Plan Your Career

1. Define your values. What is important to you? Do you prefer autonomy? Do you prefer structure? Working many hours? Do you want to find a job with an important paycheck? These are crucial questions you should answer as they will impact your long- and short-term happiness.
2. Know your strong sides. A study shows that the main key to success is utilizing our strengths, and avoiding activities revealing your weaknesses. People typically make the mistake when trying to turn their weaknesses into strengths. Such efforts are useless.
3. Evaluate your skills. Use a so-called core competency tree diagram. Its purpose is to bundle your strongest skill as the trunk with your remaining skills as the branches. Such an exercise will be effective in defining the most viable skills you bring to the table.
4. Research. Typically people select the wrong careers as they do not know the diversity of vocations existing within their area of study. This results in disenchantment and misemployment and. Time spent researching the profession you plan to undertake as well as the area you want to enter is important. Part of the research muct include conducting info interviews with the people doing what you want to do, visiting web sites containing blogs, which are written by persons in your selected area, and reading trade nespapers and magazines, which contain stories concerning the shakers and movers in your industry.
5. Make your plan. The plan will provide you with a sense of direction helping you attain your goals.