Why career planning is crucial for our development

One of the most significant parts of conscious career building is career planing. By practicing it we can have a sense of control and utilize our resources.

We must be aware of our responsibility in our advancement. If we don’t deal with career planning, we might find ourselves in a workplace which doesn’t satisfy our needs, and on the long-run, could contribute to chronic stress and burnout.

To be effective in planning, we must know our own needs and desires, so that we can determine what kind of company we would like to work for. To do this, we need self-awareness. We also have to realize our strengths, development areas and weaknesses. SHL can help map these qualities. Our personality questionnaires reveal information about our personalities, but also about our work ethic and our behavior in the workplace. These informations are helpful to the employer and the employee equally, for this can help decide wether the demands are in alignment. We should clarify what position we can fill at the organization, and how we can contribute to the company’s success.

Some important steps in career planning:

Building confidence – Self-awareness helps us build confidence in our ability to grow. It’s crucial to apply a growth-oriented mindset and give ourselves permission to make mistakes. A new job or the responsibilities of career building can seem scary – maybe we are experiencing a quarter-life crisis. To build a realistic self-image, we should pay attention to feedback. It can be helpful to ask for feedback in the form of informal conversations with colleagues or performance data analysis. This way we can also show initiative to our new boss and colleagues. Our 360 degree questionnaires gathers feedback from the person’s manager, peers, and clients. The results are summarized by a professional computer system.

Honesty – Honesty is a key to success. Be transparent about your abilities. Define what tasks you can complete, and what you are willing to learn. Honest answers are also needed in the case of questionnaires – this way, we don’t fool our employer and ourselves.

Open communication – It is important to understand the nature of the employer’s and employee’s relationship. Individual policies apply to this type of contact. After respect, the most substantial thing is open, productive communication. Be open to constructive criticism and feedback, if you are an employee or an employer, too. Don’t forget that behind every desk, there is a human, with individual stories, feelings and thoughts. We are diverse, we meet all kinds of people when working, who have different social backgrounds and separate life experiences. Empathy and openness is particularly significant in communicating. This way, we can create secure, trust-based relationships, where both parties can be satisfied.

In favor of our growth, we have to practice career planning. Self-awareness, honesty and open communication can help us maximize our experiences. SHL’s tools can provide further help in career building.

The original blogpost can be accessed here.