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IT Career Development Career Planning - It's all about Attitude! (2) |
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Closing the Career Gap
Continuing from
Deciding
on a particular profession or job is only half the task. "A dream without a plan is a nightmare".
Focus. Planning helps you with (WHY and HOW) focusing and organizing
yourself. At
Jidaw (Mastercomputers) we stress that career development requires you
to get your priorities right.
Sometimes we do things right but focus helps you to do the right
thing. What
you need to do is to develop
a step-by-step plan. As stated earlier, the essence of a career plan
is in knowing what you want and determining how to get it. To
close the gap, at Jidaw, I always advise that students and trainees to consider these career planning
issues: 1. Choose the steps (i.e., decisions and actions) that you will take to achieve your career goals. What are the common steps that other people have taken to prepare for and to enter the particular area of IT you have chosen? Which route will you take in your journey? Your career should be a series of calculated steps that lead to an end result. There may be more than one path to reach your goal, but which is the right path for you? These actions and decisions may include training, certification, formal education, work experience or internship. Some cases require developing soft skills. At our Jidaw career development forums we stress that other situations need a change of attitude, job, location or work environment. Consider these steps carefully and choose the ones that you believe will work for you. Understand why you are doing what you are doing. But don't shy away from being creative. You may also choose steps that are entirely unique to you as long as you are sure they will get you to your destination. The decision on what these steps are and where they will ultimately lead to is uniquely yours. You must own the process; set a course and stick with it. 2. Most of the time when we look at IT careers we focus only on opportunities and demand – the attractions. To succeed you have to consider the challenges and obstacles you might encounter as you attempt to reach your career goal. The road might be thorny and rocky. Nobody said it would be easy. Don’t avoid challenges. Some roadblocks could actually be opportunities in disguise. Attitude is key when challenges come. Backbone is critical at Jidaw. A strong WHY will carry you through such situations. But which other resources can you muster to overcome each obstacle?
3. Time
to achieve your goals
is a serious issue you must consider. You need to have a means of
measuring your progress. Since the career planning is done using a
step-by-step approach, how long should it take you to complete each
step you have identified? When exactly do you expect to arrive at your
destination? 4. It is not enough to identify the steps you are going to take, you must also decide on the step-by-step process you will take to achieve your ultimate career goal. In which order will you pursue your career plan? Set your priorities. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe advises, "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." But please be proactive and stop waiting for ideal or perfect conditions. Opportunities and resources available to you often determine the order you follow. For example, if certification is in your plan, but you presently lack the financial resources required for effective certification preparation, it will be unwise to allow the certification need stand in the way of your progress. Attend programs like the FREE IT Career Seminar for more insight. Do other things that will still assist in moving you forward. Keep doing things that contribute positively to your growth. See beyond the surface. Be creative and display initiative. Invest in other useful areas and be creative. But make sure you focus on things that matter. 5.
Implement your Career Advancement preferences. It
is not enough to plan you must follow through. Setting career goals is important. But planning is a
lame excuse for unfruitful career indecision. Be Wise. Your IT Career
isn't just about planning. It's about doing, not promising to do. You
must follow through. Implement your career plan based on the (1)-(4).
Develop a big picture mentality. It is
important that you strike the right balance - understand what you need
to do now, immediately and also how it fits into your long-term
strategy. Resourcefulness What
these 5 points emphasize is that it is absolutely critical that you
realize career planning involves doing an in-depth industry / career
analysis with your career needs in mind. Resourcefulness is key. It is
not only about decision-making but also about gathering career
information in a wise and purposeful manner. You simply must do your
homework - do your research.
You
can also discuss your career goals with your manager, counselors,
teachers, or instructors. For example, if training is a requirement,
find out about the training required to reach your goals from training
schools and instructors. Participate in professional and career forums
like the informative, mind opening
IT Career Seminar. Visit
websites and online career guides for the IT industry such as Jidaw.com
and
Careeraware.com
to learn more about the career you've chosen for industry outlooks,
current articles, and news. You
should also review employment adverts in newspapers, job centers, IT
job openings (formal and informal) to learn more about available
positions in your area of interest and the skills required to get
them.
Constant
Evaluation/Assessment Career planning should be dynamic, and not static. What did you like and dislike, after implementing? Were some of your assumptions wrong? You need to be sensitive to changes in your career path by being flexible and open to new avenues.
IT
as a fast growing and fast changing field presents a challenge for all
of us who want to work and succeed in IT. Your career option
matters, it works, but will it last? The key is constant renewal. Lifelong
Learning is not an option but a necessity. Going to sleep is a luxury
you can’t afford. Monitor trends and keep yourself up to date.
Opportunities can always arise from new developments, new knowledge
and insights. Keep
yourself informed on a continuous basis. The continual study of new
technologies is necessary to keep computer skills current. It is your
responsibility to keep on investing in yourself. Always look for ways
to grow in your career and skills, through continuous skill
development, by attending work or career -related training / seminars,
reading relevant text, taking online courses or pursuing further
education. In
IT, the importance of managing your career and keeping informed about
developments that touch on your career preferences is imperative. In
this respect while your career planning must be focused, it must not
“lock-you-in”, by being inflexible to changes in the environment
and your desires.
It’s
your life I
hope you find the ideas in this article useful. However, at the end of
the day, it’s all about attitude. Are you learning or working with a
purpose? What is your big picture? Let the main issue be the main
issue. Know who you are, know what
you’re doing, know where you’re going. Don’t run with some else’s goals - your purpose
is yours and yours to own. What is your focus? Nothing is cast in stone, so keep your options open. Career planning is all about taking your destiny in your own hands. Get out of your comfort zone. You cannot succeed with career planning if you approach life in an unplanned, careless manner. Are you coasting along just hoping for the best? “The person who waits for roast chicken to fall into his mouth will wait very long.”
At Jidaw, we stress not only ideas but ACTION. Wake
up! Start channeling your high energy into making your career happen.
Don’t be fooled by the masquerade called lethargy, it looks
harmless, but lethargy is the beast you must tame. Approach
your career planning with sincerity and wisdom. Career planning is
neither difficult nor time-consuming if done properly. You simply need
to be focused. In
the words of William Ernest Henley, “It matters not how straight the
gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my
fate. I am the captain of my soul.”
Read the Previous: Career Planning - It's all about Attitude! - 1
Jide Awe is the Founder of Jidaw.com Jidaw.com’s mission is to help you build and sharpen your career focus. For more insights, please check the IT Career Resource Center OR better still attend the next FREE IT Career Seminar.. What Do you Have to Say? Post Your Comments about this article Here:
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