06 February 2023

What is Career Planning and How to Plan a Career?

Career consists of the attitudes and behaviors that result from fulfilling the duties and responsibilities related to one's position.

Career is a long-term perspective that is the result of a person's efforts and is focused on the goal and planning towards that goal. So, what is a career plan? How to make a good career plan?

What is a Career?

The term "career" is derived from the French word "carriere", which means "race route". When we look at the dictionary meaning, it means the stage, success and expertise achieved through time and work in a profession. In other words, it is the increase in the quality of an individual's work life, gaining experience and prestige as a result of continuous academic progress.

What is Career Planning?

Career planning is the planning of the development of the knowledge and skills that a person possesses and the planning of promotion strategies for the targeted goal. Career planning is an important road map that identifies the needs of the individual and shows what to do in line with these needs. In this way, it enables the individual to make more effective decisions about how to evaluate the opportunities that come up.

Career planning is a time-consuming and demanding process. For this reason, the most important issue in career planning is to set a goal in line with the individual's abilities and to focus on self-development by focusing on career development activities towards this goal. The main purpose of career planning is to increase productivity.

How to do Career Planning

  1. Goal setting and overall assessment
  2. Sector and department identification
  3. Individual assessment
  4. Creating a plan of action

Let's take a more detailed look at these 4 steps to consider when planning a career.

First Step: Goal Setting

The first step in career planning is to identify the goal you want to achieve and the timeframe. You should be clear about what you want. You should be prepared for obstacles that may interfere with your goals and develop alternative solutions. Therefore, goals should be reviewed regularly.

Determine Your Industry

The next step in planning is to identify sectors and departments. At this stage, the individual is expected to make a general assessment of the sectors in which he/she can take part. He/she should determine which sector the future is in and the deficiencies in this sector according to his/her knowledge and skills.

Determine Your Strengths and Weaknesses

The important thing at this stage is to self-criticize and identify one's strengths and weaknesses. Achieving one's goals is only possible by knowing oneself. Therefore, developing a career plan according to the competencies one has will ensure success.

Create a Plan of Action

In the last step of career planning, the individual should create a plan of action for the decisions they have made. At this stage, strategies should be developed for short and long term goals. In career selection, potential companies should be contacted and interviews should be prepared.

Common Mistakes in Career Planning

  • Lack of a clear career goal.
  • Failure to recognize strengths and weaknesses.
  • Focusing only on monetary benefits.
  • Seeking temporary solutions.
  • Trying to move forward without support.
  • Not being open to innovations.
  • Practicing other people's truths instead of your own.
  • Fear of not succeeding.
  • Having insufficient information.
  • Take responsibility for every failure.

In order to get efficiency from career planning activities, the individual must first identify his/her skills and motivations and set goals accordingly. Career planning is personalized and requires continuity and effort. Unexpected obstacles may be encountered during the planning phase. It is possible with a good career planning to know what to do instead of being pessimistic about these obstacles.

Good career planning should be both guiding and achievable. Individuals who want to shape their future must have a career plan.

In this article, we discussed the details of career planning and its importance on the road to success. You can contact Career Center Department to build a strong career.


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