Chosing a Career Plan: Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make in life

Chosing a Career
Plan:
1.Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make
in life
2. The four stages of a career plan
3. Student Career Guide 2021/22

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make
in life

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will make in life. It's about so much more than deciding what you will do to make a living. To start with, think about the amount of time we spend at work. We are on the job approximately 71% of every year. Over our lifetimes, this comes to roughly 31½ years out of the 45 years most of us spend working, from the beginning of our careers until retirement. The importance of selecting a career with which we are satisfied cannot be overemphasized.

While some people are lucky enough to just know what they want to do and end up in satisfying careers without giving it much thought, most of us are not. Many people don't put enough effort into choosing occupations or pick them for the wrong reasons. Maybe they choose careers that seem secure or pay well. They then end up unhappy. The best way to make sure that doesn't happen to you is to make a well-thought out decision.
A career plan is a strategy you'll continuously develop to manage your learning and progression throughout your working life. Consisting of four stages, its purpose is to help you visualise the actions you need to take to achieve your career goals, and how to put these actions into practice.
The four stages of a career plan are:

1. 
   identify your skills and interests
   
2. 
   explore career ideas
   
3. 
   make a decision
   
4. 
   set achievable goals.
   

Career planning is important for a number of reasons - having a career development plan in place reduces the risk of you making impulsive decisions, and it helps you to recognise when you're ready to look for new opportunities and develop new skills.
This model can be used by anyone - from school leavers to students, graduates and career changers.
Learn more about what the process involves and how to map out your career journey.