Planning Your Career Workbook

8/8/2019 Planning Your Career Workbook

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Plann ing Your Career @IBM

Workbook



Overview

Having a fulfilling c aree r req uires an investme nt o f time and ene rgy a s we ll as an ongo ing

commitment.

Your ca ree r journey sta rts with having a we ll thoug ht out and c urrent p lan.

Your p lan is an ho nest, thoughtful, and rea listic assessment of yo ur ca reer asp ira tions and

what you need to do to a chieve them.

This wo rkboo k provides you w ith som e a c tivities you c an und ertake to help you to plan

your ca ree r go a ls. You c an c om plete a ll the a c tivities or selec t those tha t you think would

be of mo st value to you.

It is YOUR journey!! Take som e time and en joy the journey!!



Index:

Sec tion 1: Self Assessment:

1.1 Who a m I?

1.2 What M akes Me Spec ia l?

1.3 Satisfying Acc om plishment s

1.4 Strengths

1.5 Inte rests/ Skills

1.6 Ca reer Need s

1.7 Defining Suc c ess

1.8 Preferred Lea rning Style

1.9 Ma pp ing your Netwo rks

Sec tion 2: Your Goals

2.1 Life Go a ls

2.2 Ca reer Goa ls

2.3 Aligning Ca ree r & Life G oa ls

Sec tion 3: Your Career Plan

3.1 Write your c a reer p lan



1.1: Who Am I?

Use the grid be low to answe r the follow ing :

1. The q uestion , “ Who am I?” ten times

2.

The p ersona l va lue o r bene fit you d erive from e ac h of the answe rs3. Rank, in ord er of impo rta nc e, from 1-10 with 1 be ing the m ost imp ortant

As you answer the question, consider the following:

1. Loo k beyo nd your trad itional roles

2. Think of ho bb ies, pe rsona l life, etc .

3. Don’ t w orry a bout ove rlap , not a ll roles a re mutually exc lusive

Examples are:

1. Role: I am a wife, husband, p artner, stud ent, em ployee

2. Trait: I am an enthusiastic person

3. Skill: I am a skill tec hnic ian

Who Am I? Persona l Value or Benefit Rank

Exam ple:

Stud ent

I love lea rning , and b ec ause o f this I c an continue to

lea rn/ evolve in a fast c hang ing world.

Loo k bac k ove r your answe rs to the “ persona l va lue o r be nefit” q uestion. What c om mo n

them es do you see ? Circ le o r underline these a nd list them b elow.

What would you d o if your top three roles, tra its, or skills we re elimina ted? How wo uld you

rea c t? Wha t wo uld yo u do to fill the vo id? Wha t other options do you ha ve? Use the

spa c e b elow to m akes note s if you w ish.



1.2 What Makes Me Spec ial?

This ac tivity help s you ident ify wha t is unique to yo u and what skills and va lues you ho pe to

ta ke to future roles. You a re a lso a sked to w rite a sta tem ent a bout ho w you wo uld like to

be remem be red . This will help you c la rify the c ore e lem ents tha t w ill be nec essa ry for yourfuture roles, to help you to d eve lop and dem onstrate the b eha viours and traits tha t you list.

1. I’m experienc ed a t _________________________________

2. I exc el at ___________________________________________

3. I enjoy doing _______________________________________

4. I want t o ___________________________________________

5. I’ve been told I’m___________________________________

6. I’m ha pp iest whe n__________________________________

7. I g et inspiration from________________________________

8. I’m p roud of _______________________________________

9. I asp ire to _________________________________________

10. I g et ene rgy from __________________________________

Think about the follow ing sc ena rio:

You a re a t a g a thering o f family, friend s, and w ork c ollea gue s to c eleb ra te your

retirem ent. A me mb er of eac h group (fam ily, friend s, and w ork c ollea gue s) ge ts up a nd

gives a speec h tha t highligh ts your ac hieve me nts, ac tions, and yo ur c harac ter.

