Career Planning

You can't expect to just send some resumes out and land a job these days. Use the resources here to learn how to select the right opportunities, prepare a great resume with a relevant cover letter, interview effectively, and how to ensure that each job you take contributes to your long-term career path.

How to Learn Career Planning

Most people don't plan their careers.

A career is more than a job. It is a passion, a way of life. It is what gets you excited to wake up in the morning and go to work. It is what you are good at and enjoy doing.

A career plan is a written document that contains your career goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them. It is important to have a career plan because it helps you stay focused on your goals and make sure you are taking the necessary steps to achieve them.

Creating a career plan can be a daunting task, but there are a few simple steps you can follow to get started:

  1. Define your goals: What do you want to achieve in your career? What are your long-term and short-term goals?
  2. Research your options: What are the different paths you can take to reach your goals? What are the pros and cons of each option?
  3. Choose a path: Once you have researched your options, it's time to choose a path and start taking action.
  4. Set milestones: Set milestones along the way to help you track your progress and stay on track.
  5. Adjust your plan: As you progress in your career, your goals may change. Be sure to adjust your plan accordingly.

A good career planning process will help individuals identify their strengths and weaknesses, assess their values and interests, and explore the options available to them. It is a lifetime process that begins with self-exploration and knowledge gathering and continues throughout one's working life.

The first step in career planning is self-assessment, which includes understanding your values, interests, personality, and skills. This step helps you identify your ideal career. The second step is exploring careers, which involves researching different occupations, attending career fairs, and shadowing mentors in your desired field. The third step is making a decision, which means taking into account your resources, career goals, and lifestyle preferences. The fourth step is taking action, which includes writing a resume, networking, and applying for jobs. Finally, the fifth step is monitoring your progress, which means tracking your progress towards your goals and making adjustments as necessary.

A career planning process is an important tool for individuals who want to achieve success in their careers. It helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses, assess their values and interests, and explore the options available to them. By taking the time to plan their careers, individuals can increase their chances of finding satisfaction and success in their chosen field.

Career Planning Resources

Career Planning and Salary Tutorial

Career Planning and Salary Tutorial

In this free tutorial, you will get career help and career advice if you're looking for a job, planning a change, or looking to gain skills. Discover Your Career Needs Explore Careers Salary Basics Gain Job Skills Make a Career Plan...

Planning Your Career

Planning Your Career

Planning Your Career is designed to help individuals to make decisions about their career now and in the years to come. It begins with helping students explore how their interests, abilities, values and personality relate to choosing a career and end...

Career and Technical Education

Career and Technical Education

Students and other library patrons will have a myriad of opportunities to explore possible careers and gain background in various fields, ranging from science and technology to economics and finance. Archaeology: Excavating Our Past Are We Running...

What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job

What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition: Discover Yourself, Design Your Future, and Plan for Your Dream Job

This updated career guide for teens draws on the principles of What Color Is Your Parachute? to help high school and college students zero in on their favorite skills and find their perfect major or career. No idea what you want to be? No worries! T...

Become a Successful Job Hunter

Become a Successful Job Hunter

Maximize your job search efforts with expert advice from career coaches and business professionals. Whether you're a college graduate or student looking ahead, learn how to craft a career plan, write a resume, search for a job, and nail the int...

Careers

Careers

It's never too early for your teen or tween to start thinking about a career, and Careers is the perfect way to do it. Inspiring and imaginative as well as practical, Careers has charts and tables that help young people gauge interest about pos...

Better Than College: How to Build a Successful Life Without a Four-Year Degree

Better Than College: How to Build a Successful Life Without a Four-Year Degree

Do you need college in order to be taken seriously and earn a real living? Conventional wisdom says yes. But true success relies upon self-knowledge and entrepreneurship: two qualities that you can obtain effectively and inexpensively without tradi...