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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
4TH MODULE
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Career development – is a series of activities and the continues process of developing your career. This covers
in on-going training for new competencies and skills which will equip you in landing the job you want, and
eventually progressing to higher work responsibilities.
Importance of Career Planning
To maximize the effects if career planning, you must understand what exactly it is you are planning for. The
word career comes up all the time and mean different thing to different people. Career covers all of the work,
learning, and relaxation activities you are involved in throughout your life. This signifies that planning your
career is connected with planning your career is connected with planning the rest of life.
Good career planning involves information about you, the world of work and commitment. The world of work
is constantly changing advances disappears and others very changed from what they were before.
Career planning can help you to prepare:
 Plan for college
 Enter the workforce
 Plan to upgrade your skills
 Handle workplace demands
 Plan for career advancement
Career development is connected to the objectives and goals that you establish. It begins with the realization of
your potential through creativity, independence, naturalness and an understanding of the real world. This is
called actualization or self- actualization and self-assessment of your interest and abilities. Your interest is fitted
to available choices. You need to train in order to acquire the skills needed for the career path you choose. After
the acquiring the needed competency, you have to work to able to achieve the goals that you set out to do.
Career development is related to your growth and satisfaction. As such, it needs to be managed by you and not
by the company you work for.
Developing Career Expectations
Accept Reality
- A degree is no longer a permit to work opportunities, rather, it’s the price to your entry into the
workforce. The sooner you acknowledge that a college degree alone will not guaranty employment,
the sooner you need you find additional prospects to increase your employability.
Plan career early
- As early as you can, start thinking about the work you might want to be doing. Research the job you
can immediately get after graduation and the ones that would need certain additional training. Take
time to set an appointment for career consultation, aptitude assessment, and possible additional
training.
Stages of Career Planning
1. Evaluating Self
- Learning about the self
- This is to have a clear picture of your unique talents, interest, values and skills which will be the
foundation of your career- planning journey.
- Begin by asking yourself the following questions
 Where am I am now?
 Where do I want be?
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 What do I want out of a job or career?

 What do I like to do?
 What are my strengths?
 What is important to me?
After this step, you will have a clearer idea of your work or learn goal and your individual preferences.
2. Exploring Options
- Learning about available work opportunities.
- When you already have a clear idea of your interest, current skills and all the things you value, you
can now start looking at options.
Collect information about possible work, required education, and available training opportunities
 Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how do my skills and interests match up with
these occupations?
 Are there any gaps?
 What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for this occupation?
 What skills do I need?
 Where is the work located?
At the end of this step, you will have a list of preferred occupation and/ or learning options.
3. Making decisions
- Deciding on your future path
- When you have explored your options, the next step is narrowing down your choices of work and or
training opportunities in which you would like to concentrate on. Take time to study them and
decide on the path you want to go.
- Ask yourself:
 What are my best work / training sections?
 How do they match with my skill, interest, and values?
 How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
 what will help and what will hinder me?
 What can I do about it?
4. Setting Goals
- Creating a plan
- Once you have identified your career path, you will now classify the steps you need to take to move
towards your goal. Make an action plan and chart your course.
5. Implementing Your Plan
- Putting you plan into action.
- Start the ball rolling. Be aware you may have to make changes to keep yourself on track or set a new
direction when unexpected events happen. Be adaptable.
Some of the qualities and activities that will help you to plan and manage your career include: continues
learning, flexibility, persistence, optimism, risk- taking, networking, financial management, and work- life
balance.
Organizing Life Goals
Goal setting usually involves short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal is one that can be accomplished
in a short amount of time (a day, a week, a month). The key characteristic of short-term career planning is
eloping realistic goals and objectives that you can accomplish in the near future. As you begin your career
planning, take the time to free yourself from all career barriers. There are personal barriers (such as lack of
motivation, apathy, laziness, or procrastination), family pressure (such as expectations to work in the family
business, follow a certain career path, or avoidance of careers that are below your status/stature), and peer
pressure. And while career planning and career decision-making is an important aspect of your life, do not put
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so much pressure on yourself that it stops you from making real choices, decisions, or plans. To assist you with
your planning, consider using the following exercises to their fullest potential.
Long-term goal career planning usually involves a development window of five years or longer and involves a
wider set of preparation. As business needs change, the skills that you have today may not be in demand years
from now. Long-range career goals should be more about identifying and developing core skills that employers
will always need while developing your personal goals.
Core Workplace Skills: communications (verbal and written), critical and creative think ing, teamwork and
team-building, listening, social, problem-solving, decision-making, interpersonal, project management,
planning and organizing, computer/technology, and commitment to continuous/lifelong learning.
Identifying Career/Employment Trends: The best way is to continually be observant during your short-term
career planning. By regularly being attentive to the industry environment and conducting research, you will
quickly make adjustments on the career paths that interest you and you will be prepared for your next move.
Career Planning Exercises:
1. Analyze your current/future lifestyle. Are you happy with your current lifestyle? Do you want to maintain
it or change it? Be sure to identify the key features of your ideal lifestyle. Does your current career path allow
you the lifestyle you want?
2. Analyze your likes/dislikes. What kinds of activities do you enjoy? What kind of activities do you avoid?
Make a list of both types of activities. Now take a close look at your future work and match the job descriptions
if it is a fit.
3. Analyze your passions. Think of the times and situations in which you feel most passionate, most energetic,
most engaged and see if you can develop a common outline of these situations. Develop a list of your passions.
4. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Step back and look at yourself from an employer's perspective.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Think in terms of any work experience, education/training, skill development, talents and abilities, technical
knowledge, and personal characteristics.
5. Analyze your definition of success. Spend some time thinking about how you define success. What is a
success to you: wealth, power, control, contentment?
6. Analyze your personality. Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you like thinking or doing? Do you like
routines or change? Do you like sitting behind the desk or being on the move? Take the time to analyze yourself
first, then take one or more of these self-assessment tests.
7. Analyze your dream job. Remember those papers you had to write as a kid about what you wanted to be
when you grew up? Take the time to revert back to those times and brainstorm about your current dream job; be
sure not to let any negative thoughts cloud your thinking. Look for ideas internally, but also make the effort to
explore/research other careers/occupations that interest you.
8. Analyze your current situation. Before you can even do any planning, clearly and realistically identify your
starting point.
You can use the five-step planning process whether you are:
still at school;
a school leaver;
an adult adding on skills;
or an adult changing your job or career.
When you set goals, make sure they are SMART:
Specific
Measurable

