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Your Career Plan

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"When I changed jobs the last couple of times, I didn't have a career plan in mind. I was just concerned with salary and moving ahead," Janet said. "And of course, when I was laid off, I just wanted to get another job and I wasn't too fussy about what it was."

"Now I want to think ahead and make a plan. But, I'm not sure how."

"One of the reasons people get stuck when thinking about a job or career change is they know what they do not want, but they have not identified what they do want," I said. "The process of defining your career criteria is focused on what you do want."

"Without a clear set of criteria, lots of jobs and careers can look attractive, but you have no way of evaluating which one is right for you, and no basis for making a choice between two or more possibilities. Your criteria will become your guiding force in exploring jobs and careers, deciding what path to follow now and in the future, knowing when it is time to leave a position, and plotting your career plan."

Your Career Criteria

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"When you define your career criteria, you are defining what you do and do not want from your career. Your career criteria includes the answers to questions like:

  • What is important to you?

  • What are you passionate about?

  • What are your core values?

  • What compensation do you expect?

  • What are your skills and strengths?

  • What kind of organization do you want to work in?

  • What type of people do you want to be working with?

  • Where do you want to be geographically?

  • What type of organizational culture do you want to be working in?

  • What experience, skills, or credibility do you want to gain for your longer-term career goals?"

"Your career criteria is very personal," I said. "Your career plan is dependent on defining your unique career criteria. "