Plan now for what you want to do in a few years, experts say
Self-assessment may help you focus on a long-term career.
After graduating, I naively thought after adding a line about my bachelor’s degree on my resumé and sending it out that would be the beginning of my career.
But it doesn’t work that way.
Getting a job and developing a career are two different roads. With career development, the stakes are higher, the pay is lower, and the movement is slow and steady.
“The main difference is having a long-term plan,” says career expert Janice Wooster, president of JM Wooster Inc. She says it’s important to consider where you want to be years later and look only for jobs that will help you along your career path.
“The first step is always the hardest because, for new grads especially, just getting into that first job is often the focus,” she says.
Career coach Patricia A. Muir, from Mississauga-based Maestro Quality Inc., agrees that mapping your way through your next few years of work is vital.
“Base your decision on your starting point in selecting your career path based on your values and how you want to live your best life through several decades,” she suggests.
Expect career development to take time. Having a degree doesn’t equal instant cash. In fact, many internships are unpaid but count as work experience on your resumé and expands your network of contacts.
“Don’t just look at paid work as a means of developing your career,” Wooster says. “You can sometimes get involved in volunteer work that will help you to learn new skills and gain experience that will translate into the workplace.”
Another common mistake is job hopping, Wooster says. Develop your career within your present employment by finding out how job opportunities are made available at your company; such as a succession plan, career development or training and tuition reimbursement programs.
“Watch the job board, but don’t apply for something new too soon after you start. Establish yourself as a top performer in the job you’re in before trying to move on.”
Some young graduates prefer trying many different jobs to gain various skills.
Being a jack-of-all-trades can provide you with diversity of work experience and help you discover what work you may want to focus on in the long run, but potential employers may see a broad range of positions as being undesirable, Wooster says.
However self-assessment will help you focus on a career that’s sustainable through changes in the job market, Muir says.
“Career development brings more satisfaction and intrinsic rewards including a sense of being in control of navigating your success,” she says.
“It’s a sense of being able to act on what works and learning from what doesn’t work.”
