My Career Plan

My Career Development Plan (1) 1. Introduction Career development, a major aspect of human development, is the process through which an individual’s work identity is formed. It ps one’s entire lifetime. Career development begins with a person’s earliest awareness of the ways in which peoples make a living, continues as they explore occupations and ultimately decides what career to pursue, prepares for it, applies for and gets a job and advance in it. It may, and probably will include, changing careers and jobs.
In order to live successful and peaceful in the whole life, it is important to know where we are, what we want to be, and how to get there. Career development planning will force you to regularly perform a self-assessment on where you are now in your career, to assess the inborn job skills you enjoy using. Therefore, it is needed to set a plan for our own career development. Without a plan, we can’t achieve our goals. Career development is an ongoing, lifelong process to help you learn and achieve more in your career.
The career development plan shows where we should go (career planning) and how to get there (career management). Everyone has their own expectations, goals, and strong desires. In order to achieve our goals and strong desires, we have to make plan to get there; we have to organize the necessary resources such as knowledge, experiences, and skills; we have to lead ourselves; and we have to control whether we are going the right way or not. Since career development is ongoing, life-long process, we can change the way we go as per our career development plan.

Hence, career development plan is very important engine for our career development. I have constructed my career development plan after learning four weeks of “International Career Development” course. I divided my career development as short term, mid-term, and long-term. This career development plan is vital role in my life because it reminds me what should I do and where should I go, and implementation of action steps towards my career goals. It directs the ways to go to my target, and energizes me to reach my goal. I can see my future clearly through my career development plan.
It is certain that I can know the clear direction, I can choose the right way, and eventually I can reach my goal. The following picture shows my career development plan: 2. Discussion of My Career Vision * My Career Vision Statement I would like to discuss about my career vision statement. The career vision statement is our inspiration, and the framework for all of our strategy. Career vision statement tells what we want to achieve and, the goal and purpose of our plan. It gives us the direction and way of reaching our goals. My career vision guides me achieving my goals.
My career vision statement is “Economic development through export promotion”. * My Significant Purpose of Career I will discuss about my significant purpose of career. I would like to contribute to the development of our country’s economy sharing my knowledge and experiences. “Management and Trade Analysis” job is the best way to fulfill my significant purpose, so having strong desire to become a Director General of Ministry of Commerce is my major goal in my life. In order to reach my major goal, I set “Mission Statement” as “One for All: upgrading myself , and motivation others through management and trade analysis”. My Main Career Goals I had a dream to become a Director General in Ministry of Commerce when I joined as an Assistant Manager in 2001. Becoming a Director General in Ministry of Commerce is my dream, my expectation, and my strong desire. Ministry of Commerce is my starting point of my career, and I realized that I have to upgrade myself in this government officer life. Even though I had a chance to choose another career, I have stuck the job that I like the most. I have been working for five years as a Deputy Director at Ministry of commerce since 2007.
I have not had my career development plan at that time although I want to become a Director General. However, I had a dream of studying in abroad because this exposure can help my future development. Yet, my dream comes true, and I am studying at IUJ. The knowledge that I learned from International Career Development class gives me the clear direction of my future. I can build my career development plan as short-term, mid-term, and long-term. I can see my future exactly, it is not imagination, and it is feasible. The following ladder shows my career development steps.
Taking Director General and contribute the economic development of our country Taking Director General and contribute the economic development of our country Long-term Long-term Getting promotion as Deputy Director General and start own business Getting promotion as Deputy Director General and start own business Mid-term Mid-term Upgrading myself and to get promotion as a “Director” (preparation time) Upgrading myself and to get promotion as a “Director” (preparation time) Short-term Short-term * My Short Term Career Goals (3years)
The time-frame for a short-term goal relates to its context in the overall time line that it is being applied to. For instance, one could measure a short-term goal for a month-long project in days; whereas one might measure a short-term goal for someone’s lifetime in months or in years. My short term career goal is upgrading my skills and knowledge for my next stage. By doing so, I intend to get a promotion as a “Director” of my same place. Building necessary skills and knowledge is very important in that stage. I will share my knowledge and experiences what I learned from IUJ to my department and colleagues.
