Career Management
CAREER MANAGEMENT in today’s workplace is essential for any career-focused person…ignore it at your own peril.
The world of work and career success has changed dramatically over the last 15 years and bears little resemblance to previous times. This change continues at a rapid pace…so if you fail to keep up with change and innovation you are probably headed for a very disappointing career future. What you do today directly influences your career options in 5, 10 and 20 years time, so carefully managing your career development NOW is vital for your career health in the short and longer terms.
In years gone by career management was viewed as the responsibility of the employer, not the employee (worker). However, it is now the opposite with career management now being YOUR responsibility. Many people view this as being a great opportunity to take control of their own destiny and career development and avoid the “promotion by death or retirement” focus belonging to the last century.
Statistics show that most people will have on average six career changes during their lifetime, with some of these being enforced and others by choice. Irrespective of the reason not being prepared is like not having insurance on your house…very dumb. So career management can be viewed as an insurance policy on your future career options and personal prosperity.
How do I start? What should I do? I am overwhelmed by all of this!
Appoint a qualified professional career manager (consultant/coach/counselor) to advise and guide you to ensure that you are being effective in your career planning and future career directions: Click contact us is a good starting point.
Ongoing professional development is one of the three key drivers of good career management. Every person needs to keep abreast of current industry trends, developments and changes. Annually you need to complete courses, training and attend seminars to maintain the relevance of your knowledge and expertise. Thinking that your degree/qualification obtained 10 -20 years ago still has currency is simply naïve in today’s highly competitive employment market. (If you think this is all too hard, costly and does not fit your lifestyle then your career prospects look grim).
The second key driver to good career management is networking. Join industry bodies and/or clubs, attend annual conventions, assist others in your circle of connections to develop their careers, socialize with strategic colleagues both within your organisation and competitor companies. Maintain contact with people in your network, do not let these connections wither; nourish them because they are vitally important to your next career move.
The final key driver to good career management put simply is “knowledge is power”, we all know that. So continually gather intelligence on market movers, those hiring, expanding (contracting) and keep accurate file notes easily recalled when needed. Opportunities often occur when least expected so being continually prepared with current expertise, qualifications and insider knowledge is critical to your career development.
People often think that (the above) does not apply to them, their occupation or industry sector. WRONG applies equally to the shop floor worker, the operator, manager or CEO. If you want to avoid career stagnation or worse it is up to you to take the initiative. It is a hard cruel world out there in employer land (just ask someone who has been retrenched) and the only person looking after you is YOU!
Apart from providing you with “career insurance” career management can be fun. Meeting people of like mind, helping others (who in turn will help you) and engaging in an active life are all part of a balanced and rewarding career journey.
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Abraham Lincoln
ACMA creates successful career paths through detailed individual assessment, research and job market analysis, combined with expert personalised coaching.
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred that the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
