Planning Your Career After College

By: Dakotta J.K. Alex. Consultant, Author & Entrepreneur http://www.dakotta.com Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Once the excitement and anxiety of your graduation are over, it’s important to set the stage for your career. Career planning is a necessity well before graduation, but many students in China make the mistake of waiting until after the ceremony to begin mapping out their blueprint for the future. Ideally, career planning can begin as early as the junior year of college. This is the optimal time to begin fine-tuning a resume, outlining strengths and weaknesses, and assessing your career standing and outlook for the next few years.

Making a clear choice about one’s career can become a bit overwhelming when graduation draws near and students who have failed to properly prepare will have unrealistic expectations regarding the types of jobs they will be able to get. The high hopes of comfortable jobs and high-paying salaries immediately after graduation can turn into a disappointing reality without the right planning and accurate career assessments.

Career planning exercises and assessment can help to obtain an objective analysis of goals and expectations for each individual. Every person has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and the sooner that these can be identified and categorized, the easier it will be to highlight the best career suitable for long-term success.

Core competencies will vary depending on the industry; business students may be adept and long range forecasting, medical students may be adept in analyzing detailed material, while social studies majors may be strong in teaching and educating others. Whatever role or profession you chose, it’s essential that you have the tools and resources to find out more about how your industry choice can match with your personality and lead you to a secure job immediately after graduation.

Suggestions

Research -
Career planning is about research. Though it should be a given, many students will may the mistake of undervaluing this crucial aspect of career planning. By taking the time to investigate the various job opportunities that are available or will be available in one’s chosen field before graduation, the student will gain valuable information about job parameters or requirements so they can inventory what skills will be necessary so they can prepare. The student will then have an opportunity to add those skills through additional course work and class time.

Discuss Your Plans -
Don’t think you have to go it alone. It helps some students to seek out either a guidance counselor or a business professional in order to gain insights into what methods of career planning will work best or whether it is really a combination of strategies that will ultimately lead to successful employment after school.

Internship -
Prior to graduation, students in China can take part in a variety of activities and learn about different industries in unique ways. Obtaining an internship with a company or industry within the area of study is just one very effective way to obtain work experience and references. The employer can monitor and track progress over a very limited period of time, and provide feedback on results. An internship can set a student up for referrals, networking, and gaining an insider’s perspective of the job market.

Through groups like the American Chamber of Commerce, the Canada-China Business Council, and the U.S-China Business Council, Chinese graduates can find opportunities to intern with established companies that can provide the references these students need for permanent employment later.

Networking -
Developing relationships with key leaders and area businesses in the community is another effective way to learn more about different options. Attending business events, workshops, and community seminars in the area will help to learn more about operations and objectives in many different industries.
There are many associations that provide information on Chinese companies and many even host social gathering on a monthly basis to provide a specific occasion for job seekers to network with many of the top executives in these companies. It is certainly true that a big part of finding a great job opportunity comes down to who you know.
Networking events where business cards are exchanged, or community parties where key business leaders are present, are excellent ways to introduce your talents and learn about what may be a good match in the short or long-term.

Resume Development -
Having a well-developed resume is an essential element to career planning. You should take the time to design a resume that targets your core competencies and skills. This can be presented at a mock interview session in order to gain an objective opinion of strengths. Mock interviews also allow for constructive criticism and feedback, and learning new ways to approach potential companies and businesses with successful skills. Companies that can sense an applicant’s enthusiasm and goal-setting abilities will extend offers when they can trust that you will be a long-term investment. Obtaining the appropriate training, building competencies, improving skills, and enhancing your productivity are all aspects of career training; planning ahead for these opportunities is essential to long-term career growth.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Dakotta J.K. Alex, social venture director and author of “Damn, I Need a Job. Again!” and “The Recruiters Guide Book,” is a Global HR Solutions Consultant specializing in human capital recruitment, process management and career analysis in the US, Europe and China. With over 9 years of consultancy experience he has found his niche in the social networking arena and now runs the 3rd largest recruiting network forum www.RecruiterGroups.com in addition to a candidate / recruiter forum known