Career planning is a broader exercise than defining the job you aspire to and the milestones to get there. Moreover, the world of work has become so dynamic, that career planning requires regular re-assessments. Here are some elements to consider.
Your current situation
Are you employed, self-employed or unemployed? Are you looking for a great opportunity, or at risk of losing your job? Are you at the start of your career or a seasoned professional? Are you in a stable place or amid a personal transformation? These few scenarios show that a career goal is not necessarily a particular job you have in mind and that number of factors come into play in career planning.
The external environment
Understanding the forces shaping the world of work and how they affect your job and personal circumstances, aims at identifying options and orientations. New work models, approaches to job design and ways of allocating work in organizations disrupt traditional career paths, while at the same time opening up opportunities.
Exploration
How do you search for jobs, adjacent opportunities and new orientations? Your approach should take into account that jobs are undergoing a substantial transformation with the rise of new technologies and innovations, and that the emerging roles often require unconventional combinations of skills.
Self-knowledge
What are your 'assets'? What are the ‘things’ that make you stand out? How about your interests and passions? The clearer you are about your full skillset, the more opportunities you will uncover. Your abilities and strengths build your uniqueness, it is about using them strategically.
Your personal representation of work and career
Finally, as career management becomes an individually driven, proactive and continuous process, beware of ideas rooted in social representations of the past. What does career mean to you? What is your definition of success and performance? Clarifying your expectations and the place of work in your life can broaden your horizon.