At the same time, I will improve my skills and experiences in order to get the next step. I need security and stability in that initial stage. Short-term goals are usually goals for the near future or are more tangible. My short-term targets should support my long-term objectives, so I should constantly compare them to make sure they line up. * My Mid-term Career Goals (5-7 years) My mid-term career goal is getting promotion and setting up a business in order to raise money for my second part of life. I will transfer to Overseas Trade Promotion department Ministry of Commerce as a “Director”, and I will continue my PhD program.
When I finish my PhD, I can have a chance to promote “Deputy Director General position”. This is one of the mile stones for my significant career. Working at Overseas Trade Promotion department can give me many chances to go abroad, and attend the seminars and trainings in which will support me to get knowledge for my future successfully. My working place, Ministry of Commerce, is situated at, Nay Pyi Taw, the new capital city of Myanmar, and there are many government offices in that city. Currently, there is only two shopping mall and only 3D movie theatre, so I have not many places like Yangon, my former city, to spend my leisure time.
Not only I can emphasize all of my times into my job but also I can manage my own business. It is certain that I can stay happily with my family, and I can spend my life doing the job that I like the most. * My Long-term Career Goals My long-term career goal is as a Director General of Department of Border Trade at Ministry of Commerce. This is the third part of my life, and also the end of my career goals. At the same time, I can stay happily with my family at Nay Pyi Taw that I like the most. In my mid-term career, I finished my PhD degree and I have settled my own business.
It is probable that I can get promotion as Director General in my Ministry during at least 7 year period. As a Director General of Department of Border Trade, I have to manage the ongoing processes according to our ministry’s vision and mission as follows: * To enhance bilateral friendship with neighboring countries; * To promote trade and keep it on the track of conventional trade; * To ensure the full realization of revenues to be levied by the state; * To provide favorable condition for private businessmen by which to earn reasonable benefit; * To help facilitate the flow of goods; Arranging staff development program, and * Attending seminars as ministry representative; In addition, Myanmar is not only being a member of ASEAN but an active participant in regional economic organizations such as the GMS, BIMSTEC and ACMECS. Since its geographic location strategically bridges the ASEAN and SAARC and also favours to trade with global giant China and India across borders, it’s not an exaggeration that Myanmar has become an economic hub in the region in terms of cross border and overseas trade.
By using this prospect, we can promote our trade volume through border trade in yearly. Finally, this meets my significant purpose of career. * Relationship of My Career Goals with Significant Career Purpose My short-term, mid-term, and long-term career goals connect with each other, and it goes step by step. Reaching short-term goal forces achieving mid-term goal and it leads to get long-term goal. My career goals support my significant career as follows: * My short term goal as upgrading my skill and knowledge helps me having the necessary knowledge and skills.
At the same time, I can share them to others, and it contributes to promote trade volume, and motivation of my colleagues as well as intend to get a promotion as a “Director” * My mid-term goal as getting promotion as a “Deputy Director General” and setting own business provides me to raise my budget. I can fill up the necessity of blank space and business knowledge for my future career development, and it helps me having required resources. It also supports both self-development and economic development. My long-term goal to become as a “Director General” gives me the task of managing and leading people. I can lead my organization and I can raise money as much as I can. I can get valuable skills and experiences such as leadership skill, managerial skills, and business skills. I can share all these skills and experiences to my colleagues and I can contribute to the development of our economy through border trade promotion. * My Personal Values * My Top Five Values: My Five Most Important Values (Core Values) Most Important Value Rank No. 1Personal development
Next Most Important Value Rank No. 2 Achievement Next Most Important Value Rank No. 3Family happiness Next Most Important Value Rank No. 4Health Next Most Important Value Rank No. 5Wealth * The meaning of my top five values * My most important value is “Personal development” Personal development is the improvement of knowledge, health, and wealth. It includes building-up of knowledge, skills, experience, competency, and talent; improving both physical and mental health; raising money for steady life and for helping to others; and caring economic development. The second important value is “Achievement” It means the attainment of something that I want to have, for example, having a top position in my organization, rewarding, getting scholarship, accomplishing the academic goals, recognition and becoming wealthy person. * The third important value is “Family happiness” Family happiness means having happy and healthy family life. It includes sharing and receiving energy, encouragement, support, caring, affection, and happiness within family members both mentally and physically. * The fourth important value is “Health”
