Trying to build and manage a successful technology career by the seat of your pants isn’t always a great idea. Making the effort to develop a strategic career plan — with both long-term and short-term goals — gives you a better shot at a rewarding professional life. Having a well-formed plan helps you easily handle any sudden changes — whether they are work-related or personal.
Read further if you are interested in crafting a plan to give you an idea on how to navigate an IT career possibly decades-long. Hopefully, these insights keep you on a path towards professional success.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
The first step in any career plan involves analyzing what you want out of life — both professionally and personally. Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to own your own technology startup someday? Are you a people person hoping for a successful life in technology sales or marketing?
Answering these questions first helps ensure you set realistic goals to serve as the focus of your career plan. Be sure to take into account any financial goals as part of this first exercise.
Identify Your Top Skills and Abilities
Carrying on with the self-analysis, perform a complete skills assessment; writing down all your technical abilities and soft skills while assigning a rating point to each. This exercise gives you a good idea of what career path is most compatible with you as a professional. Asking a trusted work colleague for their objective view of your skills helps keep things realistic
Formulate a Collection of Short- and Long-Term Goals
Armed with the information from your self-analysis, create a set of both short-term and long-term goals. Look at time periods of a few months to a year or two for the short-term; while long-term goals are five years down the road and longer. Rank each goal by its importance to your career, as it helps you set priorities in the future.
Try to link goals together if you need to achieve one to be able to strive for another. Earning an advanced degree before getting an office in the executive suite is an example of two linked goals.
Steps to Execute Your Career Plan
Once your career goals are sufficiently defined, the last part of your plan involves taking the steps to achieve those goals. Create a set of actionable steps for each goal in your plan. With your career plan now complete, review it with your recruiter and any trusted co-workers.
Working with a trusted technology recruiter on developing and executing your career plan remains a smart idea. As one of the top IT staffing agencies in Cherry Hill, NJ, Synerfac employs great recruiters able to help take your career to a higher level. Connect with us today!