Rebecca Tee - Managing Your Career

Dorling Kindersley Limited

The Penguin Group

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First Published in paperback in 2002 by Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN: 9780751338461
Copyright 2002 Dorling Kindersley Ltd
Text copyright 2002 Rebecca Tee

This Digital Edition published 2009. ISBN: 9781405352321
E-Pub version prepared by DK Digital Content Services, London and DK Digital Media, Delhi.
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The ability to maintain a dynamic career path and develop a portfolio of skills and achievements is a must for managers. Managing Your Career shows you how to build on past experience and maximize opportunities to achieve success and fulfilment in your working life. From reviewing your current situation to exploring career options, monitoring development, and handling crises and change, all the key aspects of effective career planning are covered. With 101 practical tips scattered throughout, and self-assessment exercises that enable you to evaluate how well you have managed your career to date, this is an invaluable pocket reference for every ambitious manager.

Effective planning is at the heart of career success. Assess your position now, decide where you want to be, and then use your experience to help you map the best route for the future.

Success and happiness at work are rarely achieved by chance. Recognize that by taking a proactive approach to managing your career, you are more likely to realize your ambitions, do justice to your skills, and stay in full employment.

View managing your career as an exciting new project.

Give planning your career the time and effort it deserves.

Making wise choices

To make the most of all the career choices that face you during your working life, be clear about your goals, alert to opportunities, and quick to make key decisions when necessary. Effective planning will help you be prepared and focused, so that when you need to, you can make the right choices. Nobody wants to look back on their career at retirement and wish they had taken a different path or done things another way.

Points to remember

• A career can be likened to a journey: if that journey is to be a purposeful expedition rather than an aimless one, it will need to be managed well.
• The degree of satisfaction you gain from your work is within your own control.

Concentrate on career opportunities.

Making the most of your experience

It is rare to know from your first experience of work where you want to go next in your career. Often people find out what suits them over time, learning from their reactions to different positions, environments, roles, and responsibilities. Actively managing your career will help you use all your experience effectively, so that you avoid repeating less successful events and maximize your satisfaction with your working life. You will be better equipped to foresee situations, make sensible, realistic plans, and act upon them. As a result, you will have more confidence and be clearer about your personal priorities.

Fulfilling your potential

Taking control of your career encourages you to make the most of your capabilities so that you feel challenged and stimulated at work. Achieving career goals also brings a great sense of satisfaction.

Gaining a sense of purpose

The most successful career paths have good planning, a sense of direction, and clear milestones along the way. A career path needs to be flexible but it should always be structured. If you have a map of your intended route, you can make sure that all the activities in your working life help further your aims and give you a sense of purpose. Managing your career does not mean closing your mind to luck and chance, but involves talking and thinking about your career in a methodical way. This will help you gain further insights and recognize any opportunities as they arise, so that you can make the most of them.

Be prepared to look back as well as ahead.

Understanding Career Management

Managing your career is not an option but a necessity in order to halt or prevent career drift. Be proactive in developing your career plan so that you do not miss out on the rewards that more focus, drive, and direction can bring.

Note that career management gives you added focus in other areas of life.

Keep your longer-term career goals private.

Questions to ask yourself

• What does managing my career mean to me?
• What is the appeal of looking deeper into this subject?
• How have I managed my career so far?
• Which aspects of my career do I think need attention?
• How would I describe my career outlook?

Clarifying your journey

Just as you would not set off on a journey without a destination and a rough route in mind, so you need to plan in a similar way to make a success of your career. By being clear about how to achieve your goals, you will maximize your chances of success. If you are at all career-minded, then you may already be managing your career to some extent. However, there is always scope to raise your career consciousness through analysis and deliberation.

Investing in yourself

The concept of career management may sound daunting, especially if you feel your life is already too busy. But taking time to consider your career in detail is a valuable investment that will enable you to enrich your working life.

Working to a plan

Some people have an early career idea that sustains them for years and they dedicate time and effort to pursuing this single goal. What they gain in determination, however, they risk losing in not being adaptable and open to the unexpected. Other people are vague about what they want to achieve and are content to see what turns up in the way of career opportunities. These people benefit from being flexible over their career options but may not progress very fast. The best approach is to work to a structured plan to give you a sense of direction and prevent career drift, but at the same time staying flexible to help you adjust to changes along the way.