Health means a state of being free from injury, sickness, and pain by physically and mentally. It contains feeling good mood, free from worrying, and free from depression and overconfidence. * The fifth important value is “Wealth” Wealth means possessing of valuable knowledge and abundance of financial resources such as possession of businesses, possession of materials, and having huge amount of money. The importance of my top five values * My most important value is “personal development” This value is important to me because I can’t reach my dream without personal development. My second important value is “Achievement” This value is important to me because it is the initial step for reaching my dream. * My third important value is “Family Happiness” This value is important to me because family can support whatever I wish and family shares both happiness and sadness. * My fourth important value is “Health” This value is important to me because my dreams will never become without good physical and mental health. * My fifth important value is “Wealth” This value is important to me because it is one important factor for supporting my dreams and happy life. These Values come from * Personal development comes from my own experiences in student life. Management is a noble profession and it cannot be performed well without personal development. In my student life, I had many teachers, and some teachers can bury their life in teaching; however, some cannot. I feel that if one has personal development, he or she can concentrate on his/her job. * Achievement comes from my own experience. This motivates me to go ahead and to reach the goal. Recognition from my boss gives me the energy to try to achieve my goal. Family happiness comes from my everyday life experience. Family happiness reflects the personal feeling and it energizes the work to be done. If we face family problem such as financial problem, social problem, and health problem, we cannot happy and it negatively affects our everyday life. * Health comes from the general truth. We cannot do anything if we are not feeling well. We have to spend lots of money to recover from illness, sickness, etc. * Wealth comes from the belief that wealthy people can do anything what they want.
They can spend their money for education; they can start their business since they have strong financial condition; they can expand their businesses; they can make donation; they can visit everywhere; and they can use their money whatever they want etc. * My Values Structure The following figure shows my values structure. My core values are interconnected with each other and interdependent with each other. * Personal development should be done in order to get “Achievement”. * Family can support to get things done. * Without healthy, I can’t achieve my goals. Wealthy is an important factor for achieving my goals and it can solve not only some problems but also it can create almost everything of happy. Without money, I cannot motivate my work well, cannot start business as a result I cannot get a peaceful life. * The Result of POQ Pragmatic Value = 18 Intellectual Value = 19 Human Value = 23 According to POQ result, my most preferred value orientation is human value, which scores 23; the second preferred value is intellectual value, which scores 19; and my least preferred value is pragmatic value, which scores 18. Relationship between My Core Value and POQ Result Two of my five most important values, achievement and wealth, relate my most preferred value orientation, human value. Among my top ten values such as affection and helpfulness relate to my most preferred value orientation, human value. It means that I consider people whenever I make decision. It can be said that I like collectivism, friendship, and prefer to do the work collectively. In addition, my second preferred value, intellectual value, it can be said that I probably use cause and effect relationship whenever I make decision.
As a head of department, a mentor, I have to lead and take care of all my colleagues like my family members as much as I can by my wisdom. If they are facing some problem, they can’t emphasize well in job and more aggressive to others than before which impact will becomes an organizational problems through personal conflicts in these department . * My Career Anchor According to Schein, there are eight categories of career anchors: Technical/Functional Competence; General Managerial Competence; Autonomy/Independence; Security/Stability; Entrepreneurial Creativity; Service/Dedication to a Cause; Pure Challenge; and Lifestyle.
My career anchor(s) are Security/Stability, score of 5. 4; General Managerial Competence and Lifestyle, both score of 5. 2; and Service/Dedication to a Cause, a score of 4. 8 based on the result of the career orientations inventory questionnaire. * Relationship between My Career Anchor and My Core Values According to my own definition of my core values, my career anchors match with my core values. The top five core values are personal development, achievement, family happiness, health, and wealth. My highest career anchor is security/stability, and my highest core value is personal development.
In order to achieve my significant career goal, I need personal development, and Stability/Security is very important factor for supporting my personal development; I need job security, I need stable salary, and I need recognition from my organization for my further development. General Managerial competence matches with achievement of my core value. I want to become highest position in my organization and I want to lead my organization. This shows that my career anchor of general managerial competence forced me to have the core value of achievement.
