Five steps to a career strategy

by Laxmi Vallury, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and Professional Certified Coach, specializing in career coaching

Are you thinking of a new career or a new job within an existing profession? It is often tempting to dive headfirst into a job search based on a general idea of what we want. However, having a clear strategy and plan will reap dividends in the long run. I remember a line from a conference I attended several years ago: “All roads lead to Rome, provided Rome is your destination.”

The key to every goal is to know the destination and then set goals to get there. This article is the first in a series of articles to assist you in getting the career you want. The primary focus of this phase is to prepare you for the subsequent stages.

We all know that the job search can be overwhelming. Drafting resumes, tailoring each resume, posting on social media, networking, interviewing, and negotiating. Unfortunately, there is no correct way to simplify the whole process down to one step. However, it is certainly possible to reduce the stress by developing a clear strategy upfront and creating a solid foundation for what follows.

Step 1: Define the end goal.

This step may sound obvious but is often overlooked. Write out a simple statement of your main goal and stick it on your walls or fridge. You will refine this goal as you finish strategizing. The overall objective is not the same as the goals to get you to your dream job. For example, sending 100 resumes a day is necessary but not your career search’s primary objective. The fundamental aim of your career search may be to find a career or job in a specific field and make a certain amount of money. This is your “what,” and sending 100 resumes a day is your “how.”

An example could be:

My goal is to get a job in Project Management, making 135k by the end of 2022

Be very specific on the above statement, and don’t overthink it. Keep it simple and authentic.

Once the objective is clear, we can reach the destination in a few different ways. First, it would be best to determine what area you are most interested in pursuing here. While there may be many assessments and questionnaires in the market, I recommend simply sitting down and running through a simple exercise. Here are possible questions:

• Where do I see myself one year, two years, or five years from now?
• What is my goal? Is it a title? Is it a specific type of responsibility?
• What industries am I interested in the most?
• Do I wish to stay in my current job?
• Do I want a promotion?
• Do I want to work 9–5 or start a business?

Step 2. Look inward.

There is a debate in the career world about whether passion is enough or if paychecks are more important. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong answer. Ultimately, that is a personal choice on what balance you must strike between the two. However, it is essential when looking for a job to look internally at our interests and passions and externally at what the market wants. Think of employers as your target audience to whom you will market your value.

You may have heard a lot about examining our “why.” Why do I want to do this? What is my purpose, and is it aligned to this larger purpose? I have heard many people apologizing for wanting money or a bigger paycheck. Now is the time to be honest about what we want and not veer into self-judgment. It is your purpose and your dream!

Let’s begin with looking inward and truly examining our passions, interests, and boundaries. It is essential not to start reviewing your qualifications at this stage and eliminate yourself before you have even begun the search. What do I mean by this? An example is:

I love drawing, but I don’t have the skills for it

I enjoyed managing projects in high school, but I do not have my PMP, so that will not work

Doing so will automatically influence your brain to reject any options worth pursuing. This step aims to brainstorm and let your mind flow freely.

Some questions to examine:

1. Over my life experience, volunteer or paid, which tasks did I enjoy the most?
2. What is the order of importance of these tasks in my new job?
3. What made them enjoyable?
4. What is important to me right now? A paycheck? A title? Passion?
5. What am I willing to do to get the job: Training/skills?
6. What are the minimum benefits or salary I need from the job?
7. Do I need to enjoy everything about my new job, or am I willing to do some things that are not so interesting if my primary duties are enjoyable?
8. What are my values?

Refine the overall goal from Step 1 if you need to at this stage

Step 3. Take a personal inventory.

Now that you know the job and general industry interests you, assess your skills and experiences. I do not recommend looking at job descriptions at this stage. This is the time to love and celebrate everything we bring to the table. Ask for feedback from others, if needed.

On a sheet of paper, write down the following for each job, volunteer experience, or activity in which you have participated:

1. What skills did I acquire or bring to the job? Make sure you write soft and hard skills (ex: Great communication skills, Visio, MS Suite)
2. What are my top accomplishments?
3. What am I most proud of in my life?
4. What awards and recognitions have I received?
5. What are examples of tangible results I have achieved?: ex: Increased customer retention by 30%
6. What sets me apart from others? (we will discuss personal branding in future articles)

Step 4. Look outward.

Now that you have identified the type of jobs, skills, and experiences, it is essential to consider what the market wants. For instance, if the job you want is a Project Manager job at a Telecommunications company, what could this market be looking for when hiring? Typically, this is a volatile, fast-paced environment where employees constantly juggle multiple projects. Therefore, employers may look for people who can adapt to such an environment, work independently, multitask, and preferably have some experience in telecom. You are solving a problem for the employer so understanding how you can provide the right solutions is essential.

There are a few ways to understand what the market wants:

• Earlier, you identified the industries of interest. Now, identify your dream companies.
• Find job descriptions with your ideal title within the companies. When searching, expand the search to similar-sounding titles. Ex: Implementation Manager very often is like a Project Management job.
• Use a free resource such as jobscan.co or word clouds to identify the top skills and experiences from the jobs you selected
• Talk to your network or people in that company or industry/role (LinkedIn is a great way to find people who work there) to understand what success looks like in that position. Many jobs come through networking. Additionally, advertised job descriptions may contain more requirements than are needed for the job. Companies may use an existing job description from another department or put every possible skill into a description. Do not be discouraged if you are not meeting every single listed requirement. The key is to match at least 60–70%.

Step 5: Do a needs/skill assessment.

. Compare the inventory from step 4 to Step 3 and identify everything that you bring to the workplace and areas which you may need to strengthen with additional training. Later in our series, we will talk more about jobscan.co, a free tool that compares the resume against your job description and highlights where the resume may be missing some key components.

Udemy, Udacity, Coursera, LinkedIn Premium, and other platforms offer low-cost to no-cost options to learn new skills. As you learn, identify opportunities in your current role or volunteer organizations to practice these skills and experiences. Interview experts, research a topic, and do podcasts. There are several ways to showcase your talent and build skills.

Above all, remember:

1. Practice wellness: Always take time to destress via meditation, exercise, and fun activities.
2. Develop the right mindset: Be confident and believe it will happen.
3. A career search may take a few months, so invest your time wisely.
4. Motivate yourself with vision boards, visualization exercises, and other tools.
5. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you.