Why You Should Have a Career Plan and How to Go About It.
If I could ask, “What influenced your career choice?”
What would be you response?
Maybe you would say, my passion is to take care of people, motivate and inspire people, fix something that if faulty, or design a simpler way to do something. So, I had loved to become a doctor, an engineer, a teacher, and this led me into choosing to study a course that would prepare me for such career path.
… Or perhaps, you are like others whose career choice was influenced by the course option their UTME score qualified them to study in the university.
Well, plan changes, and you have to go with the flow if you don’t want to be left behind by your peers. Who knows when next you will have the opportunity to be offered another admission?
Whichever of the above response is yours, accept my congratulations. At least you have taken a step towards having a career.
But, have you ever sat down deliberately, took a pen and paper and design the direction you want to take in building a successful career out of the course you study?
Maybe, Yes in your case.
But this is not so in the case of the majority of Nigeria students.
That is one of the challenges of studying in Nigeria. It is not compulsory you study your course of choice, or work in the area of the course you studied. Whatever course option you are offered admission for, just grab it and go get the certificate.
After all, in getting a job, it is not what you study in the university that matters, it is who you know.
This simple statement has made a lot of students to be ignorance of the kind of career they wanted to build let alone developing a career plan and as a result has left majority of Nigeria graduate in a state of confusion of what direction they want their life to take.
If are a student or graduate and this is your case, I congratulate you.
Because, it’s never too late to have a plan.
Why should you have a career plan?
First, a career plan is a key to successful career, the successful people in the world Jack Ma, Bill gate, Dangote, Mark Zuckerberg and many others did have plans, they don’t just leave themselves wandering around and accidentally walked into becoming successful, they follow their plan religiously and dynamically. When it is necessary to change a plan, or modify it, they do and move on.
So, campus success coach does think having a career plan is crucial for everyone who want to have a successful career path.
Although things may go automatically as you want but, I bet you can’t be too sure of what the future hold for you. A career plan embodies all necessary steps in the career process such as self-assessment, career goal, career counselling, action plan etc.
What is a career plan?
Career plan is a systematic design of continuous step-by-step practical approach that allows you to determine your ability, interest, skills, and other actions to be taken in order to achieve your career goals. It includes an overview of all the process necessary you take to hit your goals.
Why is career plan important?
A career plan helps you identify the right direction to set your career, it helps your identify your passion, your strength and weakness, your talent, explore career options and potentials, actions to be taken, and most importantly your overall expectation.
Without a career plan. You likely to be going everywhere and try out everything you think would work without having a sense of purpose. Chances are you would miss out important opportunities in the process which could cause a big regret and that is if you later realize.
I give you a case study.
I finished my Higher National Diploma (HND) degree in Physics Electronics summa cum laude with little or no career sense. I had no career plan let alone explored available options. I was privileged to be posted to a research institute for youth service where I served the role of laboratory technologist.
Being a federal government establishment my duty was occasional, in fact I was given a whole two bedroom flat in the staff quarters along with another corps member and asked not to border myself coming to office daily.
I spent most of my time in the institute library reading all sort of science research jargons, go to tutorial centers in neighboring city to teach Physics and occasionally go to the laboratory where I learn to use few laboratory instrument.
After the completion of my youth service, it was time to seek employment, I had no direction of where to apply to, so I applied for any physics related jobs, attend interviews with outsourcing companies and even applied to teach in secondary schools.
I took lots of wrong steps before I finally figured things out and later drew a career plan. I only go for what’s on my plan and make changes where necessary. Within two week, exactly two months and two weeks after my youth service I landed my choice employment as a laboratory service technology, and the rest was a story.
So, how do you go about designing a career plan?
1. Self-Assessment
This study of your strengths, passions, and financial needs is very operational to set a plan. This is because it explores your potentiality in a career search.
To critically evaluate yourself, it’s important you focus on two important things.
Firstly, know yourself: who are you? What talent do you possess? What’s your passion? If you can’t figure these out by yourself, try to sample the opinion of people closer to you what they think you love doing and what talent they think you’ve got.
Secondly, your profession: what would you love to become. Mark up your interests, skills, and qualification as well. Definitely, you have to follow your heart to set your plan.
2. Consult with a Counselor or Someone who is successful in your career choice’
Having someone to consult can help you greatly. It will help you to form your plan accurately and safes you from taking some wrong steps. For instance, you can consult career counselor in your school, or someone near you that you so much admire and get inspired by his success. A career advisor will evaluate your career resources, your abilities, and passions. He will guide you to identify career options and show you some opportunities.
Consider Third Factors
Not everything goes as planned, you should have a mind of “what if? Then what?” that is, you should seriously consider other factors beyond your personal choice. Ask yourself what other thing I can do if this plan doesn’t work out, if you can identify that then try to explore the other vital qualifications required to get your desired job. Does it require other education or training? Besides, what are the other influencing factors in your life that may affect your preferences? If any, make a plan to solve them. Consult with friends, family members, and advisors.
Make Decision
Make a firm decision to commit yourself to you goals, prioritize your dream and follow your heart. Take into account your skills, passion and happiness, keep it in mind that any decision you take is essential for your whole life.
Take Aggressive Action
The most wittily crafted plan will never see the light of the day if no action is taken. You can’t afford to buy a beautiful care and expect it to drive you around by itself without taking the driver sit.
Get into to action, execute your plan step by step and make changes or seek help where necessary. Be determined and consistent in your action, then trust the process.