Steps to Starting a Career Plan

When working with young people in career development, by which I mean teenager to approximately age twenty-five, I find that there are most often two distinct types of clients: Those with their heads in the clouds and those who can’t get up off the ground. 

It is tough figuring out a career path. Most of us find that there comes a time when we are forced into having to earn money and we try to do it as painlessly as possible. At the same time, we know that we must knock our “growing-up” a notch or two and start planning to do more than work minimum wage jobs. 

But how to make career related decisions that move you forward when most of what you have known is being told by teachers and parents what to do next? 

Getting started on a career is largely determined by how you make decisions and what those decisions are. The first step in career development is always to undergo a self-assessment and the first question to ask yourself is, “What is my decision-making style?” 

Understanding what problems need to be solved, systematically determining fixed conditions from variables within situations, and being able to reasonably project the likely consequences of various options taken is an approach that should position you for opportunities.  

Easier said than done? Let us look at some steps that I feel young people entering the workforce with the hope of beginning some sort of career should consider. 

  • Have a career advisor. This could be a professional, family member, or trusted friend, but someone who is willing to engage you through an intelligent process of making career-oriented decisions. This could take some time, so the advisor should be someone who does not tire of the process too soon.  
  • Assess thyself. First mentioned above, the value of a self-analysis cannot be overstated. You need to know clearly what your entry levels of skills, aptitudes, talents, values and most of all interests, are. Interest precedes capacity. You will develop most that which you care about. 
  • Begin establishing your network. Building, growing, and maintaining a professional network is an important part of any serious career. Making contacts with those who share your career interests and with whom you begin networking by helping and being helped, will set you up for valuable learning and employment experiences. 
  • Build interpersonal and teamwork skills. Employers are almost always looking for people who can work together well with others. Place yourself in situations in which you learn how to get a job done with others. Join clubs, volunteer, be available to help and work with others whenever the opportunity arises. 
  • Write the first draft of your resume. Expect that your resume will undergo many iterations over the years, so the sooner you get started the better. Writing this document forces you to paint a professional self-portrait that details your significant characteristics. 
  • Complete a Myers Briggs Type Indicator. Become familiar with the construct of personality type theory and see how your personality measures up. You will learn some valuable information about yourself that will assist you in knowing how you take in and process information, make decisions, and express yourself to others. 
  • Over time, relate your skills, values, personality traits, and interests to a small set of career choices. Remember, you are not choosing the one job in your life. This is the 21st century. You will hop onto the first of many stepping-stones that will lead you on a non-linear career path with one job leading to another. 
  • Use informational interviews and job shadowing to learn more. Gather the data you need to both learn about viable career options and to begin making professional relationships that will translate into options and possibilities.   

Careers do not just happen for most of us. They are built. If you seem lost and without direction, then you need a plan. Can’t plan on your own? There is help available. Find it. 

Bill Ryan