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Career planning is a lifelong process that can help you manage important life and work decisions. Consider your priorities, options, and strengths to build a plan that gets you where you want to go.
Career planning helps you make decisions throughout your career, whether you are just starting or planning retirement. Follow these 4 steps to plan your career.
Knowing what to do after high school starts with knowing yourself. Take the first steps by understanding your values, interests, and abilities.
The first step in planning your career is to know your values, your interests, and the things you’re good at. It's time to get to know yourself. Take one or more of the quizzes to help plan your career path.
When planning your career, it’s important to explore the occupations you’re interested in. You might even discover opportunities you didn’t know you have.
The second step in planning your career is to explore the occupations you’re interested in and maybe discover some new ones. Find the tools you'll need.
Making big decisions is about taking control of your life. Here’s some advice on how to make important career decisions with confidence.
The third step in planning your career is to make your decision and evaluate your career options. Follow these suggestions to help identify the best option for you.
By now, you’ve decided on your next career move. You also know there will be challenges. It's time to make sure your career move will be a success.
Get where you want to go. It can be exciting to identify a career direction and create a plan to pursue it! At the same time, where you are right now can seem like a long way from where you want to be. These 5 steps will help you take action and shorten the distance between you and your vision of the future.
Your dreams for your future can be powerful motivators. But, to achieve them, you need to set goals. By taking the SMARTER approach, you’ll be better equipped to face challenges and make changes in your life and career.
Get where you want to go. It can be exciting to identify a career direction and create a plan to pursue it! At the same time, where you are right now can seem like a long way from where you want to be. These 5 steps will help you take action and shorten the distance between you and your vision of the future.

Take Action Using These 5 Steps

0 of 5 activities completed
Choose the career option you want to act on. Before you spend time and energy planning to pursue this occupation, it's important to be sure you've looked at it from all the angles. You can make an action plan without making a commitment. If you don't have a specific occupation in mind, you can choose one from an industry sector that you're interested in and use this process as research.

Use the 5 steps to help you identify tasks involved in taking action.

Whether you're identifying a career direction for the first time or making a change in your career, taking action involves thoughtful planning:

  • You can create an action plan for a specific occupation or a general career direction. Action planning can often clarify your options.
  • The most effective action plans are:
    • Based on accurate, up-to-date information
    • Concrete and detailed
    • Tied to timelines with specific completion dates
  • Basing your action plan on a specific occupation gives you a better understanding of both the action planning process and the occupation.
  • If you're not ready to commit, think of it as research.

Identify an Occupation

Before you spend too much time and energy planning to pursue this occupation, make sure you've looked at it from all the angles.

Identify Key Tasks

You will need to identify key tasks to help you move towards your selected occupation. These tasks may involve further learning, work or experience.

Identify Supporting Tasks

Some smaller tasks may also need to be developed to help you prioritize what needs to be done first, prepare to achieve your key tasks and to set yourself up for success.

Create a Timeline

Get started on your timeline now. When you say you will finish tasks according to a timeline, the tasks become real and you can get them done.

Stay Motivated

All of this planning can be a bit stressful. When you're under stress, you may resist making changes or delay taking action. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to help you stay motivated.

Be SMARTER when you make your action plan

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Relevant
T = Time-limited
E = Evaluate-able
R = Re-adjustable

It can be exciting to identify a career direction and create a plan to pursue it! At the same time, where you are right now can seem like a long way from where you want to be. This planning tool will help you take action and shorten the distance between you and your vision of the future.