Career Planning

What is a career??

Job vs. Career

Job What can I do now to make money? Career Chosen Profession for your life. Requires a willingness to get the training needed to build your skills for the future.

A career is the work a person does. It is the sequence of jobs that an individual has held throughout his or her working life E.g. occupation of nursing.

Job Security Versus Career Security

Job Security Protection against job loss within company implies security in one job, often with one company Career Security Development of marketable skills and expertise that helps ensure employment within a range of careers Results from ability to perform within career designation even when working for more than one organization

Factors Affecting Career Planning Career

impacted life stages Career anchors

Career-Impacted Life Stages

Growth Exploration Establishment Maintenance Decline

Career anchors
Managerial competence Technical/functional competence Security Creativity Autonomy and independence Technological competence

Edgar Schein career anchors

Technical/functional competence This kind of person likes being good at something and will work to become a guru or expert They like to be challenged and then use their skills to meet the challenge, doing the job properly and better than almost anyone else These people want to be managers They like problem-solving and dealing with other people They thrive on responsibility To be successful, they also need emotional competence Autonomy/independence These people have a primary need to work under their own rules and 'steam' They avoid standards and prefer to work alone

Managerial competence

Edgar Schein career anchors

Security/stability These people seek stability and continuity as a primary factor of their lives They avoid risk and are generally lifers in their job These people like to invent things, be creative and most of all to run their own businesses They differ from those who seek autonomy in that they will share the workload They find ownership very important They get easily bored Wealth, for them, is a sign of success Service-orientated people are driven more by how they can help other people than by using their talents They may work in public services or in areas such as human resources

Entrepreneurial creativity

Service/dedication to a cause

Edgar Schein career anchors

Pure challenge People driven by challenge seek constant stimulation and difficult problems that they can tackle Such people will change jobs when the current one gets boring, and their career can be varied
Those who are focused first on lifestyle look at their whole pattern of living Rather than balance work and life, they are more likely to integrate the two They may even take long periods of time off work in which to indulge in passions such as traveling

Lifestyle

Career Planning Objectives

Effective development of available talent Self-appraisal opportunities for employees Career paths developed cutting across divisions and geographic locations Demonstrates commitment to EEO and affirmative action Satisfies employees specific development needs Improves performance Increases employee loyalty and motivation Determines training and development needs

A typical Employee
views a career planning Programme as a path to upward mobility

The manager

Win-Win situation for all

sees career planning as a retention And motivational tool

The top management

view it as a tool for succession planning

Career planning roles

Organizational Role Providing job information Implementing effective placement process Effective HR systems Offering education and training

Employee Role Self Assessment Gathering data Setting goals Developing plans Applying for openings

Managers Role Appraising the performance Coaching and supporting Guiding and Counseling Providing feedback Supplying information Maintaining the integrity of the system

Basic steps to a career path

Undertake a needs analysis comparison that jointly views the individual and the targeted job. Determine if the individual and the targeted job tend to match. Surprisingly, many organizations neglect to query individuals when questions arise concerning their backgrounds, potential abilities, and interests. Reconcile employee career desires, developmental needs, and targeted job requirements with those of organizational career management. Individuals formalize their career objectives or modify them as circumstances warrant

Basic steps to a career path

Develop individual training work and educational needs using a time-activity orientation. Identify the individual actions (work, education, and training experiences) necessary for the individual to progress to the targeted job. Blueprint career path activities. This is the process of creating a time-oriented blueprint or chart to guide the individual.

Organizational career planning process

Projected Outcome

Career planning options Transitions Career Time

Direction

Organizational career planning process

1. Direction

Assessing employee wants and organizational needs common goal setting

Relates to distance & speed of an employee How far & how fast can employee move on career path?? Relates to changes expected to a career goal Analyzing transition factors Setting goals and a timetable

2. Career time

3. Transition

Contd
4. Career planning options

Advancement. Lateral Change to Lower Grade Mobility. Job Enrichment Exploratory Research Calculate the risks attached How well will it pay off?

5. Projected Outcome

Career Development Roles of Managers

Communicator

Holds formal and informal discussion with employees. Listens to and understands an employees real concerns. Clearly and effectively interacts with an employee. Establishes an environment for open interaction. Structures uninterrupted time to meet with employees.

(Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers

Counselor

Helps employee identify career-related skills, interests, and values. Helps employee identify a variety of career options. Helps employee evaluate appropriateness of various options. Helps employee design/plan strategy to achieve an agreed-on career goal.
(Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers Appraiser

Identifies critical job elements. Negotiates with employee a set of goals and objectives to evaluate performance. Assesses employee performance related to goals and objectives. Communicates performance evaluation and assessment to employee. Designs a development plan around future job goals and objectives. Reinforces effective job performance. Reviews an established development plan on an ongoing basis. (Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers

Coach Teaches specific job-related or technical skills. Reinforces effective performance. Suggests specific behaviors for improvement. Clarifies and communicates goals and objectives of work group and organization.
(Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers

Mentor

Arranges for employees to participate in a high-visibility activity either inside or outside the organization. Serves as a role model in employees career development by demonstrating successful career behaviors. Supports employee by communicating employees effectiveness to others in and out of organization.
(Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers

Advisor Communicates the informal and formal realities of progression in the organization. Suggests appropriate training activities that could benefit employee. Suggests appropriate strategies for career advancement.

