Take Charge of your Career

I just got my title from Jobstreet's homepage and I believe that being in charge of your career means that having the confidence to know what you want to do forever and do that by all means. Of course, that thing that you want to do shouldn't be something that could harm other people or the environment.

This is one of the article i got from Jobstreet site which is worth reading

Take charge of your career

In today's working environment, do you know who is the one person who is qualified enough to make important decisions about your career? It is not your colleagues or supervisors or senior management. It is none of them. The answer, in fact, is: you. You are responsible for your career. It is all up to you to formulate conceive your objectives, develop a plan and follow through with them successfully to realise your career goals.

Think of your career as your own personal company. You are your own boss and as the boss, you will have to make the big decisions yourself. Along the way, you will be tapping on the expertise of people who have the additional knowledge and experience but basically, the ultimate decision is yours alone as your chart your course towards achieving your career goals.


What can you do to achieve them? Here are some guidelines:

Have a target. There is nothing more important that to know the direction where you are heading. To be a successful boss of your career, you will need an overall target. What you want to achieve with your career? How successful do you want to be? What form should this success take? How do you want to measure this success? It is important to have a dream.

Develop a plan. Do not get sidetracked or else you will lose sight of the BIG picture. So, come out with your long-term plan and strategic career goals Write them down big and pin them on the wall. Every few months, set aside some time to review them. Are you still on target? If not, adjust accordingly to meet them.

Make every job count. Learn from every job, and use the lessons learnt to progress in your career. Apply them to the goals you have established. When you have new opportunities, capitalise on the lessons to run a success-driven jobhunting strategy.

Set priorities. Only those who know how to manage their time effectively are able to meet their responsibilities. Managing your career is no different. As you go along, you will be taking on more tasks and responsibilities than you can possible manage. Review them regularly and prioritise them. Do the important ones first; these are the ones that will help you most to achieve your career goals.

Communicate. Talking is not the only aspect of communicating. Listening is, as well as understanding and empathising with the concerns and needs of the people around you. Communication is also not only verbal; it covers the written form too: making yourself understood in writing.

Network. Networking takes time and effort but it plays an important part in your career advancement. Stay networked. Find the time to mix with friends and acquaintances at society meetings, trade shows or other similar activities. A network is a good resource to offer and accept advice and help, not only when you are looking for a job, but in everyday life too.

Be well-informed. In this knowledge-economy, it is important to keep up with ever-changing new developments in your work. The Internet is a powerful source of information, so use it well to seek all the information you need.

Be professional. Conduct yourself professionally. Personal ethics are getting more important. Make yourself trustworthy to others. Reputation counts, and integrity is now central to everything you do and say today.

Get visible. Make your supervisor aware of your hard work and accomplishments. Contribute ideas. Offer suggestions to improve business practices. Willingly stretch your abilities. Grab the opportunities to work outside your job description.

Balance your life well. “All work and no play” makes Jack a dull boy. Balance your work with time and energy for your family, hobbies and leisure pursuits. This is what life is all about.
You may visit --> http://www.jobstreet.com for more info.