Why You Need a Strategy When Looking for a New Career

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sage advice—and it also applies to your career path. If you want to develop your talent and work towards your dream job, it just takes planning. Every work opportunity you pursue should be strategic, following a well-crafted plan for how you’ll get where you want to go. With a career strategy in place, you’ll one day be thanking yourself as you look out the window of your corner office/turn on the lights in your very own business, etc., etc.

First—what do you want?

The first and most important step in your career strategy is deciding what you want to do. Once you know, you can get set writing your timeline. You’ll want to identify short- and long-term goals, then break them down into smaller goals and set deadlines for when you’ll complete each one. Your timeline will help you assess opportunities that come your way—if they fit into your master career plan, you’ll know what to do when the time is right!

Tips and best practices to develop your career:

Let’s say you aren’t sure yet where you want your career to take you. That’s OK! You can take steps to help yourself decide. This could include:

• Working with a mentor.
• Accepting challenging projects at work.
• Trying temp assignments in different fields or disciplines.
• Shadowing a professional you may wish to emulate.
• Taking a class or training to learn and explore something new.

Once you know what you want to do, it will be easier to make decisions about the future of your career. You’ll know when it’s time to look for a new job to keep you moving along your career path.

Work with your boss.

As a partner in your career development, your boss can work with you to understand your plans and choose projects and assignments that will help you grow in your career.

Work with a recruiter.

Partnering with a staffing agency can be a great advantage in your career development. A recruiter can work with you to understand your career goals or even set some. He or she can help you understand what positions may be open to you, now and in the future. Sometimes it helps to have the insight of an industry professional as you work on your career plan.

Never give up!

As you learn and grow, keep your eyes on the future and stay positive! Remember that every job experience is a chance to expand your skillset, build your resume, and understand more about yourself and what you want.

Let Inter-Connect help you find a great job!

We work with candidates for administrative and light industrial positions, and we’re looking forward to speaking with you. To learn more, contact us today!