jobs and careers

You have just passed out of college with a degree in your hand. You seem to have everything figured out. The kind of job that you want to do, the place where you would be moving and a well charted career plan… Suddenly something goes wrong and you realize that you are not comfortable doing the job you always dreamt of doing… You find yourself on the crossroads not knowing what to do next…

This is a common scenario faced by most of us today. With the ever changing trends in the market, jobs that were considered lucrative and most preferred have suddenly taken a downturn. Job openings in a completely new field have taken over the market. In such uncertain situations, how can one plan their career? What is a safe option and what is not?

The first step in planning a career starts with identifying an individuals area of interest. Most of us get into a profession because it was the “IN” thing back then, the financial perks that accompanied it or due to some other reasons.

Career planning is not limited to a certain stage in life. It is like a long road, where every turn brings a new surprise. You need to be ready for surprises and face obstacles. It’s all about:

• Planning
• Executing
• Improvising and
• Being open to change

Planning starts with identifying your key strengths and areas of interest. Write them down on a sheet. Take time and list out all your options. Take a look at the sheet every morning and pick out your best strengths. Now you need to decide on a career that would give you enough scope to exhibit and apply your skills. Short-list a few options and research on the job requirements and nature of work.

Executing comes into play once you have narrowed down your options. Prepare for the job and equip yourself with all the pre-requisites. Put your plans into action and work harder on areas that need improvement. Being honest, dedicated and open to criticism helps you get along with every person – yeah, that includes the nagging colleague and a paranoid boss too.

Improvising at every step is very essential for a successful career growth. Talk to your colleagues. Share ideas and be open to criticism. This may lead to quite a few unnecessary suggestions and pot-shots from others. Be assertive, take them in your stride and learn something from every experience – be it good or bad. Learning is a continuous process and will help you have an edge over the others. Do not limit yourself to a particular job or area of expertise. Try your hand at something new. You may actually start enjoying it. Sticking to a particular field limits your professional growth. Challenge yourself by setting goals and do something about it. Most of us just set goals and give up on it.

Being open to change
Do not be surprised if your boss comes up to you and asks you to take over a completely new process or job. You find yourself in a position where you either take it up or leave the job forever. Be open to change and do not let any opportunity pass by. If you are laid off and find yourself jobless, start looking for alternate opportunities. Sitting jobless and brooding on your misfortune won’t take you anywhere. Do not limit yourself to a particular career. Take up whatever comes your way, sustain your finances and then plan the way ahead.