Career planning - it pays to visualize where you want to end up

One of the prevailing themes in our newsletter has been to convince you to accept responsibility and take charge of your own career. We haven't discussed the actual planning process in much detail - perhaps because it is difficult to do such a complicated topic justice in a brief newsletter format. But we're going to take a shot at it.

If you are serious about making career plans, the very first step is to start at the end! Clear your mind and visualize where you want your career to go. What do you want "them" to say about you when you retire? What will people say about your contribution to the workplace? Do you want them to say that you created great systems? Or developed effective teams? Write your own professional epitaph.

Don't shortchange this part of the process. In The Seven Habits of Successful People, Steven Covey says: "All things are created twice. There is a mental, or first creation, and a physical, or second creation to all things ... The carpenter's rule is to measure twice and cut once."

You have to make sure that your career destination truly reflects you the person. It is a sad fact that many people achieve victories that turn out to be hollow. While their walls may be lined with plaques and awards, and their bank account is overflowing, what they gave up to get these prizes wasn't worth it. Don't misunderstand - I'm not advocating that your goal be to live a life of ease, or to live off the fat of the land. But you owe it to yourself to define, as best as you can, your career target.

Even in the early stages of you career, you can muster the wisdom to set career targets that will contribute to your professional epitaph. Then you can pour your professional energies into reaching those targets. You can work hard and sacrifice without looking back. There is true joy and peace when you achieve the right goal - your goal.

Tom Whitley and the staff of Management Recruiters of Kannapolis, specialize in recruiting information systems, telecommunications, and networking professionals at both the technical and managerial levels. If you are interested in discussing career opportunities, if you need assistance with your recruiting efforts, or if you have comments about the Career Advisor contact Tom at tomwhitley@ctc.net.

Your life in 5?
Network World, 07/26/99

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