Whether you’re just starting your career or about to embark on a new one, chances are you have several questions about how to plan your career. With such  job opportunities available, how do you ensure that your next move aligns with your future goals and will be the most beneficial to you over the long term? Another question: How do you know which career path is right for you? And how can you plan your career in order to make sure that’s the one you choose? These are just some of the many questions job-seekers face today. Where do I go from here? What should I focus on? How can I continue to grow my skills and expand my horizons? The good news is that there’s no easy answer for these questions, which means that it’s up to us to come up with a plan. However, with the right approach, we can ensure that our strategy is successful from the get-go. To help give you ideas on how to plan your career, we put together 8 useful insights on planning your career:

Understand the Stages of Career Development

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to planning your career is that you’ll want to understand the stages of career development. Everyone’s journey is different, but these stages are common regardless of your career path and experience. Knowing what they are and understanding what they mean can help you determine what you’re currently experiencing and what you’re likely to experience in the future.

Define what success looks like

Defining what success looks like is essential for creating a plan and a roadmap for getting there. Before we can work out how to get there, we first have to figure out where we’re going in the first place. What do you want success to look like for you personally? What do you want to be able to say to yourself and your loved ones after working towards this goal? For example, if your goal is to own your own business one day, what would success look like for you? What would success look like for your family?

Map out your skills and interests

Next, you’ll want to map out your skills and interests. Remember, your skills and interests are what you’re good at, so make sure to write them down. Once you have a clear idea of what skills you have, you can map out how you’d like to continue to grow and develop them. This can be done through any number of activities, including continuing your education (if it’s not already part of your plan), volunteering, or taking part in either professional or extracurricular clubs, groups, or associations.

Figure out your career goals

Once you have a better understanding of what you have to work with, it’s time to determine your career goals. What do you want to do with your career? What skills do you want to continue to build on? What do you want to be able to say you did after you’ve finished with your career? This can be as specific as “I was the manager of a team of employees,” or as broad as “I was able to help other people find work that was satisfying for them.”

Create a road map for getting there

Once you know what you want to happen, it’s time to map out how you’ll get there. When it comes to charting out your road map for getting there, you’ll want to make sure to keep in mind what you’ve learned so far. What are the skills and interests that you want to continue to build on? What are the aspects of your life that you’d like to continue to improve? What aspects of your life do you want to work on?

Set up an accountability system

While it’s important to have goals and a roadmap for getting there, it’s also important to have something to hold yourself accountable to. This could be anything from a friend, to a journal entry, to a specific action item. Having something to hold yourself accountable to will help you stay on track, especially when you’re not sure which way to go.

Don’t forget about networking opportunities

Networking is more than just a one-time event. It’s an ongoing, daily practice that can help you navigate your career and navigate your path towards your goals. Networking can take place in a variety of settings, from professional settings (like conferences or networking events) to social settings (like coffee dates or networking parties). It’s important to keep in mind that networking can be different for everyone, so you’ll want to find out what works best for you.

Leverage Technology to Grow and Change

Technology is changing the way we work, save, learn, and even interact with others. For example, you can connect with people throughout the world without ever leaving your home. This opens up a whole new world of learning and potentially networking opportunities, especially with people you may have never have been able to meet in person before.

Conclusion

Career planning is an important step in the process. You get to know yourself better, you figure out what you want to do, and you make sure you are moving in the right direction. Make sure you take the time to map out your skills and interests, determine your career goals, create a road map for getting there. With exact planning on your career, you wouldn’t getting lost in your career advancements