Beat dead-end dilemma

Career planning is traditionally touted as a good thing, but in today's job market people can also benefit from being spontaneous, say career advisors.

Jay Lincoln, a holistic coach with Auckland-based Life Coach Associates, says while career planning is useful and can add structure to a career; it can also be driven by fear. Keen career planners are often married with children and have a mortgage, or have been raised to believe they need to reach a career pinnacle. But because career progress is often aided by self-awareness, flexibility and an element of risk, spontaneity may serve people better, says Lincoln.

"The downsides of over-planning a career include placing so much focus on where you want to be that you lose yourself and miss opportunities that would [otherwise] have helped you. Also, what you initially plan for may be not be where you end up," he says.

This is certainly true for Sarah, a 45-year-old public policy team leader with a local government organisation. After graduating with an economics degree and working as a policy analyst internationally, Sarah obtained a law degree and entered private law practice, which she says she hated. Eventually, she realised she wanted a career in public policy with a strong work/life balance and was able to plan for it - but she says that discovery took time, setbacks, and personal experience as well as professional career planning and a career consultant's advice.

"The job I have now is such a perfect fit for me but I would never have had the confidence to go for it without [career planning]," says Sarah. She says self belief was also necessary - it wasn't until a board member 'shoulder-tapped' her for a leadership position that she began to think about what she was capable of in the public sector and how to move forward.

Frances Harre, director for career advisors Forte Careers, says career planners tend to fall into one or more of three categories - the lost and bored who want to plan for a new career direction, those who know where they are going and plan to go further, and the risk-averse and fearful.

"Too many people, whether they have vague career ideas or absolutely know what they want to do, are risk-averse and operate under the fallacy of assumption. They say 'not now: because of mortgage, because of the kids; because I need to keep earning the money I'm earning now'," says Harre.

"We say look; get the career direction that aspires you clear [in your mind], get it set up with milestones and think of your cashflow as you go along. If people are working towards bigger picture aspirations they find creative ways around [the risks]."

Lincoln says it's often not possible to divorce career planning from personality or life-planning and self confidence about a career direction is crucial - when people plan to grow in a career they need to be moving forward and growing personally at the same time. He says assessment of a career plan should include an analysis of the financial cost and the implications of the plan on the individual's lifestyle and personal commitments. Other considerations are whether the plan delivers skills that can be transferred to other industries if the individual wants to change careers later.

Harre says the traditional mindset around career planning has undergone a critical change - predictable 'do it once and then stick to it' career plans no longer cut the ice and the key theme is now ongoing and active career management. New Zealanders are following an international trend to move beyond the "work grind" when planning a career, she says. Rather than wait for a promotion or positive performance review from their employer, people can conduct their own performance reviews and weekly updates and record their own career progress and achievements. Harre says she knows of people who put forward a case for promotion to their senior managers every six months because career planning and promotion is no longer solely about ability and longevity of service, but talent, passion and self-belief.

"The goal is to be different, to be the exception. Get a document on your computer and regularly update it by outlining what you have changed, achieved and improved and what's needed to further [your career]. That's the raw data you need to take to a promotion interview," she says. The experts says neutral 'buddies' or career mentors are also valuable to people thinking through a career plan, and a solid performance in a community-worthy pursuit creates well-roundedness and appeals to promotion reviewers. Conducting 'street-wise' market research with people in established career positions is also useful.

"Talk to them and ask 'how did you get to where you are, what did you do, how would you suggest I move; what steps should I take?' It's about being in the driver's seat of your own career," says Harre.

Lincoln says when career planners talk to enough people they soon discover the reality of a career and what's needed to progress it. Five and ten year career plans can then be helpful if they're not too structured.

"Create a vision of where you see yourself in [that time frame] but don't get too specific about what you want and where you want to be. That way you won't miss opportunities along the way," says Lincoln.

Harre advocates identifying core career abilities and passions as early as possible, deciding on a flexible plan of action, then looking for where skills gaps need plugging. While education and qualifications are a reality of most career plans, a lack of certain qualifications doesn't have to limit a career plan, she says. For example, someone with a passion for working with animals doesn't necessarily have to have a career as a vet.

Lincoln says people of different ages approach career planning in different ways and what drives the desire to plan can vary as widely as who is available to help. He says he has met people in their 60s who plan careers because they fear they'll die if they retire as well as 18-year-olds who have career issues because their parents are trying to direct them into 'safe' careers or those that are a family tradition. Successful strategies include helping young people to understand where their parents are coming from and accommodating that wisdom with the generational knowledge and confidence of the young career planner, says Lincoln.

"Parents have got to 'let go' and start asking their kids what they would like to do in terms of [career] and consider how they can support them," he says.

Lincoln and Harre say too many vocational courses don't lead to valid career options for young people. Harre would like to see these skills taught at intermediate and secondary school.

Sarah would probably second that. She says getting the right career planning support was critical to her eventual and ongoing career success.

"The best thing I did was to invest in help in planning through what I wanted to do. It helped package me, and gave me confidence to go for the jobs and to realise what I was I capable of," she says.