Reme mb er they are not ta lking a bo ut the p erson you a re tod ay b ut the p erson you

have be c om e through your c areer and long life; the journey that ha s lea d yo u to your

retireme nt d ay.

What wo uld the y say?

“ I wo uld like peo ple to rem emb er me a s…”



Ca n you see a ny themes? Wha t level of importanc e a re these va lues?



1.3 Satisfying Ac complishments:

The purpose o f this exerc ise is to he lp you ide ntify those ac tivities in your pa st from which

you g a ined sa tisfac tion and to ide ntify the c ha rac teristics which c onsistently ap pea r in

tho se a c tivities. These c ha rac teristics should b e m aximised and figure p rom inently in yourfuture wo rk ac tivities. Know led ge of t hem will be an a sset in planning for future c a ree rs.

In the grid be low , briefly de sc ribe at lea st 10 ac c om p lishme nts which we re sat isfying to

you. The a c c om p lishments should be som ething you d id we ll. They should a lso b e

som ething w hic h had results in which yo u ta ke p ride a nd inc lude a c tivities you en joyed

and from which yo u derived pe rsona l sa tisfac tion.

Your ac c om p lishme nts should not just b e wo rk relate d . Think of a c c om plishme nts

througho ut your life; use your entire life as a thinking ground inc lud ing c hildhoo d , sc hoo l,

university, co lleg e, job / c aree r, hobb ies, etc .

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Now c hoose the top three ac c om plishments and list them on the next p ag e. Then a nswer

the nine questions for eac h of the a c c om p lishme nts.

The rea son w e a re asking you to w rite your responses a fte r g iving t hem tho ug ht is to help

you b ec om e a wa re o f skills and ac tivities which yo u have e njoyed , as we ll as fac ts and

c harac teristics about yourself of whic h you ma y not be fully aw are.



Ac com plishment No. 1: Ac com plishment No.

What a c tivities did you p erform in ac hieving this

accomplishment?

Were the re a ny p a rticula r skills or c apa bilities you used

that c ontributed to his ac c om plishment?

What wa s your role or relat ionship to othe rs, e.g., Lea de r,

Inde pe nde nt Worker, Tea m Mem be r, etc

What w as the environme nt? For examp le, were you fo llowing

established rules, were you working on your own, etc.

What problems or difficulties did you encounter?

What d id you lea rn from this expe rienc e? Did you lea rn

new knowled ge or skills? Did you lea rn new things abo ut

yourself?

What d id you like be st a bo ut this experienc e? Why was

the accomplishment satisfying?

Are the re a ny simila rities to the “ Who Am I exerc ise?



Take a few minutes to loo k over you a nswe rs to the que stions on your top three

ac c om p lishments. Wha t simila rities or co mm ona lities do you see ?

Think ab out :

Area s tha t yo u shou ld e xam ine for simila rities or c onsistenc ies inc lude :

1. The know led ge used or the sub jec t mat ters of the ta sk or ac c om plishme nt. Are

there c om mon the mes? What a re they?

2. The role tha t you p layed in the ac c om plishme nt. Wha t was it? Was it the same in

a ll or mo st of t he a c c om p lishme nts?

3. The environme nt in whic h the ac c om plishment took p lac e. Were the environme nts

simila r? Wha t were they?



1.4 Strengths:

In his boo k Go Put Your Streng ths to Work, Ma rcus Buc king ham asked the follow ing

questions:

• Are your workdays filled with tasks tha t let your streng ths flow?

• Does your wo rk eng age your very strong est a b ilities?

His definition o f Strengths is “ Your streng ths are your ta lents, skills and know ledge. Ta lent is

your innat e a pt itud e for an a c tivity. A skill is som ething you lea rn and be c om e m ore ad ep t

at do ing through p rac tic e. Knowledg e is your unde rstand ing o f wha t nee ds to b e d one in

a spec ific situa tion.”

