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Home » Careers » Career Planning – Definition, Meaning, Components, Steps and Phases

Career Planning – Definition, Meaning, Components, Steps and Phases

March 30, 2021 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Careers

Definition – Career planning is a long-term career strategy that an individual utilizes for determining career goals and choosing a career path to accomplish those goals.

Long-term career as well as short-term career planning conglomerates different career options and activities that can channelize self-improvement and procedures for meeting the associated career goals.

Table of Contents

  • What is Career planning?
  • Components of Career Planning & Development
    • 1. Self-analysis
    • 2. Analysis of an opportunity
    • 3. The setting of a goal
    • 4. Generation of a strategy and employing an action plan
  • 6 Steps of Career Planning
    • 1. Self-exploration and assessment
    • 2. Research about the career
    • 3. Exploration and experimentation
    • 4. Career selection and Decision making
    • 5. End planning and action
    • 6. The search for jobs and acceptance
  • 5 Phases in Long Term Career Planning
    • 1. Exploration phase
    • 2. Establishment phase
    • 3. Mid-career phase
    • 4. Late Career phase
    • 5. Decline phase
  • Career Planning Examples
    • 1. Career Start
    • 2. Career Change

What is Career planning?

Career planning is a strategy employed by an individual to set career goals and to design the career path for achieving those career goals.

Short and long-term career planning is a significant factor to be considered in an individual’s professional as well as personal life. The way to success in life starts from effective career planning according to the chosen career options.

There are various stages involved in the process that requires to be thoroughly fleshed out.

The perfect execution of these plans will determine the scale of success that an individual achieves in his life.

 

Components of Career Planning & Development

Components of Career Planning & Development

1. Self-analysis

The initial stage is to perform a self-analysis on the skill set.

This will determine the type of career options that are suitable to pursue in the future. Personal preferences, strengths, knowledge, and abilities are needed to be tested.

2. Analysis of an opportunity

After deciding upon the career that an individual wants to follow.

The next would be to analyze the available opportunities in the job market.

3. The setting of a goal

The most significant part of short or long term career planning is the setup of a goal. It helps in the job search as well as career opportunities.

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The goals first and foremost must be realistic. Both long term and short term goals are to keep.

4. Generation of a strategy and employing an action plan

After setting up goals that individual aims to achieve. He needs to decide on the path that will lead him to implement the plan successfully.

This also involves the acquirement of the necessary resources and skills to fulfill the set goals.

6 Steps of Career Planning

1. Self-exploration and assessment

It is important to understand personal preferences, strengths, knowledge, and abilities. After the complete assessment of these factors proceeds to the next step.

2. Research about the career

After deciding on the aptitudes and qualities. Search regarding the career paths that are suitable according to the skillset.

3. Exploration and experimentation

Then, explore the field of work, gather information from people working in that profession. Ask questions and keep experimenting till the right career path comes along.

4. Career selection and Decision making

After the ascertainment of the career, it is essential to make an effective decision making.

5. End planning and action

Make the final plan and follow it up with an effective action plan. These action plans will propel the individual to new heights.

6. The search for jobs and acceptance

The marketplace is to be thoroughly researched for the availability of jobs in the preferred career path. The mental acceptance of that job is part of the process.

5 Phases in Long Term Career Planning

There are five phases in an employee career that are as follows-

1. Exploration phase

In this stage, the employee builds expectations from his career. There is a need to understand the talents, interests, skills, personality, strengths, and weaknesses.

There can be some unrealistic expectations made, but it is all part and parcel of the process. These unrealistic expectations can be borne out of an ambitious outlook towards the career of an individual.

2. Establishment phase

The first job of the employee in his career will happen in the establishment stage. The employee will get accepted by his peers and starts learning about the job. This is the stage where an individual tastes his first success or failure in his young career.

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This happens during the age of twenty-five and forty-four for most individuals. In this, the stream of the career has been finalized, and most of the time there is no turning back. This stage will result in high employee productivity and rapid career growth, as motivation is high to achieve new heights.

There is a thirst for innovation and creativity by completing new job assignments as efficiently as possible.

3. Mid-career phase

The performances of the individual can either continue to rise, or it will start declining.

There can also be a case wherein an individual reaches a certain level and then gets stuck in that level. This is very common in individuals, but the employees have great job experience by this point.

This is a bonus to both the employee and the organization.

4. Late Career phase

A leadership role in an organization is the main agenda.

This leadership role can be that of a CEO or high paid jobs who have the highest authority and power in an organization.

5. Decline phase

This is the stage wherein the employees head towards retirement. The want and desires of the individual are fulfilled, and he starts planning his retirement.

The employee gets awarded for all of his efforts and dedication throughout the years.

Here is a video by Marketing91 on Career Planning.

Career Planning Examples

1. Career Start

Goals- Local area position, good salary, and low stress

Interests- Technology, Reading, Art, and Dance

Abilities- Computer Programming, languages, maths and art

Personality- Sensitive, confident, flexible, thinker, and open-minded

Opportunities- Web design, web development, commercial artist

Short term plan- Opting for university fine arts programs, training in computer science

Long term plan- Career in web design/development, fine art, or creative work in product development or advertising

2. Career Change

Goals- Higher compensation, low-risk transition, job satisfaction, and work-life balance

Strengths- Technology, Analysis, Personable, Outgoing, Resilient, Independent, and Confident

Weaknesses- No sales experience, Disliking micro-management

Opportunities- Sales department looking for confident individuals who can use technology to close deals

Threats- Compensation package in sales is high only when a deal converts

Short Term plan- Getting to know people in the sales team and learning everything important about sales

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Long Term Plan- Transition to the sales team for improving compensation

Wrapping Up!

Career planning is crucial for moving ahead on the right career path for the chosen career options to ensure career, professional as well as personal growth.

Now on the concluding note, we hope that the post would have guided you to make a plan for the career path you may want to move forward.

How important do you consider career planning in accomplishing career goals?

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Careers

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  6. Career Development Process – A Guide For Managers
  7. Types Of Interviews – 20 Types of Interview questions you will face in your Career
  8. What is the Importance of Professional Development in your Career?
  9. 15 Best Career Skills for Employment
  10. What is Career Break? And Why it is Necessary (with Ideas)

About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the Founder of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

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