Career planning is an ongoing process that can help you prepare and meet your college & career goals.
Use the sub-pages of this section to help you explore
Use the sub-pages of this section to help you explore
Career planning is the continuous process of:
The career planning process has four steps:
Step 1: knowing yourself
Step 2: finding out
Step 3: making decisions
Step 4: taking action
Start at the step that is most relevant for you now!
Step 1: Knowing yourself
Begin by thinking about where you are now, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there.
Once you have thought about where you are at now and where you want to be, you can work on getting to know your skills, interests and values.
Begin by asking yourself the following questions:
Step 2: Finding Out
Your personal preferences are very useful for helping you choose your best option at this point in time, which you can do in This step is about exploring the occupations and learning areas that interest you. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can research the specific skills and qualifications required for those occupations.
Step 3: Making Decisions
This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and thinking about what suits you best at this point in time.
Ask yourself:
Step 4: Taking Action
Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action.
Use all you have learnt about your skills, interests and values together with the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your plan.
Begin by asking yourself:
- thinking about your interests, values, skills and preferences;
- exploring the life, work and learning options available to you;
- ensuring that your work fits with your personal circumstances; and
- continuously fine-tuning your work and learning plans to help you manage the changes in your life and the world of work.
The career planning process has four steps:
Step 1: knowing yourself
Step 2: finding out
Step 3: making decisions
Step 4: taking action
Start at the step that is most relevant for you now!
Step 1: Knowing yourself
Begin by thinking about where you are now, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there.
Once you have thought about where you are at now and where you want to be, you can work on getting to know your skills, interests and values.
Begin by asking yourself the following questions:
- Where am I at now?
- Where do I want to be?
- What do I want out of a job or career?
- What do I like to do?
- What are my strengths?
- What is important to me?
Step 2: Finding Out
Your personal preferences are very useful for helping you choose your best option at this point in time, which you can do in This step is about exploring the occupations and learning areas that interest you. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can research the specific skills and qualifications required for those occupations.
- Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how do my skills and interests match up with these occupations?
- Where are the gaps?
- What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these occupations?
- What skills do I need?
- Where is the work?
Step 3: Making Decisions
This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and thinking about what suits you best at this point in time.
Ask yourself:
- What are my best work/training options?
- How do they match with my skills, interests and values?
- How do they fit with the current labor market?
- How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
- What will help and what will hinder me?
- What can I do about it?
Step 4: Taking Action
Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action.
Use all you have learnt about your skills, interests and values together with the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your plan.
Begin by asking yourself:
- What actions/steps will help me achieve my work, training and career goals?
- Where can I get help?
- Who will support me?
- a plan to help you explore your options further (eg work experience, work shadowing or more research); or
- a plan which sets out the steps to help you achieve your next learning or work goal.
