What are the essential components of a career plan? Read on for tips on what to include and what to consider as you create - or refine - yours:
7 Key Elements of a Successful Career Plan
- Goals. Set short- and long-term goals. Where do you want your career to be one year from now? Five years? 10?
- Milestones. Know what key steps you need to take in pursuit of your goals. For example: if you’re working toward a General Manager position, are you in a position now to build skills in areas such as staff management, customer service, balancing out food costs with sales?
- Recognizing challenges. Pinpoint your professional weaknesses and identify a plan to overcome them in your next position. Be ready to share this powerful information in interviews.
- A mentor. Identify a current or former supervisor – or even a peer in your field who’s in a position you’d like to be in – and cultivate a mentoring relationship with them. Identify what’s made them successful, ask them questions about their career path, and try to connect with them regularly.
- Focus. Keep your eye on the end goal. Be patient as you work toward it. Try not to veer from the path you’ve set for yourself by jumping on the hot new position at the hot new restaurant. What’s hot now may keep you from where you want to be down the road.
- Openness. That said, it’s possible – and beneficial – to keep an open mind about opportunities you encounter along your career path. Make sure you explore each and every one, even if you feel comfortable in your current position or the new opportunity isn’t cool or trendy. There may be more to it than meets the eye.
- A network. This includes former and current co-workers, your mentor, friends in the industry, and – yes – a recruiter. Your network is what you turn to when it is time to take that next step in your career path, and the more people you have to reach out to for help, the better.
