Career Management
Jamie Angiola   by JAMIE ANGIOLA  |  published Jul 31, 2020
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Career Management

Assess, Plan, & Take Action


How does Career Management apply to me?

Career management relates to how you develop personal and occupational awareness. By utilizing conscious strategies to initiate and participate in self and professional growth you will only strengthen your self-advocacy. Committing to life-long learning and expanding your network of supportive relationships will help you succeed in finding the “why” that motivates you to achieve self-fulfillment, career advancement, and financial stability.


In other words…

You are your own boss, no matter the vocation. Your career is entirely within your control as well as your actions leading towards your set goals. There may be ups and downs, uncertainties, and unforeseen challenges. But it is how you manage yourself through your wins and losses to persevere that counts and it starts right now.


Here are some key points to help get you started:


Self-Assessment:

When exploring careers and choosing an academic path, the focus can be primarily based on either emotionally or monetarily driven decisions. Though professional survival has often been based around goals of financial security, it is equally important to consider personal fulfillment and your unique learning styles in which your strengths are organically empowered.

Start by taking inventory of your interests as they will inevitably have been and will continue to be a motivator for your decisions, so why not harness them to work for you in your career? As a student or alumni your career center is a great resource to point you in the right direction as there are a myriad of assessments and career management templates to help personal realization and growth with step-by-step planning guides to structure your personal goals.


Assessment Resources:

  • The Jung Typology Test (more commonly known as the Myers-Briggs test), is an informal test that evaluates personality traits.

  • The Holland Occupational Themes assist in identifying vocations and careers that best align with the six main personality types, which are Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC).

  • Once you have discovered your own unique personality traits geared towards your career management path, you can use your Holland Code results in an application on ONET. This is extremely useful as you can explore occupations, but moreover, the “Advanced Search” can narrow down results based on your current occupation and any specific skills, including any technology and software programs you are versed in.


Set Goals:

Now that you know what you want out of your career, start setting goals to help you achieve success.

Most professionals will set multi-tiered goals for both short-term and long-term planning. Like many job interviews, you should ask yourself, “Where do I want to be in a year?” or “What do I want to be doing in five years? How about in ten years?” Try to be as clear and definitive as possible with your answers, especially for your short-term goals. Do you want to be in a management development program? Do you want to be proficient in a new skill? Or maybe you’d like to go back to school for a postgraduate degree? These are all possibilities to get you started with your 1-3 year plans.

Most importantly, share your newfound goals with your management, your mentors, and even your peers. Make sure everyone in your universe knows of your professional desires so that when opportunities come up in the future you’ll be on your management’s mind.


Take Action:

While recognizing your skill gaps and performance weaknesses are important, taking the actionable steps to fill those gaps with experience and skills is vital. Take ownership of your plans and seek out the necessary opportunities for additional training, job involvement, and/or continued education. Many companies even offer some reimbursement for training activities (such as certifications and seminars) that strengthen you as an employee. After all, your success is the company’s success! One of the greatest tools at your disposal is mentorship. Identify a person (or two) who can offer you assistance on your journey. Ideally they followed a similar path and can share their institutional knowledge on everything from skill development and networking to dress code and office politics. Essentially, try to pick someone whose success and work ethic you admire. You also don’t have to stop at just one mentor! Most professionals are more than happy to meet for the occasional coffee to answer questions and offer advice. The bigger your network, the more opportunities you have to build relationships with “informal” mentors. Ultimately, surround yourself with the best people and tools to help you meet your professional goals as quickly and proficiently as possible.

Regardless of your age, making a midlife career change is a big decision with many factors to consider. The good news is it is possible, and there is plenty of career advice for adults that can help ease the transition. At Candid Career, we have a large collection of videos that can set you on the right course. You may never “thank” your alarm clock for waking you up on a Monday morning, but there may be an alternative to dreading going to work each day. If you find it, don’t be afraid to take the leap!


Prepare to Pivot:

This process may need to be revisited often throughout your career as plans, and sometimes goals, can unexpectedly change. But sometimes change is for the better, so be open to pivot to new opportunities (whether internal or external) as that is a major part of career management. Lateral moves are also a fantastic opportunity to gain more work experience, learn new skills, and add new faces to your growing network. Keep in mind that it’s crucial to maintain your work/ life balance throughout your growing career. While it’s tempting to spread yourself thin as a new hire to impress management, eating away at your personal time will only hurt you in the long run. Your time off the clock is your time to rest, develop skills, and enjoy life!


Creating your own luck:

Lucius Seneca, an ancient Roman philosopher, famously said “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Even though it’s a bit cliché at this point, it’s absolutely true. To fill in your skill gaps, grow your network, and exude confidence as you position yourself in front of opportunity in all its many forms, consider the following approaches:

Advocate for yourself by proactively seeking out opportunities and being transparent with your supervisors and management about your interests and plans for advancement in your long-term career and in your future with your company.

Industries can be microcosms of a recurrent network of professionals in which your paths will be intertwined. Positive references and staying long enough in a position to optimize job experience and make lasting impressions before transitioning into either an internal promotion or a new position with a different company. This will safeguard your reputation within your chosen industry.

Don’t shy away from areas that need improvement as this is your chance to close any skills gaps. Make a conscious effort to integrate balance between your beginning and intermediate skill set levels to continually work on the big picture for your career management expectations.

Ask for feedback to start improving upon any skill gaps as the need arises instead of waiting for a scheduled company review. Your supervisor will want to help you succeed and your enthusiasm and willingness to ask for guidance is essential when implementing your career management capabilities.

Keeping in touch with your mentor offers multiple career perspectives that may not always align with your present position or company. By discussing multiple pathways with a mentor, you will engage in diverse experiences relating to many facets of industries, companies, careers, and skill sets to be considered within your vocation. This will help prioritize your fundamental life-fulfillment and career goals when strategizing for opportunities as they arise to stay on target for your goals.


Influence with your support

A sure-fire way to assist that upward growth is by leaving a positive impression with everyone you encounter at work. Building relationships and networking isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a necessity. Ultimately, you want your peers and managers to see you as a leader, so how you approach all the day-to-day tasks matters. Whether you are taking out the recycling or spearheading a new project you have been striving towards, it is wise to view each task as a stepping stone that allows you to self-advocate your willingness to be engaged with the overall success of the company.