Step 4 - Create an Action Plan & How To Get There

Now that you have identified your career objectives, you will need to create a plan of action – a road map to get you where you want to go. Using what you know about your skills, abilities, and the experience required to gain employment in the occupation you’ve chosen, you can set long and short-term goals to help you achieve your overall career goal. These goals should include any education, training, and experience you require, as well as your job search strategy.

Because life is unpredictable, our career goals will change, perhaps several times, throughout our working lives. Each new opportunity will open new doors and possibly create new interests. As we live through transitions and changes in our lives, we will need to revisit, reassess, and revise our career goals. It is important to realize that career planning includes more than “work.” Community involvement, volunteering, training and education, and personal experiences are also valuable roads along your career path.

Action Planning
• What do you need to do to realize your career path?
• What action steps do you need to take?

Goal Setting
• Once you have decided on the career path you want to pursue, you need to set some clear and achievable goals to make it a reality. Consider setting goals for the day, the week, the month, 3 months (short-term goals), 1- 2 year goals (medium-term goals) or 3-5 years (long-term goals). A goal could be that you will call several learning institutions or employers in the next week to set up informational interviews. To achieve this goal you would break it down into a “To Do” list:

Sample “To Do” List:

1 Find learning institutions or employers you are interested in learning more about.

2 Get the names and numbers of persons you will need to contact.

3 Set aside time to make the calls and schedule the appointments.

4 Send follow-up thank you notes.

5 Have someone to talk to and reflect on what you’ve learned.

If you know that further training and education is required for your career of choice, you should visit the Education and Training section of our site to get more information.

If you have the level of education and training required for your Career of Choice, you are ready to start Looking for Work.