Career planning is the process of setting career goals and outlining the steps needed to achieve them. It involves self-assessment, exploring career options, and creating a roadmap that guides your educational and professional journey. Effective career planning helps you align your skills, interests, and values with your long-term career aspirations.
- Clarifies Goals and Objectives: By identifying your career interests and objectives, you can focus your efforts on roles and opportunities that align with your aspirations.
- Enhances Decision-Making: A structured career plan allows you to make informed choices about education, internships, and job opportunities, ensuring that each step contributes to your overall career trajectory.
- Improves Career Satisfaction: Planning for your career encourages you to reflect on your passions and values, leading to more fulfilling career choices and greater job satisfaction.
- Conduct Self-Assessment: Use tools like career assessments, personality tests, and skills inventories to gain insight into your strengths, interests, and values, helping you identify suitable career paths. We suggest starting with PathwayU!
- Research Career Options: Discover industries and roles that align with your interests and skills through informational interviews, job shadowing, and research to explore potential career paths. Leverage tools like PathwayU and St. Thomas Connect to deepen your understanding of various opportunities and engage with the Tommie Network for meaningful conversations with professionals in fields that inspire you.
- Set Short- and Long-Term Goals: Create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that outline your educational and career milestones, keeping you focused and motivated.