The other core values are family happiness and health, and my career anchor lifestyle reflects my core values. I want to take good care of personal matters such as healthy and family happiness. One of my core values is wealthy, and my aim is to serve community and society with my knowledge and experiences. In addition, I want to contribute to economic development by upgrading and caring my colleagues through leadership. Therefore, my career anchor sense of service, dedication to a cause somehow relates to my core value wealthy. * The Vivid Picture of My Future
The best future job in my career is a Director General of Department of Border Trade at Ministry of Commerce. The estimated time is from 2020 to forwards. I see myself as * Director General at Director General of Department of Border Trade at Ministry of Commerce, taking responsibility of the departmental head, I have to lead for the development of trade volume and enhanced bilateral friendship with neighboring countries. * Representative of ministry of Commerce, and attending seminar, workshop, conference, and contributing to the development of economy. * Linkages Between My Personal Values and My Significant Purpose of Career Relationship between My Core Values and My Significant Purposes My significant purpose is contributing to the development of economic by sharing the knowledge and experiences that I learned before. In order to fulfill my purpose, I have to develop myself first, and then I can share it to others. My top five core values are interconnected with each other and closely relate with my significant purpose. * My first core value, personal development is one of the important factors for supporting my significant purpose. When I achieve personal development, I can provide others.
Secondly, according to my own definition of achievement, if I have some degree and well leadership skills of achievement, I can accomplish the tasks to be done. I have more confidence and this motivates me to work out. This satisfaction makes me to build family happiness. If I have a happy family life, it gives me more energy and I can do my job happily. One of my core value, health is one important factor for successful in life. When we suffer from illness, sickness, and other mental and/or physical health problem, we cannot work effectively. We might feel depress, disappointed, and it causes decrease productivity.
My core value “Wealth” supports the last purpose of nurturing people who wants to improve their skill. If I am a wealthy person, I can establish scholarship foundation; I can provide financial supports to the voluntary organization; I can donate money for social development and human resource development program. The above discussion shows that my core values are closely related to my significant purposes. * Relationship between My Career Anchor and My Career Goals * My career anchors are Security/stability, General Managerial competence and lifestyle, and service/dedication to a cause.
I am wonder that each of my career anchors is matched with my short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. * As short-term goal, I want to upgrade myself and to get promotion as a “Director” at the same time, and this is preparation time for my future career. I want to continue my study and plan to finish PhD. I need a stable job and safety environment. This shows that my career anchor security/stability relates to my short-term goal. * My mid-term goal is getting promotion as a “Deputy Director General” and setting up my own business aiming at to raise money for retirement plan and to build happily family.
At that time, I need recognition from others and want to have expert power and referent power. This means that my career anchor managerial competence and lifestyle reflect my mid-term goal. * My long term goal is to become a Director General by taking administration of ongoing process of trade promotion. The main purpose is to contribute to the development of economic through trade promotion and building relation within bordering countries. Furthermore, I want recognition and support from my superiors, and I want to contribute to the highest management position.
This shows that my career anchor service/dedication to a cause closely match with my long-term career goal. * Relationship between My POQ and My Significant Purposes My most preferred POQ is human value, and the second preferred value is pragmatic value. This POQ results shows that I prefer achievement, wealth, and responsibility, and these are the supporting factors of my significant purpose. Moreover, the human value means caring people and developing human growth, and it reflects my purpose of contributing to the economic development.
Since my significant purpose is contributing to the development of our economy by guiding my knowledge and experiences, it can be said that my preferred POQ, human value and pragmatic value, are highly correlated to my significant purpose. 3. Conclusion By reviewing the above discussions, it can be clearly seen that career development plan is an important framework for life long process. We can learn that if one makes his/her career plan, he/she can see the future and he/she wants to try to reach the goal according to their plan.
If we do not have plan, we do not know where we are going to; we do not know how to get there; and we may lose motivation. If we can make our career development plan objectively, we can find the way; we can know whether we are going to the right direction or not; and we can control by ourselves. It is certain that the career development plan gives us the direction, the way and the means for our long life career goals. References Schein, Edgar H. Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values, revised edition, Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, San Francisco.