He g oe s on to say:

“ The sec ond myth is tha t you ha ve the g rea test roo m fo r grow th whe re you a re wea k, so it

pa ys to seek growth the re. Although you need to p ay a ttention to we aknesses that ca n

end ang er your we ll-being, you w ill find that you ha ve m ore ab ility to grow where you a re

strong . Using your streng ths will he lp you c reate a positive fe ed back loo p . You w ill

experienc e g rea ter grow th by e mp hasising w hat you alrea dy d o w ell than b y spe nding

time a nd e nergy on some thing your are not m otivate d to do ”

Do you know w hat your strengths a re?

If you w an t to understand mo re a bout yo ur strengths you m ay wish to sign into Ma rtin

Seligma n’ s Signature Strengths Questionna ire…which mea sures 24 Charac te r Streng ths.

You will need to reg ister prior to ta king this questionna ire…b ut it is free.

Onc e you a re c lea r about your strengths…co nsider how w ell you ha ve b een using these

and how you c an m ake them m ore prom inent in your wo rk

For more information on wo rking with your Streng ths…take a look a t the Boo k Summa ry for

Go Put Your Strengths to Work

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Entry.aspx?rurl=http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/tests/SameAnswers_t.aspx?id=310

http://www.getabstract.com/ShowAbstract.do?dataId=9026&u=ibm_corporation



http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Entry.aspx?rurl=http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/tests/SameAnswers_t.aspx?id=310



1.5 Interest and Skills:

When w e a re d oing things we like, we often sa y we are in “ the zone” or “the flow” , that

time seeme d to sta nd still, and that w e just don’ t know ho w w e p ulled it off.

Kee p this in mind w hen c om pleting the follow ing g rid .



The fo llow ing g rid p rov ides suggestions on how to a dd ress or ac tion the items you listed in

eac h qua rter.



1.6 Career Needs:

Think abo ut wha t you wa nt o ut o f your ca ree r … and p rioritise the se req uirem ents.

Would be Nice

Essential

Open for Negotiation



1.7 Defining Suc c ess:

If you we re to judge w hethe r you a re suc c essful 5 years from tod ay, wha t wo uld you look

for?

As you think about this, ensure tha t your foc us is b road and includ es aspec ts of suc c ess

that go beyond your job.

The d efinition nee ds to b e d esc rip tive eno ugh so tha t when you look at it five ye a rs from

now you c an ask “ Was I suc c essful?” and answe r “Yes” , “No” , or “Partia lly” .

Suc cess to me is:



1.8 Preferred Learning Style

Honey and Mumford – The Four Lea rning Styles

Review the ta b le b elow a nd dete rmine your preferred lea rning style. You c an use this to

help you d etermine a n effec tive learning p lan and ide ntify the types of learning tha t you

will benefit most from.

Activists:

Are you open minded/enthusiastic

ab out new experienc es?

Do you ha ve a philosop hy of I’ll try

anything once ?

Do you thrive o n the c hallenge of a

new experienc e?

Do you act first, considerconsequences later?

Are you flexib le? Do you enjoy the here and now?

Reflectors:

Do your ponder experienc es from

ma ny different a ng les?

Do your have a philosop hy of loo k

before you lea p?

Do you tend to a dop t a low profile?

Are you thoug htful, tolerant,

unruffled? Do you tend to stand ba ck and

observe? Do your c ollec t and ana lyse d ata

ab out experienc e and events? Are you slow t o rea c h c onc lusions? Do you use informa tion from pa st a nd

present to ma intain a big p ict ure

perspective?

Theorists:

Do you think through p rob lem s in alog ic al ma nner?

Do your value rationa lity and

objectivity?

Are you a b le to assimilate d ifferent

facts into coherent theories

Do you ha ve a philosop hy of ‘If it’ s

log ic al, it’s go od ’?

Do you tend to be d etached and

analytical?

Are you interested in princ iples,

theories, mo dels?

Pragmatist:

Are you keen to put idea s, theories,and tec hnique s into p rac tic e?

Do you like to sea rc h for new ide as

and experimenting?

Do you ac t quickly and c onfide ntly on

ideas?

