You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Career planning is simply about thinking about what you might want next and what steps could help you get there.
Once you’ve been working for a while, you may start to notice the parts of your job you enjoy, the things you're good at and the areas you'd like to explore further. You might want to progress with your current employer, move into a different type of role, earn more, gain qualifications or simply become more confident and experienced where you are.
Your plans can change as you gain experience, and that's completely normal. The important thing is to keep thinking about your options and taking small steps towards the future you want.
Think About What You Want
A good place to start is by asking yourself:
What parts of my current job do I enjoy most?
What am I good at?
What would I like to get better at?
Would I like more responsibility in the future?
Are there other roles in my organisation that interest me?
Is there a qualification or skill that could open up more opportunities?
What would I like my work to look like in one or two years?
You don't need to have an answer to everything. These questions are to help you start exploring your options.
Top Tips for Career Planning
Think about your next step, not your whole career: Instead of trying to decide what you'll be doing in ten years, think about what you'd like to achieve over the next 6 to 12 months.
Find out what's possible: Look at different roles within your organisation or sector. Pay attention to the skills, experience or qualifications they ask for.
Talk to people: Your manager, colleagues, mentor or employment adviser may be able to suggest opportunities or career paths you haven't considered.
Keep developing your skills: Look for training, qualifications and opportunities to take on new tasks. The experience you're gaining now can help prepare you for your next step.
Keep your CV up to date: Add new skills, responsibilities, achievements and training as you gain them rather than trying to remember everything later.
Notice your achievements: Keep a record of positive feedback, targets you've reached, problems you've solved or additional responsibilities you've taken on. These can become useful examples for future applications and interviews.
Remember that plans can change: Changing your mind doesn't mean you've failed. Your interests and priorities may change as you gain more experience.
Activity
What Matters to Me?: Career planning isn't only about choosing a job title. Think about what you'd like from your working life.
For each pair, circle the one that matters more to you now:
Working with people OR Working more independently
Variety of tasks OR Routine and knowing what to expect
Becoming an expert at something OR Learning lots of different skills
Taking on more responsibility OR Building confidence in what I do now
Earning more OR Having a good work-life balance
Progressing with my current employer OR Exploring different opportunities
Now look at your answers:
What are the three things that matter most to you in your future career?
What kind of jobs or opportunities could give you more of these things?
Is there anything you could find out more about?