Posts Tagged ‘career planning’

Some people are happy and content at the level they are at and have no aspirations to go further. On the other hand there are many who have a real desire to go further but are struggling to move forward. So why is this? Here are 10 reasons why you might be struggling.

Reason 1: You Don’t Really Want It Enough

Everyone wants the rewards that go with climbing the career ladder. At the same time, many don’t want to put in place the work to make it happen. Wishing is not enough; you have to have real desire.

Reason 2: You Don’t Invest The Time

If you were going to make a major purchase, I am pretty sure like most of us you would put in the time and energy to do your research before you bought. Deciding to hire someone is a major buying decision. If you are not willing to put the time in to find the right role, why should you be given a chance?

Reason 3: You Don’t Know Yourself

What I mean by this is that you don’t have at your fingertips real insights into what you do really well and what you need to develop to become even better. The truth is it is not difficult to do and is the way to unlock your hidden gems.

Reason 4: You Underestimate Your Achievements

People often in resumes and CVs fail to include achievements because they feel they are not big enough. If they are relevant, include them.

Reason 5: Your Written Materials Are Passive

When I was working in big organisations, and even today when working with my clients on their written materials, I often come across CVs and Resumes that are simply too passive and don’t grab my attention.

Reason 6: You Don’t Invest In Yourself

If you look at what differentiates successful from the less successful, the chances are that you will notice that those who get the best results invest in themselves. The challenges are just too big these days to make continued professional and personal development optional.

Reason 7: You Don’t Act On Feedback

If you have been interviewed for a role and you were unsuccessful, you can usually get feedback. Many people might go through the motions of getting feedback. Smart people will actively seek it out and act on it.

Reason 8: You Don’t Have A Strategy

A strategy is not something set in stone. Of course it needs to be flexible. At the same time, if you have something written down and actively monitor progress you are more likely to achieve it.

Reason 9: You Make Short Term Decisions

So often I see people lured by money or a quick gain into making choices that are great short term but detrimental to long term success.

Reason 10: You Don’t Bounce Back From Setbacks

We all get rejected from time to time. It’s not the rejection that is the issue, it is how you respond to it that matters. Learn to see setbacks as being part and parcel of being more successful.

The Bottom Line: Climbing the career ladder is a marathon, not a sprint, so make sure you set yourself up for success.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people to realise their professional potential and maximise their earnings. He invites you to sign up for his free audio masterclass at http://goalsandachievements.co.uk/careerladder/

When it comes to career, you obviously want to try and get as much clarity as possible about where you are heading.

At the same time, before you can start to make progress, you need to be clear about where you are starting from.

So how can you find out where you are starting from?

1. Review your career to date.
2. Identify what experience you have got so far and what’s missing.
3. Look at the feedback that you have received from appraisals or performance review meetings.
4. Think about the type of work that you are usually seen as the go to person for. This is an indication of an area of real strength.
5. Ask for some feedback from those you work with now or have worked with in the past.
6. Do some form of self-assessment.

The Bottom Line

If you are going to get choices in your career, you need to get clear on the start point.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

A personal development plan helps you to grow and achieve. 

So why do so few people take the time to create one?  Two potential reasons are:

• Lack of know how
• Fear of limiting themselves

5 key steps in creating a personal development plan

1. Do a personal stock-take of your strengths and development needs.  As well as your own assessment get the input of others.  They can often see talents that you don’t.

2. Think about what development will help you most in achieving your goals.

3. Decide which methods of delivery will have greatest impact on your learning.

4. Set out a calendar of development events for the next 12 months.

5. Put an accountability structure in place to ensure you follow through.

Benefits of creating a personal development plan

1. You give a clear message that you take your contribution to business success seriously.

2. You can start to work on the areas that are less developed so that you become even more of an asset to your employer.

3. If things are not progressing as you would like career wise you can demonstrate to a potential new employer what you can contribute with real impact.

4. You take informed choices about the type of roles you pursue rather than leaving it to chance.

5. You continue to grow, be motivated and stretch yourself to achieve what you desire.