Ask any of the young school or college students as to what are their career plans and many of
them will fail to give a specific reply. That means they are not aware of what they want to
achieve in life. This aimlessness is highly avoidable because having no career plan is like
standing on a railway platform not knowing which train to board. If you have not decided
about your career, you will be at the mercy of your circumstances that can push you to any
direction whether it is to your liking or not. This is what often happens with those who have
no career decision.
Setting a meaningful and attainable goal is very important. This helps in motivating you to act
rather than sitting idle. Someone has rightly said,"Everyday you have an opportunity to become
better than you were the day before". We should not let any opportunity go by . Once you have a
set career goal, you ought to direct your efforts to acquire knowledge, improve your abilities
and learn the skills required for a successful career.
CAREER INFORMATION
Having established your interest and aptitude and knowing your strengths and weaknesses, next you
need to know the various career options available to you. You may go through career-oriented
literature which is now available in plenty in the form of career directories. Today, there is
virtually a career guide available for any field you want to join. SAP has brought out a large
number of career directories. The fields covered include management, computer, electronics,
distance education, medical, engineering, biotechnology, foreign languages, agriculture, civil
services and so on. There are separate volumes available for career guidance of students completing
school and college education, "Openings After School Education" and "Openings for Graduates"
respectively. These career directories do give comprehensive career information about institutes,
courses, eligibility, important dates, information regarding syllabus for various entrance exams
etc. Alternatively, you may also consult one of the career counselors and plan your career
judiciously. Most schools, whether government or private, have career counselors to guide
students to plan their career well in time.
TAKE FAST AND FIRM DECISIONS
You have to be a troubleshooter to ascend fast on the ladder of success in your career. This
involves capacity to take decisions confidently and quickly, sometime at the spur of the
moment.
DEVELOP COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Good communication skills are certainly an addition to the personality. At the same time,
being a patient listener pays its dividends.
DEVELOP LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
In any strategic position, it is always essential that you possess leadership qualities. This is
necessary to forge ahead. You have to act like a role model or a leader for those who work
under you.
LEARN TO SAY "NO"
We inflict a lot of harm and suffering on ourselves by not having the guts to say 'No'. This is
equally relevant in respect of career, e.g., at the time of choosing your career you have to
exercise the right option and to say 'no' to those suggesting, persuading or pressing for a
wrong career path, even at the cost of annoying them.
KEEP YOURSELF FIT
It is essential to keep yourself physically and mentally fit by adopting good eating habits,
regular exercise and reading informative, knowledgeable and entertaining literature.
BE ACTIVE
In this jet-set age things are taking place at a very fast speed. It is, therefore, almost
indispensable that you dispose of your work quickly. This will impress your superiors and will
accelerate your career advancement of your work quickly. This will impress your superiors and
will accelerate your career advancement.
KNOWING YOURSELF
Having self-esteem means holding yourself in a positive self regard. It is your evaluation of
yourself. It determines as to how you are going to act in a given situation-positively or
negatively. If you relaxed you might face the situation in a proper way. You have to be positive.
It is necessary to master the are of positive thinking. Accept and appreciate yourself as you are.
To raise your self-esteem you have to focus more on your strengths than your weaknesses. We have
to treat others equally even if they are not equal to our status in the society. Let us not worry
too much about impressing others. Maybe they are trying to impress you.
Only you are responsible for your career growth because it is your career and the question of your
ambitions, emotions and aspirations. No one else knows about what are your dreams, your personal
goals, your emotions as you yourself do. You only know what is challenging, satisfying and
intellectually rewarding for you. Knowing yourself determines where you stand. This process also
includes being aware of the opportunities, the means available, the hurdles and challenges
involved. Summing up, any one of us can achieve any heights in his or her career provided.
We know what we want
Fix our target
Gather information as to how to achieve it Make ourselves academically and professionally competent
Develop an impressive personality which not only includes your physical appearance but also your
depth of general knowledge and knowledge of a particular field you have chosen as your career.
The ability to converse effectively, the are of listening to others patiently, ability to
motivate and lead, smartness, clear thinking and knowing the art of trouble shooting are some
very essential qualities. It ma also be emphasized here that to rise in one's career it is
necessary to get rid of the narrow-mindedness and keep oneself away from unnecessary mental
barriers which have the potential to stall our progress.
Keep our eyes and ears open and be abreast with what is happening around us and in the
field of our interest, i.e., the latest development, demand and changes taking place.