Career Planning: What It Is and How To Go About It

Careers can span over 40 years of our lives so it is important to consider it in terms of our wider life satisfaction. In this episode, DCU Careers Advisor, Elaine Daly joins presenter Siobhán Murphy to examine this big topic. Critically, Siobhán and Elaine discuss that we do not need to plan out 40 years of working life, but by chunking it down into 10-15 year blocks can be a more manageable approach. Career management approaches are explored to explain how you can manage career planning on a rolling basis.  

0:06 - 1.27  

Siobhán outlines Career Planning and that it is a big topic. She introduces Elaine Daly, Careers Advisor in DCU and explains that the focus for today’s episode is to examine the topic broadly and encourage listeners to consider working on their career plan one step at time.

1.27 - 4:52

Elaine explains the core steps in Career Planning - self awareness and understanding you values, knowing your options, making decisions, taking action and making time for reflection. Siobhán highlights that while it is too difficult to plan for your entire career, you can chunk it down and use this stepped approach again again throughout your career.

4:52 - 7:30

Taking time to understand your values, interests and hobbies is vital, as well as understanding your personality and what is important to you in your wider life. Important to consider what is a good fit for you. What are your skills and what are your strengths. Looking at opportunities that are compatible with these characteristics leading to greater levels of job satisfaction.

7:30 - 10:30

Siobhán and Elaine discuss money and the role of money as a motivating factor. The discussion highlights the importance of it but that for most people there are other important factors such as their own values, meaningful work, a sense of purpose and work life balance should also be considered.  Do you want to work indoors, outdoors, office or not, remote working and so on.

10:30 - 12:37

Hobbies and interests are important aspects of life satisfaction. Siobhán and Elaine discuss how our careers can facilitate our hobbies and interests - or not, as the case might be. The importance of not looking for perfection but a reasonable compromise between what we want to do within our work and outside of our work.

12:37 - 23:14

Elaine explains how strengths are those activities that we are good at, energised by doing and critically, not draining. Elaine brings us through an example and Siobhán adds to the discussion with ways to identify your strengths. Working to your strengths, both at an individual level and a team level.  Acknowledging that it is not always possible to always do things in your career that are playing to your strengths, but looking for ways to tip it in your direction.  This section broadens into a wider discussion regarding how to look at the bigger picture when you find yourself not working to your strengths.

23:14 - 39:06

Elaine provides a definition of skills and explains how to identify them, within technical and soft skills. Siobhán and Elaine discuss how to identify the skills employers are looking for, the role of informational interviewing and consulting a careers advisor to identify which are the critical skills, and what are the skills gaps that need to be filled - either with a micro-credential or by simply learn on the job. How working on self-awareness can help you to align yourself and your skills for the career you want to pursue.

36: 06 - 40:45

We cannot plan for everything. There are always challenges, the current Covid pandemic, recessions over your lifespan or moving country. Being prepared and knowing to take opportunities that will open up doors you could not even plan for. By doing this self awareness piece, you will develop the know-how and confidence to take the risk. Openness, flexibility and managing the changes is the key piece

40:45 - 43:36

Note when you are resisting doing this important work. Are you more interested in doing the ‘busy’ work? Challenge yourself to mind map it, start it and add to it as you reflect. Self awareness really helps us understand our options more fully

43:36 - 49:15

Be mindful that sometimes we don’t feel confident in ourselves when looking at our career plan. Take it step by step, document your skills, your strengths, your interests and so on. Consider some visualisation - what will you be doing in 5 years time?  Dare to dream. Nothing is off the table at the planning stage. Everything is relevant. Then look at the options. You build confidence in yourself by knowing your own story and this will align you to opportunities that are in keeping with your direction and a good fit for employers.

49:15 -51:27

Take the opportunity to explore hobbies and interests as a core career, as sideline - or remaining as a hobby or an interest. It is important to consider how hobbies and interests are situated in your life. We all can do a lot of things - the trick is finding out do you want to do it?

51:58 - 54:27

Siobhán and Elaine close off with their top tips.  Elaine suggests working on informing yourself about yourself and your options. Doing this before you make your career decision can really help and build your confidence.  Siobhán wants listeners to believe that they are ‘worth it’ and spending this time on your career plan is time well spent.