A career plan enables you to reflect on your progress,
practice setting goals, and create a roadmap to accom-
plish those goals. It is not a static document and should
be reviewed and updated at least twice a year.
A well-developed career plan contains all goals and
milestones a person hopes to achieve within a given
time period. These goals can range from the creation of
a résumé or portfolio to establishing a retirement plan.
Items listed in a career plan are called action items, as
they all require some type of action on the part of the
person who created it.
Common action items in a typical two- to four-year
career plan are shown in Figure 1-3. Notice these items
fall into general categories, such as academic, job-search,
and career-research goals. An individual will decide
which categories are more important and the point they
are in their career search. For some, making money to
purchase items like a car and house may be a category.
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Emerging Occupations
• ambulance driver and attendant
(except EMT)
• audiologist
• cartographer and
photogrammetrist
• commercial driver
• genetic counselor
• hearing aid specialist
• home health aide
• information security analyst
• interpreter and translator
• nurse practitioner
• occupational therapy aide
• occupational therapy assistant
• operations research analyst
• ophthalmic medical technician
• personal financial advisor
• physical therapist
• physical therapy assistant
• robotics engineer
• statistician
• sustainability specialist
• transportation security screener
• wind turbine service technician
FIGURE 1-2
Emerging occupations are new occupations that have developed or changed due to technological or other
advancements.
Action Items for Career Plan
Year 1
• Monitor and maintain a strong grade point average
(GPA)
• Evaluate skills, abilities, and aptitudes
• Establish short-term job goals and long-term career goals
• Determine which courses are required to meet career
goals
• Create a résumé
• Create online career profiles
• Visit online resources such as O*NET Online
• Target a specific job to obtain
• Use social media for professional networking
Year 2
• Continue to update online career profiles
• Update résumé to reflect current career position
• Recruit current coworkers for professional references
• Expand knowledge of technology and learn new
software
• Set goals for position titles and salary increases
Year 3
• Evaluate satisfaction with current job
• Update career portfolio
• Investigate corporations to gain long-term
employment
• Attend employee workshops
• Review existing and potential employee benefits
including 401(k) plans
• Map out future career goals
Year 4
• Write a statement of career for the next 10 years
• Set a goal for financial independence
• Determine which long-term assets to acquire,
such as housing
• Evaluate professional life in comparison with your
personal goals
• Network as a professional in field of expertise
• Determine if additional academic training or
certification is necessary
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
FIGURE 1-3
Items listed in a career plan are called action items and are typically categorized as academic, job-search, or
career-research goals.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
5
Chapter 1 Preparing for Your Career