5 Steps to Creating a Career Plan

Last Updated: November 28, 2022

Hi Ladies and Gents and whatever else you may consider yourself - there's never any judgement here on that front at Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.  Wow!  It's been two weeks without a post!  My day job has been crushing me this November.  The English Department at my school has been busily planning English Literacy Week (which kicked off today) all month.  I am a member of the English Department and have been a key player in this event's planning.

It has been more than four years at this point since the last time I planned a department-wide event in the capacity of "regular" classroom teacher and I have been struggling immensely to keep my head above water this November.  It is one thing to be the Coordinator, or Head of Department, where a main facet of your job description is to plan events and that expectation is there, placed upon you, and you have the help and support and human resources (like an administrative assistant) available to support you because you are supposed to be planning the school's events.  But being back in the classroom again now, where the expectation is simply to deliver dynamite lessons to my own groups of students everyday, and, maybe more importantly, no longer having a TA or Administrative Assistant to help me with logistical tasks, it has been a challenge to wear both hats simultaneously.

The physical work of completing routine tasks and still finding any time left in the day has been the hardest part.  For example, four and a half hours of just copying and stapling packets together for grade levels for the event was what I found myself up against two Saturdays ago.  That didn't include the planning time that went into planning, gathering, and creating the resources in the first place that needed photocopying!

Now, none of these things are complaints, mind you!  I love being an educator.  In the world of education, sometimes life is less busy, and sometimes it is much busier - whether you are working for yourself or working for an employer, or doing both!  Oh, heck, sometimes life is busy for all of us for various reasons - ok, fine, frequently, I suppose, if you're doing it right, ha, ha!

Anyway, that's what I've been up to, and that's what's been keeping me away from the blog and the site for the last two weeks...but I'm back today!

Our "main course" for today is a guest post by Cherie Mclaughlin from Couch Based Biz.  Go ahead and check out her site today!  If you couldn't already tell from the name, it's all about working from home.  Today Cherie will be sharing with us 5 Steps to Creating a Career Plan...so, without any further adieu, I give you:

5 Steps to Creating a Career Plan
By Cherie Mclaughlin

Photo via Pexels

Do you feel dissatisfied with your career direction?  If you want to build a career that you’re truly proud of, you may want to design a personalized professional development plan to guide you along the way.  Should you feel unsure of your goals, you can always seek coaching with Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.  Here’s how to lay out your professional development plan - whether you want to go back to school, launch a business, or update your resume.


Set Clear Goals

Setting your career goals is the key to forming a professional development plan.  To set achievable, long-term goals, BuiltIn recommends talking to people who you admire about their own objectives, deciding where you want to be in a few years and working backward, and asking your manager about your strengths and areas for improvement.  You can even envision yourself in retirement - what do you hope to have accomplished by that time?  Take all of these factors into consideration as you outline your goals.  Make sure to keep them specific so that you can measure your progress.


Write Out Your Action Plan

Next, you’ll need to craft a specific and personalized action plan.  This means breaking down each of your big, overarching goals into manageable steps.  For example, if you want to go back to school to earn another degree, you might include steps like researching degree programs, assembling your application materials, asking for letters of recommendation, and applying to schools.  You can - and should - give yourself deadlines for each of these tasks and dedicate time in your schedule each week to tackling these tasks.  When you focus on completing small, manageable tasks, your goals won’t feel so daunting!


Launch a Business

Maybe starting your own business is your biggest professional goal.  Go Banking Rates states that many entrepreneurs succeed as consultants, personal trainers, interior designers, or virtual assistants.  If you’d eventually like to run your own company, familiarizing yourself with the benefits of forming an LLC can be a good place to start.  With this status, you’ll be able to protect your personal finances with limited liability and also gain tax breaks.  Filing with a lawyer’s help can get expensive, so you may want to file on your own or use a formation service.  The choice is yours, of course, but do make sure to do your own personal due diligence for your own situation.  Read the reviews of a few different services first so that you can figure out which one best suits your particular needs.


Go Back to School

Perhaps you’re interested in changing career path(s) entirely, or maybe you’d like to brush up on your business knowledge before delving into entrepreneurship.  For example, if you plan to launch a business, you could return to school for a business degree.  You could study a wide range of subjects - while you might want to earn a business bachelor’s degree, you may also be interested in accounting, management, or communications.  Studying online can offer a more flexible avenue, potentially allowing you the option of chasing your other professional goals while you complete your degree.  Again, it all depends on your own unique current circumstances and situation in life.  Everyone's case will be different to varying degrees.


Create a New Resume

As you take steps towards your goals, you’ll inevitably gain new skills and accumulate new achievements to show off on your CV.  Make sure to update your CV so that it accurately illustrates your academic background, work history, and professional skill set.  You can find an organized template from a free online CV builder.  Pick your favorite template from the library, and include your job entries, photos, and graphics.  There are so many different formats out there nowadays that it can almost seem overwhelming to know the "best" format to use for your CV.  As a tip, there is no single "best" format for a CV.  Different employers across different industries may prefer certain formats over others (which couldn't hurt to do some of your own research into before choosing a template you like), and you, of course, as the job applicant will have your own personal tastes and preferences regarding how you want to portray yourself as a professional and unique individual, too.


It’s not always easy to figure out the next steps in your career.  Sitting down to make a concrete plan can help! With today's tips, you’ll hopefully find some inspiration to help better be able to determine whether you should earn another degree, open a business, or polish your resume - or maybe a combination of some or all of these.


Are you seeking a coach to help you navigate your next big "jump" in your career or educational life?  Turn to Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC!  Fill out the contact form on the website today to learn more.

_______________________________
Guest article by Cherie Mclaughlin from Couch Based Biz (www.couchbasedbiz.com).

Better life, better business, better you,

-Andreas

Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC
Ideas, Inspiration, Opportunity
 
Washington State Certified K-8 Educator, K-12 International Education Consultant, Professional Coach, Proofreader/Editor, Affiliate Marketer, Popsicle Stick Crafter, Print-on-Demand Products Designer, and Webmaster

Check out:
www.cityofpullmanportal.com,
www.949crafts.com

Looking for a professional coach?  I’m your man!  Let’s chat.

Go to:
​
Most Recent Blog Post

​Blog Archives List