Craft a Personal Career Plan
You're (almost certainly) going to miss every time you don't aim.
Not many of us would leave our home without a destination in mind, especially if you knew it was a one-way trip (e.g. "time"). And for those that would, perhaps this article isn't really your preferred flavor. (And by the way, it's fine to be a "wanderer" if that's your intention, but even that is a "plan." Wandering is what you've aimed for. Fun!)
But for the rest of us, I propose to you that your achievements, your success, and ultimately your satisfaction with your career or business will be directly related to the amount of effort you put into planning for them.
I'm not suggesting that nice surprises don't happen--they do! Occasionally there are serendipitous events that work in our favor, and we should be grateful for every one of these; but the longer I live (and work), the less I prefer to leave things to chance, if I can help it.
So, that leads me to this article about crafting (writing) out a personalized career development plan. It may sound a bit daunting at first, but it's not really.
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| Image generated by ChatGPT on 01 Oct 2024 |
Why Make a Career Plan?
There is something valuable about physically (or digitally) writing your targets down as opposed to just holding them in your memory. Don't believe me? Fine. But I'm not alone in this assertion. Check out these articles:
How to Make a Career Plan
There is no "perfect" or "correct" way to make the plan, but it should be catered to your personality and what you feel is achievable, challenging, and maybe even on the edge of impossible. It's better to aim high, miss, and be in a very good place than to aim low, achieve, and be in a just okay place.
Although there isn't a cookie cutter way of doing this, there are some guiding principles that you can follow if you're new to the exercise, such as...
Content
As I mentioned above, the aspirations that you include in your career plan should be things that you believe are personally achievable for you. Don't mimic someone else's plan because it looks/sounds cool, or because you feel embarrassed about your limitations. You have to see the vision of what you can become, otherwise it's just pie-in-the-sky wishes.
For example, you may aspire to become a New Your Times best-selling author of historical fiction novels. Great! Put that in your plan--but only if you can see yourself in that life. If it seems completely out of the question, then either A) ask yourself if perhaps that's someone else's dream for you, or B) spend some time self-reflecting on what you believe about yourself.
These plans are only as impactful as your confidence that you can achieve them.
And on that note, your plan should challenge you to stretch outside of your current "box" or comfort zone. If it's not, then it's not much of a development plan. So, as your write it, make sure that the aspirations are a healthy balance between stretching you beyond your current self but not so outlandish that you never start pursuing it.
For example, while I'm writing this article, I'm 40 years old. I'm not going to include in my career plan to start training for Olympic athletic events. I know that time has passed for me (if there ever was one), so I acknowledge my physical and biological limits. I'm a firm believer in realism; so, while it sounds nice to say "anything is possible," it's not. At least not yet (until we solve aging and reverse telomere loss; but I'm not holding my breath).
And remember, your plan is important, but it's not a blood oath etched into stone. It's shapeable, moldable, and flexible to you as you change and grow.
Timing
The time aspect is not meant to be precise, in my opinion; but some people may disagree about that. If you're more "type A," go ahead and be precise; but don't get mad at me if things don't pan out with the same precision that you hoped for. Life is fully of twists and turns, uncertainty and risk. For that reason, I'm a fan of time ranges that make sense.
Short/Near-Term (1-5 years)
Include a category of "near term" targets, which are aspirations that you see in the near future because you've rubbed shoulders with these ideas already and are likely on track to be there. There's a clearer vision for near term targets, so it's a good idea to be more specific in what you're trying to achieve.
Example 1: In the next 2 years, launch a campaign to become state treasurer.
Example 2: In the next 3 years, grow my business beyond $0.5M in annual sales.
Example 3: In the next 5 years, take on a leadership role of a department with 25+ people reporting to me.
Mid-Term (5+ years)
This category is optional but may include necessary stepping stones to your long-term goals. Since career development can take a lot of zigs and zags, the mid-term goals can fluctuate a lot; and that's okay. Don't sweat the ambiguity.
Example 1: In 7-10 years, get elected to a public office at the state level.
Example 2: In 7-9 years, sell my business for at least $5M.
Example 3: In the next 8-10 years, become an executive at a Fortune 500 company.
Long-Term (10+ years)
My suggestion is to start writing the long-term goals first, and develop the rest with the end in mind.
This category is the most important because it provides you with the vision of your future and sets the standard for your mid- and short-term targets. Clearly, if you have world class long-term targets, then your supporting targets needs to be appropriately aggressive.
Example 1: In 12-15 years, campaign to become a state senator and/or President of the United States.
Example 2: In 10-12 years, use proceeds from sale of my first business to launch my own investment firm.
Example 3: In the next 12-15 years, become a recognized thought leader in the synthetic biology field.
Actions
While you are writing out your plan, compare where you want to be with where you are based on self-reflection and feedback from others. You will (or should) identify gaps in your skillsets, your mindset, or other areas; and it will be up to you to define how you will fill those gaps. Most of the time they will be filled by experience, training, and/or education; but you need to add in the specifics.
For example, if you plan to become a full-time investor but you don't understand much about the tax code, you may decide to work for a few years at an accounting firm or sign up for online accounting classes to bolster your knowledge.
These actions should be concrete and specific items, not ideas or loose commitments.
For example, do NOT write something like, "Get better at accounting."
The action should be more like, "Enroll in XYZ University's 6-month accounting program beginning in Spring of 2025."
And remember, there's nothing forcing you to spend money on these actions. There is a plethora of free online courses and training modules available today that can help you get to the next step in your development. Growth doesn't necessarily need to be expensive. But on the other hand, investments in yourself pay some of the highest returns.
Outro
Let's wrap up with some general advice on making your career development plan.
First, thinking and meditating on your aspirational targets is the most important step in all of this. Don't make this another cycle of New Years Resolutions that you write down and forget about it. You should be thinking about this for days, weeks, or even longer; and you can't let yourself forget about it. Do the prep work, and you will reap the reward(s).
Second, keep the plan clear and simple. Don't overcook it. You should be able to fit the whole thing on one page with 11- or 12-point font.
Third, update your plan at least once per year, if not more frequently. Any time you sense a change in your passions or the vision you have for the future, update the plan. It won't help you if it's outdated.
Lastly, keep the plan in front of you. Print it out, if you need to, and laminate a copy of it to keep at home and/or at work (if those are not the same place). Make it your desktop computer and/or smartphone background. Do what you need to so that your mind keeps the targets in your subconscious.
If you want to discuss career development plans, let's connect online (see 'Connect' section on left sidebar).
