Crafting a Winning Career Strategy

Just secured your first job? Or are you tired of treading water at work and want to get ahead in your career?

As things in the workplace continue to change so quickly and dramatically and with the recent wave of massive layoffs, mergers, and company closings that seems will not end anytime soon as our roller–coaster economy continues to move forward, one’s work, education, and drive will not anymore be enough to get you a lock on the job market or continue to keep you successful in your chosen career.

If you want to find your stride at work and attain professional success, just like today’s most successful organizations, you must use a systematic process to plan your next moves. In essence, to manage your career successfully, craft and implement a career strategy that is fluid, flexible, and adaptable.

In crafting your winning strategic career plan, you must first put your plan in writing. That’s right; you need to have an actual on–paper or on–computer document, outlining where you stand in your career, where you want to go, and how you are going to get there. The best laid plans are those which are 3–5 pages long, quite detailed, and often include time lines that will measure how you are doing versus your plan.

Bear in mind that any plans, even those best–laid plans, are not cast in stone and meant to be a truly dynamic piece of work.

Given that we are in a change–a–minute business environment, it is important that you make time to review your plan, at least once each month, as well as make any necessary updates and adjustments.

Do a current career assessment. Be open and honest in looking at where you are currently in your career. Then identify and make a list of both your strengths and weaknesses. Ask some feedback from people you trust and respect what they think your strengths/ weaknesses are.

Once you have identified your strengths and weaknesses, start to consider what it means with regards to what additional information or assistance you might need to get your skills in–line with your workplace.

Consider undergoing further professional growth and professional advancement. Remember that all careers involve a continuous life cycle of job searching and undertaking tasks that provide the opportunity for growth from one level to another.

Identify and make lists of specific opportunities and threats that you see on your current career path. If you can’t determine what they are, ask from experts on the subject like investment bankers, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and others as they are in–tune with this subject matter.

Craft a specific career vision–statement that best describes what you would like your career to look like. Then develop an action–plan. Think tactically by being specific on the actions you will take to move your career forward. If one doesn’t work, be ready to take new steps. Bear in mind that this step is an on–going process.

Finally, draw up an implementation–plan. Don’t forget to develop and determine a timeline of activities on when exactly you want to achieve these goals and objectives. A winning career strategy often involves scheduling time each day to carry out the plans. As every successful individual who had taken their careers to the next levels know that plans without specific timelines ? having a specific time to do them within a certain period of time as well as having time to measure the results and make adjustments accordingly ? are ineffective.

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