Once you come to understand your career orientation you should begin to develop a career action plan. Developing a career action plan is really a six step process:
- Establish your career priorities
- Articulate your vision
- Inventory your current skills and resources
- Identify your deficiencies
- Set goals
- Evaluate opportunities
The first step in developing a career action plan is to determine the aspects of your career that are most important to you at this point in your life. Remember the tradeoffs that were discussed earlier? This is where you will begin to evaluate your interests, values, priorities and circumstances to produce a generic job profile that is most likely to satisfy your needs.
- Flexibility
- Autonomy
- Upward mobility
- Prestige
- Security
- Recognition
- Income
- Healthcare benefits
- Power & control
- Education & training benefits
- Comfortable working environment
- Social interaction
- Home based work opportunities
- Reasonable workload
- Predictable schedule
Articulating a vision implies looking out at least five years and determining where you want to be and what you want to accomplish. One of the fundamental criteria for developing a compelling vision is the ability to recognize your own potential. It is the recognition of this potential that will bring a bold vision statement to life.
Your vision should be consistent with your career priorities and personality orientation. An effective vision will require that you elevate yourself to a new career plateau. Your vision should be realistic and attainable but it should also call for a significant amount of planning and effort.
What position would you like to hold?
What type of organization would you like to be a part of?
What type of work would you like to be doing?
What income do you hope to be earning?
Inventorying your current skills, education and experience will allow you to establish a resource baseline. This baseline will serve as the starting point for future career development activities.
What are my existing personality strengths?
What are my relevant skills?
What professional contacts do I have?
What qualifying experience do I have?
Do I have a positive attitude? If not, why not?
What education and training have I completed?
What certifications do I have?
Do I interact well with people?
What management, supervisory, or oversight experience have I had?
How is my work ethic?
How willing am I to invest time and resources in updating my skills and education?
How willing am I to acquire new and requisite experience?
How willing am I to invest time and resources in the job search process?
Evaluate the skills inventory list that you created in Step 3 against the backdrop of your five-year vision. Do you possess the skills, experience and attributes necessary to fulfill that vision? If your vision is lofty you will almost certainly be lacking in a number of important areas. In this step you will identify the skill and education gaps that will need to be filled in order to achieve your objectives.
What education and training will you need to possess?
What specific experience will you need to have?
What personality traits do you need to work on?
What skills do you need to develop?
What certifications should you have, if any?
The answers to these questions will be the basis for the goals that you will set in Step 5.
As you become aware of the aspects of your career preparation that require attention, you should begin to prioritize them according to their level of importance to your career. Then develop a set of concrete goals that will allow you to eliminate your deficiencies.
As you set these goals be realistic about expectations and timelines. Don't try to take on more than you can reasonably manage at one time. Be specific and do your homework. Understand exactly what steps will be required to achieve each goal.
The final step in developing a career action plan is to translate your hard work and preparation into new career opportunities. This means identifying and evaluating a variety of alternatives that fit your desired career profile.
There are numerous sources of employment information. Be creative and consider the following options:
- Help wanted ads
- Industry publications
- Professional organizations
- Industry associations
- Headhunters
- Employment agencies
- Job fairs
- Trade shows
- Conferences
- Career counselors
- Career web sites
- Hospitals and hospital web sites
- Medical Transcription Companies and web sites
Networking has proven to be one of the most effective career advancement tools. Learn to capitalize on the broad network of friends, associates and acquaintances that you already have and then add to that network over time. Consider the following sources as you build your own network database:
- Previous Supervisors
- Previous Co-workers
- Fellow Employees
- Industry Acquaintances
- Customers
- Competitors
- Alumni
- Professors
- Advisors
- Family
- Extended Family
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Members of Clubs, Organizations, and Religious Groups
A hot lead or proper introduction from a member of your network will create a significant competitive advantage and improve your odds of success dramatically. Some of the best opportunities you are likely to encounter will come as you develop and manage your career network.
As you evaluate your career opportunities, ask yourself if you are willing to take an appropriate amount of risk. In order to achieve a lofty vision, it is generally necessary to assume a certain amount of risk. This does not imply that you should be making reckless decisions, but a reasonable amount of calculated risk will often pay enormous long-term dividends. If you are stuck on a dead-end street because you lack the resolve to exit your comfort zone, perhaps you should consider taking a chance on a new opportunity.
