Where Are You In the Career Planning Process?
Unhappy with your job? What do you need to do?  

Step 1 - Take a clinical look at yourself. Who are you? For many people the career they are in was ‘chosen’ based on a false notion that each of us needs to “become something”, not recognizing that all of us are something already. The fact is that all of us have certain innate preferences and predispositions that automatically prepare us for a particular range of careers. So in Step 1 we ask you to look at your own unique personality strengths and weaknesses. What are the things you are naturally good at? There are a variety of assessments that allow persons to clearly identify these. Once you have completed this exercise, you can move forward more meaningfully.

Step 2 - Look at how your strengths and weaknesses tie into the real world of work. Personality strengths are often work-related strengths. How do these strengths naturally fit you for a job? Naturally good with numbers?  Careers in Actuarial Science or Financial Planning may be ones that you could do comfortably.

Step 3 - Consider your criteria for job satisfaction.  What are the factors that appeal to you most in work situations? Opportunities to work alone or with other people? Multi-tasking or focusing on a single task at a time? Once you identify the criteria for job/career satisfaction, rank them. What is #1, 2, and 3?  Research has shown that money is never a primary satisfaction goal. If this were the case, people wouldn’t chose work, stealing is an easier option.

Step 4 - Examine the jobs you have had based on your criteria for job satisfaction. Have any of your jobs satisfied criteria #1, #2 or #3?  The job that satisfied your top 3 criteria, would be the one to spend the bulk of your work life doing.

Step 5 – Determine what really interests you. What are the things that you enjoy so much that you would do them for free if you could afford to? Let your mind wander, be as open as possible. Identify the things that would make you jump out of bed each morning.

Step 6 - Make a list of your skills. Most people underestimate the range of skills that they have. Look at the broad range of skills - technical and people skills. This is critical because you will see options that you can apply yourself to. If these skills are underdeveloped, would you be willing to go back to school? How much time and money would you be willing to spend?

Step 7 - Look carefully at the variety of careers that compliment the person that you already are. Look first at the careers options that other persons who share your personality type were attracted to and successful at. We would encourage you to think of any career options that you have considered and to take a more careful look at them.

Step 8 - Evaluate your career options and filter them through 3 sets of lenses.

• Lens #1: Which options allow you to use your best skills and abilities? Rank them in order.
• Lens #2: Which options allow you to use your work related strengths?
• Lens #3: Which careers meet your criteria for job satisfaction?

You will now have a short list to look at more carefully. You will need to examine the employment outlook for the various options. What is the education and training required? How much do you already have? What are you willing to get?

Step 9 – Do your research by talking to people who are already in the fields that meet your criteria. Call them or write to them. There is a big difference between reading about a job in the abstract versus talking to people who are actually in the job. Research local publications like The Business Observer to see what issues are being discussed that concern your potential fields.

You are now in a good position to start moving ahead. You have looked at the critical areas, you have evaluated your career options (and not in terms of some arbitrary factors), and you have begun to chart a course to become what you already are. You are now ready to make the transition. You can do further evaluations. How badly do you need to make the change? How much of a pay cut are you actually willing to take in order to make the transition? Are you willing to take the risk to move from where you are now to where you honestly believe you need to be? It is never an easy choice. This is why paradoxically, people whose jobs have been made redundant often find it easier to make career shifts - there is nothing to go back to. For them it is clear that when one door closes, another is opened.

Dr. Semaj is a frequent facilitator for Strategic Planning Retreats, Cultural alignment and Organizational Restructuring. He conducts Staff Selection and Development Programmes for different business sectors across the Caribbean.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Change Your Career – Part One