Statistics show that for most people, careers consume one-half to one-third of their lifetimes. That's an incredibly huge portion of life, and yet only 20% of us have developed specific career plans to help get us to where we want to go. That doesn't seem right, does it?
The fact is, the overwhelming majority of us make decisions every day that will affect our career and where we end up in the long run, but we have no clue whether or not those decisions will point us in the direction we want to go. Many of us aren't even sure what direction that is-- we may have an idea, but we don't have a plan. And that's scary.
We've all seen our economy take a downturn in recent months. Many of our friends or family members have lost their jobs or have struggled to keep a company afloat. With all this uneasiness going around, doesn't it make sense to have a specific career plan in place?
When many of us think of career planning, we figure that all we need to know is what field we want to be in. But it's much more involved than that. Before you can even decide on a field and a course of education or action to get you there, you have to be sure that the field you have in mind matches up with your personal goals, in-born traits, family plans, and personal needs.
If you want a big family, for instance, do you want to go into a field that will require a lot of travel? Do you even know which fields are likely to require this? Some might be obvious, but many fields, depending on the location, company, and advancement you achieve, will require extensive travel that you might not expect. Have you done any research or asked for help in planning which careers match best with YOU and your needs?
Planning your career is every bit as important as planning your education, your family life, and how you want to live. Your career affects every other aspect of your life whether you realize it or not, and it's imperative that you have things planned out to avoid undue stress and failure. If you're unsure of what steps to take, or would like to take your career in a new direction, there are plenty of qualified professionals out there that can help.
Career Planning University has an e-course called Discover Your Career Passion, 25 Steps to your Ideal Career, which starts you on the career planning process.
Author Tom (TJ) Jones is founder/Director of the Career Planning University and is a Certified Career Coach and career consultant. He specializes in career planning, career development, coaching, and assessments for individuals and organizations. For more information on Discover Your Career Passion", 25 Steps to your Ideal Career go to CareerPlanningU.com
