Abstract
Career management is all about the nurturing and building of one’s reputation and skills. This issue has been described by many scholars as a very fundamental venture, especially in this twenty-first century. Many people are known to be good managers of their finances, children, homes, and even relationships. There are however few good career managers. Management of one’s career can be quite a bother and pain in one way or the other.
Many people who are carrying out career management in their lives have been compelled by various reasons. These include stiff competition in the job market. It is very clear that a job is never as demanding as the overall efforts of carrying out research and even securing a job. Career planning is an integral part of career management. This involves different stages like self-analysis, goal setting, opportunities, matching and mismatching, action planning, implementation and finally reviewing the plans.
Introduction
Today’s job market is quite competitive in nature. This makes career management to be a very essential topic, especially in this twenty-first century. This topic can best be defined in many words. It is highly linked to individuals making decisions and choices in line with their professions of choice. It is also very clear that the current business environment is more challenging than before and therefore individuals have the challenge of revisiting this process more often.
Career management is a topic that is relevant and also carried out both at the individual and management levels. Career management is more so important to working people. This topic is closely linked to stress management. It is also very important that careers that have no boundaries be managed too. This venture also involves individuals taking care and the overall control of their development. This paper is an in-depth analysis of career management topics. (Ball, 2006)
Overall view
Research shows that employers may not be highly concerned about their employees’ careers. It is therefore very essential that individuals be responsible for their own career development. This is vital as it affects their portfolio and their employment status in the long run. An essential aspect of career management is career planning.
This is where there is the involvement of step-by-step actions or processes. In this case, the person involved chooses a career goal. The next step involves the formulation of different strategies that enhance the achievement of the goals chosen. After strategies are formulated, there is continuous reviewing of the individual’s progress in the career and thereafter the corrections are made accordingly.
This is highly known to be continuous in nature. It can actually take quite a long time and sometimes an individual’s lifetime. Research shows that many people are prone to carrying out planning in relation to their finances and family etc. It is however not a common thing for many people to plan their careers.
Research shows that many people just take actions in relation to their careers based on opportunities that they get in life. It is however highly recommended that people plan their careers in relation to their goals in life. As earlier on illustrated, there are various steps that need to be taken when one is planning their career. (Fisher, 2005)
Analyzing oneself
This is the first step that has to be taken in any career management process. It is quite important that an individual carries out self-analysis before they make vital decisions about their career. At this stage, one has to identify his general weaknesses and strengths. One has to clearly identify his or her guiding principles and values at large.
This is because research reveals that a person’s goals have to rhyme with his or her principles and values in order for the person to be successful. It is important that a person maintain a notebook where he or she records these factors. After identifying these aspects one can then go ahead to the next step. (Butler, 2006)
Setting goals
This is also one of the most essential aspects of career management. It is clear that an objective analysis is important at this point in time. This is whereby an individual analyzes both their aspirations and their needs in life. These two factors always give a person direction concerning their goals in career fields. At this stage, individuals have to ensure that they do this with a clear focus where they have a clear picture of what they need to be in the long run. This means that the mind has to be clearly anchored towards the finishing point.
It is important that an individual asks him or herself various questions. These questions include where they see themselves in the next five, ten, and fifteen years. While doing this, one has to identify what they want to do with their life. It is also very important that an individual asks hi or herself the question concerning where they would like to be in their career in the next twenty or even thirty years to come. When doing all this they have to know where they are at present and whether it is far or near where they want to be. (Dinges, 2006)
Opportunities
It is important that when carrying out career management, an individual analyses the career opportunities that are available in the market. This stage involves extensive research carried out depending on where one comes from. This is concerning a person’s state, the industry they wish to join, the stability of the economy, and the nation at large. This is because opportunities may be quite different depending on a person’s country. It is very clear that the career opportunities in developed nations may not be very similar to those in developing nations. For instance, the career opportunities in the United States are quite different compared to those in Sudan
It is also very important to know that an individual can attain their career goals by using different paths. It is normally very common for many people to narrow their minds during this process. Such that they only think that using one path only can enable them to attain their goals.
When carrying out this task, it is important to know or research the career opportunities that are most likely to be available in the near future and not just those that are only available. During this stage, it is also very healthy to check on any changes in the external job environment. This means that there could also be opportunities outside the nation. More emphasis should however be given to locally-based opportunities.