Do you g et straight to the p oint?

Do you ha ve a philosop hy of ‘ If it

wo rks, it’ s goo d ’?

Do you g et imp atient with end less

d isc ussion?

From Cap italizing on Your Lea rning Style, Hone y & Mum ford 1995, Orga niza tion Design and Deve lopme nt, Inc .

My p referred Lea rning Style is:

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Activists: “ Hand s On” lea rners who prefer to have a go and lea rn through trial and error

Reflec tors: “Tell Me” lea rners who prefer to be tho roug hly b riefed befo re p roc ee d ing

Theorists: “ Co nvince M e” learners who wa nt rea ssuranc e tha t a p rojec t ma kes sense

Pragmatists “ Show M e” lea rners who w ant a de mo nstration from an a c knowled ge d e xpe rt



1.9 Mapping Your Network

Netwo rking is about m aking c onta c ts and b uilding relationships tha t c an lea d to jobs and

othe r wo rk relate d o pp ortunities. It is about see king o ut pe op le who c an help you…and of

c ourse netwo rking m ea ns do ing the same for them .

List the pe op le o r orga nisat ions in your current netw ork and those you would like to a dd to

your netw ork. For those c urrently in your netwo rk, think ab out the c urrent sta te of t he

rela tionship… Is it wo rking as it should, or d oe s it nee d a tte ntion?

Use yo ur p lan to foc us on m aking your netwo rks mo re e ffec tive.

Network Typ e Network Mem be rs Stea dy

State

Needs

Attention

Want to

Ad d

Operational Network

Purpose: Performing e ffec tively in

your c urrent role

Personal Ne twork

Purpose: Enha nc e your pe rsona l and

professional de velopm ent

Strateg ic Network

Purpose: Enhanc e long term

aspirations and provide visibility into

the organisation



2.1 My Life Goals:

Everyone ha s life va lues or go a ls, but no t everyone is fully aw are o f them. Ach ieving life

va lues or goa ls often requ ires the c om mitment to , or sac rific e of, other life values of g aols.

This exercise w ill help you to bec om e a wa re o f go a ls in your life to which you m ay be

c om mitted and those which you a re w illing to sac rific e. It will help you think ab out a nd

rank the importanc e of c ertain life go a ls.

Rank the impo rta nc e o f the life g oa ls below. Numb er 1 should rep resent the go a l of

highest va lue to you

Importance

to Me

Life Goals

Leadership To b ec om e a n influential lea der; to o rga nise a nd

c ontrol others; to a c hieve c om munity or

organisation goalsExpertness To b ec om e a n a uthority on a subject; to pe rsevere;

to reac h a hop ed for “e xpe rt” level of skill and

accomplishment

Prestige To b ec om e w ell known; to ob tain rec og nition,

awards or high social status

Servic e To c ontribute to the sa tisfac tion of o thers; to b e

helpful to othe rs who nee d it

Wealth To e arn a g rea t d ea l of mo ney; to build up a large

financ ia l po rtfolio

Independence To ha ve the o pp ortunity for free do m o f thought a nd

ac tion; to be ones ow n bo ss

Affection To o bta in and share c omp anionship a nd a ffectionthroug h imm ed iate family and friend s

Sec urity To a c hieve a sec ure a nd sta b le p osition in both

wo rk and financ ia l situa tions

Self-realisation To o p timise p ersona l deve lop me nt; to rea lise one ’ s

full, creative, and innovative potential

Duty To d ed ic a te o neself tota lly to the p ursuit of ultima te

va lues, idea s, and p rinc ip les

Pleasure To enjoy life; to be ha pp y and c ontent; to have the

“ go od things” in life

Balance To b e a b le to b a lanc e on the four key d ime nsions of

physic a l, menta l, spiritua l, and em otiona l wellbeing

Other

Other

Now c om pare you r results from the “ Who am I?” exerc ise with the rankings of your life

go a ls. You should b e a b le to rec og nise the de velopme nt of simila rities with reg a rd to w hat

you c onsider imp ortant , what you va lue, and wha t your priorities a re.



