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Chapter 9

Managing Your Career

Your personal marketing plan

One way of considering career development is to think of it in terms of a personal marketing plan.

It means adopting a realistic view of yourself as the supplier of a service for which you need to find customers. These customers may be internal – within your own organisation, or external – in other organisations.

Evaluating your abilities

The first step in creating your personal marketing plan is to conduct a career audit.

This will allow you to evaluate your own abilities, identify any gaps in your education and experience that need to be addressed, and help you to make decisions about your future aspirations.

Evaluating your abilities

Gathering information

Non-work experiences

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

Identifying your career goals

What do you want?

What are your values?

Identifying career opportunities and sectors

Seeking informationOn your own

Careers advisers

Professional organisations

Putting it all together

Exploring the options

Your present career with your present employer.

A new career with your present employer.

Your present career with your new employer.

A new career with a new employer.

Getting a new job

Writing your CV

The job searchNetworking

Speculative approaches

Making a job application

The interview

Taking stock again

Lifelong learning

Don’t give up