurately reflects your skills and experience, as they relate to the job opportunities
What is the final step in the career planning process? Developing the skills you need to move forward in your chosen career! At Dorsey Schools, we work with you to find the career that makes the most sense to you, based on the steps you’ve completed in your career development plan.
At Dorsey Schools, we are ready to connect with you and answer your questions about how our career training programs could help you to gain the education and skills that are generally required of specialists, technicians, and professionals working in various fields in Michigan. Specific training programs at Dorsey Schools are available in medical and healthcare, culinary arts, beauty, and skilled trades fields.
Reviewed and edited 12/6/17