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Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
Once you have decided on your short-term and long-term goals, it is important to identify action steps that will
help you reach these goals. Part of this process involves breaking down the action steps into clear, achievable
tasks and identifying the resources needed to accomplish them (ex: accessing a friend's computer to research
jobs, attending workshops on looking for work, purchasing bus.to attend training.
CHOOSING A CAREER- PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
JOURNEY TOWARD YOUR CHOSEN CAREER
You should have gathered much information in your career exploration. Let us put them all together so you can
start moving forward in your journey toward your chosen career. Here are the things that you should do:
Step 1: Engage in Self-Discovery and Awareness
Recall the things you learned about yourself from the many exercises and activities you had in previous
chapters. By this time, you should have known a lot of things about yourself and understood that it is an integral
part of the whole process of your development. Most significantly, it becomes very real and crucial at this point
when you are making an important decision that will shape and give meaning to your life. Personal factors
jumpstart and initially stir your career direction. Your goals in life, personal qualities, interests, skills, and
values when put together can be your compass in finding your own true worth. That is why it is important to do
the following: (a) reflect on your life goals: (b) recognize your personal qualities; (c) identify your interests; (d)
know your skills and abilities; and (e) determine your work values.
Step 2: Explore Different Careers
Aside from reading through the different career fields/areas in the previous chapter, expand your knowledge
about careers. Use other career information sources to know more. Here's what you can do.
Consider the people you admire for their work. The people you admire carry with them certain qualities
that you find endearing and worth following. They can be your model. They can spark interest in you,
leading to things you can do in the future. Think of one or two people whose work you admire. Try to
get information about them: their personal qualities, skills, values in life, how they started their career,
among others. By getting to know their experiences and their own journey, you might learn valuable
lessons that you can apply in your own life.
Ask some people whose job is in your initial career options. If you already have an idea of the kind of
career you want to pursue, look for someone working in that field. Interview him/her to know some
actual experiences that can guide you in your career planning. Ask what course he/she took. What are
his recommended schools? What are the important skills, abilities, and qualities you need to hone to be
effective in the job? What advice will he/she give to you if you want to pursue the same career? Write
your notes in the box.
Consult a career counselor. Your counselor will be able to give you added career information and
advice. Feel free to consult for guidance. You can inquire about career-related assessments that will give
you more information for career direction. You can also ask for some more leads or for connections with
some significant people who can give other insights as you start planning a career.
Visit Internet career sites. The Internet is overflowing with in formation. Browse Internet sites for career
and job information. Many colleges and universities here and abroad provide career resources.
Maximize the opportunities of learning a lot so you can make informed choices.
Check out career ads. Browse newspaper and online jobsites (like Jobstreet and JobsDB). You will get
ideas on job demands, training, and skills needed on current career openings.
Research libraries and inquire in career centers. Your library offers a host of references. You may also
inquire or consult career centers for more information and career updates, as well as program offerings
that can help you further develop certain skills.

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Attend career seminars. Engage in continuously learning and getting career information. Career
seminars will be able to keep you abreast with the latest career trends and give you career ad vice or
pointers.
Step 3: Understand Other Factors that Can Influence Your Career Choices
Family. Your family, especially your parents, is your number one supporter as you begin heading toward
a career path. Their biggest role and responsibility are to financially support your studies. Ask your
parents about what they think of your choices and plans. Their own mature experience will help in
guiding you make the best choice. Listen to what they will say, and share your points of view. Try to
arrive at a common ground where their love and support and your gratitude and respect for them (and for
everything they have done and will continue doing) will prevail.
Finances. The financial aspect of education is a huge consideration. Check the current tuition fees and
other expenses. Estimate your monthly, term, and yearly expenses when you go to college or vocational
school. Check out who will support your studies. As education can be quite costly, see how you can help
lessen the expenses in your humble way. Check out possible scholarships, part-time work (that will not
affect your schedule gravely), or other possible means to help. Scholarships are offered by schools,
companies, and private organizations. Search for them so you will know their requirements.
Qualifications for admission to colleges/universities/technical schools that best offer your course
choices. Start considering possible colleges/universities/technical schools that offer the course program
that you would like to take. Check out their requirements for admission and know when application
period begins. Prepare for your records and continuously improve your skills. Some students even attend
review classes in preparation for college admission exams.
Step 4: Identify and Weigh Your Career Options
After considering personal factors, consolidating pieces of advice from parents and significant people,
studying the pros and cons of your career choices, what are your choices/options now?
Step 5: Check Out Different Colleges/Universities/Technical Schools for Courses
Start looking for the best college/university/technical school that offers the courses you are interested to take.
You are usually asked to have two or three course options.
MY PERSONAL CAREER PLAN
Now, it is time to map out your plan. Make a visual representation of your overall plan. Begin with your choice
of career, then college/vocational preparation, until you graduate from your chosen course. How do you
envision yourself in your choice of career (maybe 5-10 years from now)? Be creative. Let your imagination take
you to the most exciting vision of yourself.

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