(Continued)

Career Development Roles of Managers

Broker

Assists in bringing employees together who might mutually help each other in their careers. Assists in linking employees with appropriate educational or employment opportunities. Helps employee identify obstacles to changing present situation. Helps employee identify resources enabling a career development change.

Career Development Roles of Managers

Referral agent

Identifies employees with problems (for example: career, personal, health). Identifies resources appropriate to an employee experiencing a problem. Bridges and supports employee with referral agents. Follows up on effectiveness of suggested referrals.

Career Development Roles of Managers

Advocate

Works with employee in designing a plan for redress of a specific issue at higher levels of management. Works with employee in planning alternative strategies if a redress by management is not successful. Represents employees concern to higher-level management for redress of specific issues.

Traditional Career Path

o

o o

Employee progresses vertically upward in organization Straightforward Becoming somewhat rare

Factors Leading to Decline of Traditional Career Path

o

o o

Massive reduction in management ranks due to mergers, downsizing, stagnation, growth cycles, and reengineering Extinction of paternalism and job security Erosion of employee loyalty Environment where new skills must be learned constantly

Network Career Path

o Both vertical job sequence and horizontal opportunities o Recognize experience interchangeable at certain levels and broad experience at one level needed before promotion to next level o Vertical and horizontal options lessen probability of blockage in one job o More difficult to explain to employees

Lateral Skill Path

o o

o
o o

Lateral moves within company Employee becomes revitalized and finds new challenges No pay or promotion involved Opportunity to develop new skills Employee rewarded by increased job challenge

Dual Career Path

Technical

specialists contribute expertise without becoming managers Increasingly popular Used in higher education

Demotion
o o

A more realistic option today Some workers have no desire to change as technology changes Might open up clogged promotional path Senior employee can escape unwanted stress without being a failure

Adding Value to Your Career

o

o o

Employees view themselves as independent contractors who must constantly improve their skills They are managing their own careers Only tie that binds them and company is commitment to mutual success and growth

Self Assessment

Job Search

Individual career planning process

Academic/ Career options

Relevant /Practical Experience

Self- Assessment

Aware of the interrelationship between self and occupational choice Start by:

Interests

Abilities

Learning interests, abilities, skills, and work values Listing accomplishments Understanding physical and psychological needs Assessing aspirations and motivation level Deciphering personal traits and characteristics

Values

Personality

Self- Assessment
Competency Areas

Gain self-awareness Improve self-confidence Understand time and stress management Develop personal/professional management skills

Strategies For Gaining Competencies Take exploratory classes Identify personality style Identify work values Demonstrate skills in overcoming self-defeating behaviors Identify symptoms of stress

Academic / Career options

Investigate the world of work in greater depth, narrow a general occupational direction into a specific one

Start by: Learning academic and career entrance requirements Learning related majors and careers to one's interests Investigating education and training required Learning skills and experience required Planning academic and career alternatives Learning job market trends

Academic / Career options

Competency Areas

Gain research and investigative skills

Practice decision-making, problem solving and critical thinking skills

Strategies For Gaining Competencies Read occupational resources

Increase understanding of how abilities, interests, and values match career/academic requirements

Get assistance from a counselor Talk to people who work in your areas of interest Attend Job/Career Fairs and/or Career Panels transferable skills should be be gained

Relevant / Practical experience

Gain practical experience through internships, cooperative education etc.. Start by:

Testing new skills and try diverse experiences Deciding the type of organization in which to volunteer or work Assessing likes and dislikes of work values, skills, work environments, Assessing if additional/different coursework or skills are needed for your targeted career goals

Suggested Content of Career Plan

Key Motivating Factors Your Values Your Vision Your Strengths (and how to keep your weaknesses in check) Your Development Needs SMART Goals and Rewards on the way Resources needed and support mechanisms Potential Difficulties Timescales (!!!) and Reminders

Career Assessment on the Web

Numerous tests and assessment sites available on Web John Hollands Self-Directed Search Website The Keirsey Character Sorter Information on Web about organizations that best suit each individual

Career Planning is NOT

Leaving the decision to chance Getting information and never deciding Going along with someone elses plans

Its OUR future. WE need to make our career decision!!

The ideal career

Stops feeling like work

Plays to your strengths so it is a match with you and your calling in life

Identify your career anchors and how well you perceive these match your current job?

Schein career anchor

How important is this aspect of your career to you (score out of 5 where 0 is nil and 5 is a great deal)

How does this match with your current post? (score out of 5 where 0 is nil and 5 is a great deal)