Dreaming is free. But doing to fulfill it is being an extravagant to the brain and body. Imagine you have to spend a lot of time, energy, etc. to learn all you have to learn within the career you choose, but there’s no problem about it, the important is you love it, otherwise, handle it. Dreaming far from the demands of economy can also make you far from being wealthy.
Over the past forty years, the computer industry has taken fantastic leaps and bounds to where it is today. One of the most influential people during this time was Steve Jobs. Not only was Jobs an integral part of the rise in personal computing, but he was an excellent motivator for those working under him and those inspiring to be like him. Job’s introduction to computers was through a summer job at Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, California. Here, Jobs met Steve Wozniak, an electronics guru. Although both Jobs and Wozniak were both extremely talented, they dropped out of their respected colleges soon after meeting. [Halliday, 1983, p. 205]
Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. Yet every individual will focus on career choice and the process one goes through in selecting an occupation. This may happen once in our lifetimes, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals. I mean, Steve Jobs? Truly his jobs adequately fit to his lifelong, challenging yet successful closure of his endurance.
Today, and more than ever, most people are responsible for building their own careers. Yes, they did. Actually, as I travel along my journey, of course as a student there are lots of things I’ve encountered and needed to face to reach my chosen career in the future.
As I refresh and illuminate my fertile young mind along in this computer keyboard and monitor, meditating which and what part in my life would be useful in choosing my career; there’s a lot things I’ve done that should be learned and acquired to, even a bunch of lists and a 24 hr. day writing and typing can’t do either.
Furthermore, in generalization of those long-lists of ideas and experiences, I’ve top these things into nine most important career planning experiences should be keep in mind.
First stop; never stop learning. Life-long learning is your keyword. The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business. If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough. But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge. Well, if you stop on grade one you wouldn’t get huge companies as Steve Jobs do.
Second stop; ask, listen and learn. A good listener can learn a lot. Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience. Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better. Most people will love to be your free tutor. And facts would not come on you if you don’t actually seek them.
Third on the list; fulfill your current job. Your current job might be best place to start your career. It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free. If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career. Talk to your friends about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization especially if you have proved to be a valued employee. Always remember; you can’t fulfill others career unless you thoroughly manage your own.
Fourth; build your network. My next career step might arise from my contact network. Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks? If you have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new opportunities. Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have. One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers. You can’t stand a business unless many people know your product is the best.
Fifth; identify my current job. Your current job should be identified, not assumed. Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent. When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important. Note: you can’t serve two masters at once!
Sixth; identify my next job. Your dream job must be identified. Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job. In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be? Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager? Before building your future career your goal must be identified. Perhaps you’re like walking in a path for no reason not knowing where to go.
Seventh; prepare yourself. Your dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared. Don't wait a second. Update your knowledge now, and continue to update it regularly. Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional knowledge and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you. If you don't know how to write planners, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now. For the fact that you can’t even guess you’ll be a millionaire tomorrow!
Eight on the list; pick the right tools. Pick the tools you can handle. You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. Studying at top-school is easy. Taking a full master degree is more complicated. You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials. Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your knowledge. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills. Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!
Last on deck; realize my dreams. Put your dreams into action. Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now. If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy. If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams. Remember an apple won’t fall directly to your mouth unless you seize and bite it, you can eat it as a whole, but you’re throat would tremble either. Dreams are chewed slowly to have better digestion.
Obviously, I am taking Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the University of Southeastern Philippines. Do you think there’s anything more occupational to take than what like Steve Jobs did? Of course, a big YES would satisfy this unending career choosing.
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