Step 4

Career Planning

Ever wondered how you can turn your dreams into a plan?

Once you know what kind of job you’d like to have, you can start planning out how to get there. It’s all about setting goals and figuring out the steps to reach them. Let’s make a plan together!

Ever wondered how you can turn your dreams into a plan?

Once you know what kind of job you’d like to have, you can start planning out how to get there. It’s all about setting goals and figuring out the steps to reach them. Let’s make a plan together!

On this page:

What Is Career Planning?

Why Plan Your Career?

Set Career Goals

Career Planning Checklist

Success Stories

What Is Career Planning?

Career planning helps you decide your future path. It’s like drawing a map for your journey to the job you dream of. Planning helps you understand what steps you need to take, which skills to learn, and how to prepare for your ideal job.

Why Plan Your Career?

Planning your career has many benefits. It can help you:

Find Your Direction

Knowing what you want makes it easier to get there. Career planning helps you discover the job that’s just right for you.

Set Clear Goals

When you set goals, you have something to aim for. This keeps you motivated!

Prepare for the Future

Planning helps you be ready and confident to take the steps needed for your future job.

Career Goals

HOW DO I…Set Career Goals

Career Goals

What Is A Career Goal?

A career goal is a specific job or achievement that you want to reach in your work life. It could be a job you want, a skill you want to learn, or a level you want to reach in your career. Setting career goals helps you plan and make decisions about your future job and career path.

Steps to Setting Career Goals

Finding your path involves exploring your interests, learning about different jobs, and setting goals. Here’s how you can start

Career Goals

1

Decide What Job You Want

Start by thinking about what kind of job you want in the future. Do you want to work with your hands, help people, or maybe create things? Ask yourself: What kind of work makes me excited?

2

Be Specific With Your Goal

Once you know what job you want, write down your career goal in clear words. For example, instead of saying, "I want to help people," you could say, "I want to become a nurse."

3

Break It Down Into Steps

Big career goals can seem overwhelming, so it’s important to break them down into smaller steps. Think about what you need to do to reach your goal. For example, if you want to become a nurse, your steps might be:

Finish high school with good grades in science.
Research nursing programs and apply to them.
Volunteer at a hospital to get experience.

4

Set a Timeline

Give yourself a timeline for reaching your goal. This helps you stay focused and motivated. For example, you might give yourself two years to start nursing school after graduating from high school.

Career Goals

5

Take Action on Your Steps

Now that you have your goal, steps, and timeline, it’s time to start working on it. Follow the steps you’ve set, like studying hard, researching programs, and getting experience. Take it one step at a time.

6

Track Your Progress

Keep track of how you’re doing. Write down your progress or check off steps as you finish them. This helps you see how far you’ve come and what you still need to do.

7

Adjust if Needed

Sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned, and that’s okay! If something changes or your goal is too hard, you can adjust your steps or timeline. The important thing is to keep moving toward your goal.

8

Celebrate Your Milestones

As you reach important milestones on your journey, take time to celebrate! Each success gets you closer to the career you want, and you should feel proud of your hard work.

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Let’s practice!

Write down a career goal and outline the steps to achieve it. Don’t worry if you’re not sure about them yet—start with what you know! Here are some ideas to get you started.

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Learn basic cooking skills by practicing at home.

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Improve computer skills by taking an online course.

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Apply to volunteer at your local community centre to gain experience helping others.

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Ask someone on LinkedIn if they have time to chat about their work.

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Update your résumé with your latest skills and experiences.

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Career Planning Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you’ve thought of everything you need for your career journey. From learning new skills to preparing for interviews, it’s all there!

  • Identify Your Interests: Write down what you enjoy doing and think about jobs that match these interests.
  • Research Careers: Look up career profiles and learn about different jobs.
  • Set Your Goals: Write down your main career goal and smaller goals to help you get there.
  • Plan Your Steps:

    • List the skills you need to learn.
    • Find opportunities for getting experience, like volunteering, internships, and part-time jobs.
    • Network with professionals in your area of interest.
  • Take Action:

    • Enroll in useful courses or training programs.
    • Start getting experience through volunteering or internships.
    • Update your résumé to show your new skills and experiences.
  • Review and Adjust:

    • Regularly check your progress.
    • Adjust your plan based on what you’ve learned and experienced.

Success Stories

Hear from people who found their dream jobs. They planned their careers just like you are doing now. Their stories show that with a plan, you can achieve great things!

WorkBC

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Read success stories at WorkBC

Randstad

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Watch success stories at Randstad

Planning your career is an important step in creating a future that you’ll enjoy and that excites you. Remember, the choices you make are unique to you, and that’s what makes your career journey special!

Next Step

Financial Planning