Taking control of ones career is fundamental to self emotional, social, economic, and spiritual growth. Many people believe that development ones career is beyond their control, after all, it is impossible to get a job, project, or even promotion without someone else giving it to you. Arguably, from one point of view, it is accurate. Nonetheless, what a person do and how far they go in their life is determined by his/her effort. Factually, great careers don’t just happen, if one wants wishes for an exciting career there are several challenges that come along and a strategic plan that must be followed. In this essay, I establish my personal theory of career management and strategy development.
Arguably, career and development fields are interrelated and connect to academic disciplines, policy developments, and organizational practice s in the emerging learning societies and knowledge economies of the contemporary world. Notably, the world has become a small village due to globalization. This has resulted into cross border movement of people resulting into a society that is composed of people from different backgrounds in terms of various aspects of life. In the same regard, career success has occasioned a situation whereby people with differing opinions, likes and dislikes, value orientations and many other different characteristics have to work and live in the same society. Career prosperity in a multi-cultured society demands possession of various virtues, tolerance being one of them. The idea of tolerance originates from an understanding that people will often act in ways that are completely or to some extent indifferent to our expectations about their actions.
Firstly, developing a career strategy can be compared to constructing a building. It is critical to start with a strong and firm foundation and step by step work on ones way towards the max out. Before commencing on anything, it is fundamental to analyze ones strengths, weaknesses, and understanding of ones values and motivators. Accordingly, it is paramount that strengths and weakness take the centre stage while analyzing ones career. Considering what one does best it the foundation of knowing where to begin when laying a foundation of ones career. Another important aspect understands what skills a person exhibits that will pave way to intended roles. Conversely, it is also important to understand the weakest skills, as well as, those tasks that one finds to be most difficult.
Important, strengths and weaknesses are not always palpable. As such, one might be very fortunate at creating harmony in a group or at winning other people to his support or possess a talent for inspiring people to follow a new initiative. All such are strengths that one can possess and be of help in a career. Further, it can be helpful to come up with an own SWOT analysis.
Personal SWOT analysis
The benefit of the SWOT analysis would be to aid in getting the best out of ones talents and opportunities. Arguably, a person is most likely to thrive in life if talents are used exhaustively. Correspondingly, a person will suffer fewer problems if they are aware of their weaknesses and if they can manage these weaknesses so that they do not affect their career. SWOT analysis is a powerful tool in recognition of opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, and threats in ones career. If one uses this framework, it is simple to separate oneself from peers, and come up with a specialized talent, as well as, abilities needed in advancing ones career.
Strength: firstly, one must know what advantages he/she possess over others. These include certifications, skills, education, and connections. Understanding what one can do better than others, gives an edge over them. Accessibly personal resources, what others see as strengths in you, achievements that one prides of most? In addition is the values a person exhibits that others do not have, and finally the kind of network one has that no one else possesses i.e. the connections one have with important people. Considering this from own perspective, as well as, others point of view and being as objective as possible. It is important to evaluate strengths in relation to people in the same field and around you.
Weaknesses: regarding weaknesses, it is important to evaluate what tasks one is never confident with, what people around see as weaknesses. More so, it is critical to comprehend whether one is confident in his education as well as skill training and evaluate where the weakness falls. Other things to evaluate as weakness is negative work habits i.e. is a person disorganized, often late, short-tempered or poor in handling stress. In addition, it is important to understand whether there are personal traits that may hold a person back i.e. fear of public address. It is critical to consider both personal/internal and external perspective. For instance to other people realize weakness that you see in yourself. Do co-workers frequently outperform you in crucial areas? Lastly, it is important to be realistic, it is best to confront unpleasant truth earliest possible.
Opportunities: availability of new technology, expansion of the industry, the advantages of the prevailing market. It is also important that we evaluate the availability of strategic contacts in possession that would assist to get good offers. Management trends or otherwise available in your company and how one can take advantage of them. Are any of the immediate competitors failing to accomplish any of the tasks and is it possible to take advantage of their evident mistakes. Is there a need within the industry that no one else can feel and do you have realizable solution. There are several effective ways of using opportunities i.e. networking events, conferences, and educational classes.
Threats: they comprise of the apparent obstacles in the workplace i.e. colleagues competing for projects and roles, and changing job demands and roles. Other possible threats may be changing technology and how it affects ones position in the company. Finally, could a person weaknesses lead to threats? Notably, performing this analysis openly provide fundamental information, as such, this c an point out what must be done and place problems into perspective.