2.2 Career Goals:

Ac hieving a go al gives a sense o f ac c om p lishme nt; you c an feel and see p rog ress and

ge t the persona l sat isfac tion and stimulat ion tha t is derived from ac hieving your goa ls or

objectives.

Use the tem p la te b elow to de fine a tta inab le yet c ha lleng ing g oa ls for your ca ree r. It is OK

just to ha ve 1-2 go a ls.

Think ab out :

What you a sp ire to be/ do in 2 years, 5 yea rs, 10 yea rs

What you w ould like to be a ble to ac hieve a t work

Ma ke sure your gaols a re SMART.

S pecific

M eaningful

A c tion -oriente d

R ealistic

T rackable

Goal:

Goal:

Goal:

Goal:



To test the rea lity o f your goa ls answe r the fo llow ing q uestions:

1. What is the c ost (p ersona l time , life a nd fam ily) of m y c a ree r plans?

2. How muc h am I willing to ask my family to help m e w ith my c a ree r?

3. How persistent d o I think I am?

4. How muc h am I willing to trave l?

5. Am I willing to reloc a te?6. Where do I wa nt to w ork and live?

7. What fac tors ma ke this an ac hieva ble g oa l?

8. What fac tors c ould p revent m e from ac hieving this go al?

Rev iew your responses and ensure tha t the goa l still ma kes sense.

There should b e no insurmounta b le o bsta c les which c annot b e resolved or would p reve nt

you from ac hieving the go al.

Sha re your go a ls w ith your fam ily, co llea gues, men to rs, etc . They will rem ind you, ask ab out

your p rog ress, and e nc ourag e you.

Even more imp ortant , by telling p eo ple a bo ut your goa ls and he aring yo urself ac tua lly

sta te the m, you w ill inc rea se your c om mitment.



2.3 Aligning Career and Life Goa ls:

List the Top 3 Life Goa ls you ide ntified ea rlier and deta il how these p ositively and / or

neg atively imp ac t your ca reer go als.

Top 3 Life Goa ls Imp ac t of Life Goa l on Career Goa l

How will you leverag e the po sitive impa c t a nd m itiga te a ny nega tive impa c t in order to

ac hieve b oth your life a nd c areer goa ls.



3.1 Write Your Career Plan

Your ca ree r p lan is your persona l plan o n how you a re g oing to a c hieve yo ur c a ree r go a ls.

It a lso p rovide s input into your annua l deve lop me nt p lan.

Below is a sug gested template for your Ca reer Plan. Use this if it is useful or simp ly just

doc ume nt your plan in a w ay that suits you.

Career Goa l No. 13-6 Mo nths:

Think about your short-term g oa ls tha t a re ea sily a c hieved but w ill also help you

move towa rds your longe r-tea m g oa l.

List a c tions you w ill ta ke to m ove tow ard the g oa l, e.g., c om p lete xyz p rojec t,

fac ilitate 2 team mee tings, etc.

6-12 Months:

Sta rt thinking b igg er. Wha t ne w skills do yo u want to learn? Wha t ne w ide as do

you wa nt to share with others? What c hang es do you wa nt to m ake?

Inc lude ac tions you need to ta ke to ma ke this hap pe n.

Beyond 12 Months:

Ca pture spe c ific plans to a c hieve your c areer goa ls that you know m ay ta ke

mo re tha n 12 mo nths to a c c om plish. Include target da tes.



Perceived Constraints:

What are the things that c ould ge t in the wa y of ac hieving your ca reer go al?

List these p erceived b arriers and wha t you nee d to d o to overcom e them .

Oppo rtunities to Exp lore a t IBM:

List lea rning/ deve lop me nt op portunities tha t will help you reac h your c a ree r

goals.

Think ab out relationships tha t you w ant to c ultivate/ build.

Think about job roles/ p rojec ts tha t m ight help you ga in skills/ expe rienc e.

Planning Your Career Workbook

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