Another important aspect that has to be considered is the overall demand for opportunities in the career field. This includes the attitude that is needed. This is because there are some careers that require a person to have a certain attitude as this influences the overall success. For instance, one wants to be a community social worker dealing with the marginalized in the community, then they need to have a humane attitude.
Other demands related to career opportunities include experience, skills, and knowledge. For instance, for one to be a doctor, one has to have the skills to do the job. Experience is also very vital to this career. In most cases having experience normally acts as a springboard to the attainment of goals. In this case, it is important to find out whether the opportunities that are currently available will still be available in the future. (Fisher, 2005)
Mismatch and match
This is also an important process of career management. In this stage, the stakeholder has to identify the different areas that the available opportunities match one goal and profile at large. An individual has to look out also at the areas that the two don’t match and the reasons as to why. The first aspect of one’s profile that should be matched and mismatched involves- attitudes experiences, skills, and knowledge.
This is whether the individual has the right attitude for the available options or not. This is also whether one has any experience in the available opportunities. This makes it easy for one to know where they can easily fit. The areas where one’s profile does not match with the available opportunities have to be clearly recorded. After all these issues have been taken care of then the next step can be undertaken.
Action plan formulation
This step is taken immediately after carrying out the matching and mismatching. It is quite recommended that the time taken between these two stages be as minimal as possible. An individual has to carry out quite a lot of strategizing at this point. Action plan(s) have to be put in place to ensure that the gap between one’s profile and the desired goals is narrowed. This is in terms of an individual’s attitude, experience, knowledge, and skills. (Herriot, 2006)
This stage involves the formulation of an action plan to either remove the mismatch or to minimize it. Another action plan has to be formulated to ensure that the matched items as strengthened. Any impracticality of action is not encouraged and rather one has to analyze the other alternatives in terms of career professions. When this stage is well implemented, it leads to success in the entire career management.
Implementation
This stage sometimes can really be time-consuming and quite long. It is a stage that requires patience and resources. The resources include time, finances and books, etc. It involves the implementation of action plans that aim towards narrowing the gap between desires and attitude, experience, knowledge, and skills. This stage of career management requires an individual to be quite disciplined. This is to ensure that every aspect of the action plan is dealt with. It is very essential that a person keeps track of his or her own progress in this entire venture.
Reviewing of plans
Career plans have to be reviewed often to see the progress. The periodic review of career plans helps a person to ascertain whether the plan is focusing towards the intended direction intended. Reviewing process enables a person to slot in any opportunities that may have come up due to various external factors. These factors can include changes in a nation’s economy among others. During the reviewing process, necessary adequate changes are made. (Herriot, 2006)
Distractions to career management
Many people start managing their careers and then just lose track somewhere along the line. Research shows that there are very many distractions in career management. This is especially if career management is self-based. One of the major factors is that they may get a promotion though they don’t like it, they just get contented. Other people’s expectations can also distract people in their career management. Wealth, possessions, and power can also distract someone. Family and relationships are also potential distracters to career management especially when they are not well managed. All these factors can be managed very easily through frequent self-assessment. (Schein, 2005)
Conclusion
Career management can either be carried out by an organization or an individual. Many organizations however are not quite concerned about managing their employees’ careers because the task can be quite overwhelming. Career management is quite important to every individual whether employed or not. This task involves career planning which when well-implemented results in success in one’s profession of choice. The first step when planning a career includes self-analysis.
This is where a person identifies their strengths and their weaknesses. There is no single person without strengths or weaknesses. Next is to set goals concerning individual desires for their future. Then the available opportunities are thoroughly analyzed. The available opportunities are then matched and mismatched with the strengths and weaknesses. This is best done in written form. Then there is the formulation of the action plan, implementing it, and lastly reviewing the plan where necessary changes are made. When all these are well carried out it results in overall success in an individual’s career.
Reference
Ball, B. (2006): Career management competences – the individual perspective Career Development International; Vol. 2; pp. 74-79.
Butler, T. (2006): Discovering Your Career in Business; Addison-Wesley; p.17.
Dinges, F (2006): Principles of management; New York; Prentice Press.
Fisher, A. (2005): Six Ways to Supercharge Your Career; Fortune; pp 47.
Herriot, P. (2006): The Career Management Challenge; London; Sage Publications.
Schein, H. (2005): Career Anchors Revisited; Implications for Career Development in the 21st Century; Academy of Management Executive; Vol. 10, No 4 p. 80.