The idea of career management is subject to accommodation of value propositions that are different from the values developed and passed on by reliable individuals or entities in the society. The concept of career management should not be taken to mean one’s entire acceptance or accommodation of different values other than the one he or she is inclined to. Career strategic management as regards controversial issues encompasses a two-way compromise on the both parties involved with mutual respect for each other’s value propositions.
Given that the diversity of the society one must endeavor to work in the community and exploit the opportunities presented by the existence of such diversity, the people must learn how to cope with the conflicts that will arise in the process of working and living together. This demands mastery of the art and virtue of open-mindedness. For this to happen in light of competition for recognition and resources by diverse members in the society, provision of equality as regards rights to freedom and access to the resources is critical in fostering an atmosphere where members of the society are willing to tolerate one another.
Understanding comparative Advantage
The moment one gets a good idea on strengths and motivators, it becomes easy to identify the comparative advantage. Comparative advantage is what one can do uniquely perfect, compared with other people. A set of skills, strength, and/or quality that is unique to a person and that which add value to the organization. Correspondingly, it is critical to understand ones comparative advantage since using this skill or trait aids in success in ones career. It is paramount to keep in mind that comparative advantage is seldom what one does best but something that one does better than other, and that which gives a niche in ones company. Arguably, if one is struggling to discover own comparative advantage, then it is important to think back to the past performances i.e. what one has been praised of or commended in a particular performance, trait, skill or successes of frequent basis. This offers idea on what might be ones comparative advantage. It is also possible to look back at ones strength and peak one, ask clients, friends, and colleagues on their input.
Research Possibilities and maximize on Opportunities
Whether it is possible to see them right away, there are numerous opportunities for career strategic management and growth in any industry. Notwithstanding, it is up to an individual to identify and exploit the opportunities maximally. A personal PEST Analysis is the best initial step since it aids in analyzing economic, political, technological and cultural trends that might affect the career as one move forward. Is becomes easy to identify probable areas of growth and opportunity and areas to avoid. It is also advisable to be updated with all the organization can offer and be confident to take on any possible advantages of any development and training opportunities. For example, taking opportunity of tuition reimbursement and get involved in trade shows or conferences that would benefit from attending. In addition, people around can aid in identifying opportunities i.e. an experiences mentor will contributing enormously in career more so when it is someone you respect and trust.
Develop Expertise
At this level one should be in a position to come up with an image that revolves around what one does best, interests, motivations, and opportunities that are available. It is important to develop expertise necessary for the next step. Arguably, to build expertise, skills, certifications, identify knowledge, one needs to reach the role one is most passionate about. The best tipoff gaining expertise is not to wholly depend on luck or other people taking chances for you and to make sure to have necessary training and qualifications required to take advantaged of the opportunities.
Network
Professional networking is a fundamental aspect of coming up with a career management strategy. Overly, people can only assist if they know you and this is why one neen to know people who can assist in achieving goals. Manifestly, one can network with colleagues in various departments and in other professionals and other industries. Social media can also facilitate networking i.e. through Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook among others. As such, plan the networking required to take advantage of presented advantaged of available opportunities, keeping in mind networking works in both ways.
Analyzing prevailing Options
Ones the big picture comes in mind and one has started building expertise and planned on networking, then come a time for short term goal and tactical options on hand. Taking the upcoming project that would open door to comparative advantage so as to shine in front of those who matter. Volunteering to filling gaps where other people can not. The success of any career management strategy largely depends on the adoption of strategic human resource management due to the benefits associated with its adoption. One of the benefits which an individual may acquire from adopting the career management strategy is to allow the organization have a direction of action.
The directions include the career management strategies, organization strategy, development strategy, marketing strategy and human resource strategy. Therefore, the career management strategy will be able to have a defined way of performing actions which will contribute greatly to its overall performance of an individual. At this point it is also important to identify what one wants in career and answer key questions regarding what is important as one starts working on the personal career goals that will aid in moving forward. Finally, it is proper to set both short-term and long-term goals. Short term goals being those that can be fulfilled in few weeks or months time while long-term goals are achievable in a few years time.
Work cited
Greenhaus, Jeffrey H., Gerard A. Callanan, and Veronica M. Godshalk. Career management. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2010. Print.
