Job Training & Career Education Are Key Strategies
Savvy job seekers have a career development plan that includes critical job training and career education strategies to get ahead.
Do you aspire to a specific type of job, but you don't really have the skills? Or you lack confidence in your abilities?
Or, maybe you have the skills, but you lack credibility because you're not certified and certification is required by most employers?
It could even be that the career path you've chosen will require you to get an advanced degree through some kind of higher education.
Whatever the case may be, it's important that you have a personalized career development plan that will take you where you want to go.
In today's tough and competitive job market, employers are demanding more skills and knowledge from their employees while providing less on-the-job training. It is for this reason also that career education is now becoming more critical than ever to your future career success.
What (Exactly) Is a Career Development Plan?
One way of describing it is a plan for developing knowledge, skills and attitudes through a systematic program of learning experiences that will help you make informed decisions about study and work options that will in turn assist you in participating in the career of your choice.
Whew! That's a mouthful, isn't it? Let's simplify...
In the most basic terms, a career development plan will include:
Career goals
Researching career options
Needed job training & career education
Action steps to achieve the training & future jobs in the career
Let's look at each area in turn...
Set Specific Career Goals First
The first step in your career development plan is to figure out exactly what it is you want to do in terms of a job.
If your plan doesn't include career goals, then you might as well abandon it. Goals help you focus, but more importantly, they give you something to shoot for... and—when written correctly—they are a ruler against which you can measure your future career success.
Some careers sound great... on paper. But when you find out what they really entail, they may lose some of their glow. So before you commit to a career, find out all you can about it.
You can search the Internet, talk to other people doing the job, talk to prospective employers, or even get help from a career coach. You might even want to check out books about different careers, such as
SmartJobGuides
.
As you do your research, be sure to aim at learning exactly what skills, experience, and training (or even a degree) are needed for that job.
The important thing is to get the facts, so you can make an informed decision.
Then, Investigate Job Training Options
If you need career education and training, find out what options are available to you, for example:
On-the-job training, through an internship or apprentice program
If you need more experience, talk to your employer (or a new one) about the possibility of getting an internship (even an unpaid one, if you can afford it).
If you need more college education, then take a look at ...
Individual college classes, such as those offered by
Thomson Direct
College Degrees—
CollegeRecruiter.com
is a great one-stop destination for finding the right college...
Finally, Put Your Plan Into Motion
An old saying goes, "Even the longest journey starts with a single step." Remember that, and try not to get overwhelmed with all you need to learn.
Lay out your career development plan in step by step fashion... one action step for each task along the way. Aim high, but don't expect to get there all at once.
Get Your Job Seekers' Power Pack!
Download this series of 5 concise reports about every aspect of the job hunt, including writing a powerful resume, crafting persuasive cover letters, succeeding at job interviews, and more. Don't miss this opportunity to change your life for the better!
