Black Collegian Career Center

There's no better time than now to undertake an honest career inventory in order to decide what steps to take to ensure continued professional development and career success.

  An Honest Self-Assessment

Exactly how driven and motivated are you to succeed? No person or program (such as Affirmative Action) can provide for you internal contributors to success if you lack them. On the other hand, nothing can hinder your success if you have "fire in the belly" to withstand the odds and meet the challenges that present themselves in your pursuit of outstanding accomplishment in your chosen profession.

Updating Career Goals

Before you were hired, an interviewer likely asked you, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Absent a crystal ball, no one can answer that in a definitive way. The questioner really wanted to know what overall game plan you had for attaining long-range career goals. In other words, what drives you in your quest for achieving great things?

When you undertake your career inventory, ask yourself a related question: "What do you hope to accomplish in the next twelve months?" Rather than focus on abstract objectives, set your sights on concrete goals that you can meet realistically. You may want to consider working toward some of these goals:

Acquire New Skills

No matter how well you do your job, certainly you can improve your performance by acquiring new skill sets.

Think about it for a moment. What skills would enable you to advance on the job? How about improving writing and business communication, or becoming more knowledgeable of e-commerce as it impacts your line of work?

Consider online distance learning opportunities to help you achieve these. The Internet offers self-paced instruction, mini-courses, and tutorials in many areas that support one's professional development. As one illustration, check out worldwidelearn.com.. It lists dozens of Web-based courses and certificate programs in areas such as information technology, e-commerce, financial education, marketing, and personal and professional development. In addition, the site enumerates myriad online degree programs, including MBA opportunities.

For other online distance learning opportunities, visit sites such as Peterson's, EdSurf, LifelongLearning, >AHREF="http://www.elearners.com">Elearners, OnlineLearning, CyberU, and DL Coursefinder, which presents content in English, Spanish, and French.

Consider your career as an investment. You get out of it what you put into it. By developing new skills and bettering yourself professionally, you invest in your short-term and long-range career development.

Earn More Money

Perhaps you are a mini-expert in some facet of your profession. Why not share your knowledge in ways that will enhance your career and increase your earnings? There are many opportunities to do so that require only a moderate amount of time and effort, but that can pay off significantly.

For instance, teach a nighttime course in an adult education program or at a local college; write freelance articles for professional publications; or, if you have outstanding platform skills, register with speaker bureaus to give instructional or motivational talks at community organizations.

Along with earning some extra money, you'll increase your visibility in the community, in your profession, and among those who can introduce you to influential individuals who can help propel your career.

Receive a Promotion

How long has it been since you received a significant job promotion? Maybe 2002 is the year for reaching that goal. Understandably, some positions go hand-in-hand with a clear career track for professional advancement. Other jobs don't offer such a distinct career path, other than what you may determine for yourself.

If you seek a meaningful promotion during this year, plan wisely how to attain that goal. For starters, overcome any negative work habits that may have hindered your being promoted before. For instance, if you've been coming to work late and leaving early, stop it. Or, if you've been performing in a mediocre way when you know you could do better, change. Pay attention too to whether you've been voicing minor complaints that inevitably reach your boss, or abusing company privileges, or spending too much time socializing instead of focusing on the responsibilities at hand.

Make it time to "flip the script," so to speak. Make every effort to distinguish yourself as one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic, and productive people in the office. Let your work reflect heartfelt concern to exceed expectations in promoting the success of the organization and making your boss look good.

If you demonstrate these qualities consistently, you will definitely be noticed and considered for appropriate promotional opportunities.

Explore Career Options

No matter how splendidly you perform on the job, don't lose sight of the importance of keeping your career options open. After all, while you're busy earning the title of "Employee of the Year," the company could slip into financial difficulty. You owe it to yourself to always have a few "irons in the fire" in case you need to find another job sooner than expected.

Having a game plan for job-hunting is a pragmatic goal to set this year. This involves strategic networking, preparing an updated resume, identifying others who can supply favorable references, and discreetly testing your marketability. While not sacrificing loyalty to your current employer, take steps to insure your career success regardless of what happens in your current place of employment.

In Conclusion

Any accurate career inventory reveals what you have on hand, and what you lack. Capitalize on the things that have contributed to your career success thus far, but also focus on the things that will leverage your earning potential and career progression in the coming year, and beyond.

Make the most of each new and exciting opportunity that this year offers, and you will see how far ahead you are at the beginning of the next year.

Calvin Bruce is an experienced recruitment and career counselor.