What’s Your Career Gameplan?

I’ve been thinking a lot about my career lately.

When I say that, people who know me look at me funny. “But, Miranda, don’t you already have the career you want?”

Besides, where else can you go when you are a freelance ladder. I’ve already decided that I’m not climbing the corporate ladder.

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to change things up a little bit. I’ve thought about where I want to go with my writing, and the kinds of things I want to write about. I’ll be putting a book out soon (VERY soon).

So, I need a gameplan. In fact, no matter what you do, or where you want to end up, it makes sense to create a career gameplan.

How to Create a Career Gameplan

Creating your career gameplan really isn’t all that difficult — at least not in terms of what you need to do. The hard part is the introspection that should come with putting together a gameplan.

If you’re ready to change things up a little, and progress further in your career, here are the steps you need to take:

1. Consider your current situation: Look at your current career situation. What aspects of your career do you like? What do you wish you could change? Are you well-suited for the job you have right now? Or is there something that would be better for you. Jot down your thoughts about your current situation, and think about your notes for a little bit.
2. What do you want your career to look like?: Next, figure you what you want your career to look like. Take the aspects of your career that you are happy with, and transfer those to your future. But look at what else you want to be doing. What do you want to get away from? How would you like to advance? Picture your ideal career situation.
3. Figure out what needs to happen to make the transition: Now that you know where you are now, and where you would like to be later, it’s time to figure out what needs to happen in order for you to reach your career goals. Make a list of things that need to be done. Do you need to acquire a new skill? Should you brush up on something? Is there a certification you need? If you want to change jobs, your list might include improving your resume and receiving coaching on your interview abilities.
4. Get to work!: Once you have a list of things that need to happen if you want to develop your preferred career, it’s time to get to work. Tackle the first thing on your list. You don’t need to get everything done at once; just take the appropriate steps now to get to where you want to be later.

In my case, I need to come with a plan to promote my book, as well as look for gigs that pay more so that I can adjust my schedule to fit with my desires. It’s going to require a little bit of work on my part, but I think I can get to where I want to be.

What about you? Do you have a career gameplan?