5 Ways To Prepare Yourself For Your Future Career

In today’s rapidly changing world, staying in one career – let alone one job – until retirement is not nearly as common as it used to be. The fact is that people change jobs, and external factors force jobs to change. Career planning is a step-by-step process through which you can determine your ideal career goals and prepare an action plan to achieve them. While developing a career plan takes self-assessment, exploration, seeking advice, and can lead to a significant amount of preparation, it can be invaluable in taking your career in a direction you really want or help you step into a new career.  

What are the benefits of having a career plan? 

Career planning is a lifelong process that can help you manage important life and work decisions. Setting specific, measurable career development goals can help you choose the right career as well as successfully reaching the next level in your career. By understanding your skills, abilities, interests, and career goals, you can put strategies in place to help you achieve the things that are important to you.  

More than clarity and direction, here are four additional benefits to be found in having a career plan:  

1. Motivation and focus: With defined goals and a roadmap to achieve them, you are far more likely to stay motivated and focused. This will have a positive effect on your productivity and boost job satisfaction. 
2. Adaptability: Rather than locking you down, a career plan equips you to anticipate changes in the job market and adapt accordingly. It helps you stay proactive in acquiring new skills and grasping exciting opportunities. 
3. Informed decision-making: A well-thought-out career plan gives you the tools and insight to make informed career decisions, whether you are choosing a job or switching career paths. 
4. Career success: Ultimately, a career plan increases your chances of enjoying a successful career by ensuring that your choices and efforts are aligned with your long-term professional goals.  

What practical steps can you take to prepare yourself for your future career? 

The many different paths you can take for your future career can be overwhelming – until you break it down into actionable steps that will provide you with insight and the action steps to get you where you want to be.  

Here are the five main steps that it will take to plan and put your new career path in place: 

1. Plan your career in keeping with who you are as a person 

If you want to be happy and fulfilled, love what you do. Here are 4 very personal facets of life to consider when planning your career: 

• Consider your interests: Your interests are the things that you are passionate about. The acid test – even if you are not paid to do them, you are keen to spend time and money learning more about them.  

• Evaluate your skills: Skills are what you excel at. They can be hard or soft skills that are natural talents, or they may be areas of competency that you have developed over time.  

• Understand your values: Values reflect the ways in which you want to make a difference. By identifying your own values and what matters most to you, you can be intentional in your career search and use your values to guide your path forward. 

• Determine your preferences: Personal preferences play a key role in your career or occupation since they influence your job satisfaction. These preferences will help you decide which career path will best suit you and the work-life balance you desire. When your career allows you to do what you enjoy, use your skills, and fit in with your lifestyle, you feel more motivated.  

2. Do the research  

Conducting thorough research is essential to understanding everything you need to know about a potential career path. This includes: 

• Exploring career options: Career exploration is what you do after you have a better idea of your personality, values, skills, and interests. It involves investigating various industries and roles that align with your self-assessment results. This will give you the opportunity to narrow down your choices to a career path that fits you best. You can conduct online research about your final career choices, but the best insights will most likely come from talking to people who are already employed in the field.  

• Getting clear on growth opportunities: Look for opportunities for growth and advancement within different industries, companies, and roles. Research companies that offer career development programmes, mentorships, and clear pathways for promotion. Knowing the projected growth trends of your desired future career can help you map out a career trajectory.  

• Keeping abreast of industry trends and innovations: Stay up to date with trends and changes in your chosen industry to identify future opportunities and threats. One very current example is understanding the impact that automation and AI will have on certain jobs. This knowledge will help you prepare and pivot if necessary. 

3. Learn relevant skills 

Once you have a clear picture of your current skills, you can choose which skills and abilities you want to develop or enhance for a new job or whole new career. It is a good idea to focus on skills that are relevant and transferable to your new role or field, and that can help you stand out from the competition. Today, in the era of short-course learning, there are many ways to learn new skills, depending on your learning style, budget, and availability. You can choose from learning options, such as courses, certificates, workshops, webinars, books, podcasts, blogs, or online platforms.  

4. Get some firsthand experience  

You can also learn from mentors, peers, or experts in your new role or field, and seek their advice and guidance. Speak to experts in the field and ask if there are any opportunities to shadow them and their team for a day. You can also look for opportunities to use your skills in your current job, volunteer work, or personal projects. Volunteering, taking up an adult internship, or being open to freelance can help you gain relevant experience. 

5. Take the leap 

It has been said that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Having formulated your career plan and worked hard to prepare, do not miss the right career opportunity that comes your way for no other reason than to suddenly doubt yourself. Change is scary. Remember that doubt is a normal part of the achievement process if you wish to grow, learn, and succeed. It is not the end of the world if you change career direction, and it becomes a detour. It could be a steppingstone to exactly where you want to be. 

Over to you for sharing your comments and experiences.