Myth of Career Planning
Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 06:04 AM CDT

could be a basis for lyrics

recent graduates might benefit from being advised that "career planning" is an illusion

The Myth of Career Planning

The shelves of career planning books in the self help section of bookshops, present a paradox. Most successful people I have coached would claim that they have never planned their career. Those who claim that they planned their career, then point to some disjuncture which threw the plan off course. Or even worse, they say that following the plan stopped them assessing whether they wanted what they were creating. They achieved their goal and than asked themselves ‘Is that it?’. Yet at the same time, we are encouraged to believe that planning is the key to success.

from
http://www.carolepemberton.com/the-myth-of-career-planning/

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 06:56 AM CDT

Wise words. I believe them.

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 08:56 AM CDT

I can agree with that. However - I did red What Color Is Your Parachute and found it really helpful. I didn't use to develop a plan - kind of the opposite - I used it to identify options so a plan was not needed.

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Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 10:00 AM CDT

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Re:Myth of Career Planning
Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 05:56 PM CDT

Quote by: RochaMalhada Ms. Pemberton's first paragraph really doesn't reflect the point of the whole article. ...

i beg to differ

So those who are successful in achieving careers which are satisfying and which engage their skills and motivations, and which attract the rewards which matter to them, are not in my experience career planners, but they are skilled career managers.

What is the difference? It is not mere semantics. To manage is according to dictionary definitions, the ability to guide, conduct, treat with care.

in my experience the important things are to
hone your skills,
look out for new skills you might like to learn,
read about everything you can,
watch for opportunities,
be willing to jump away from a currently safe job to a new job

~

not sure if it's necessary, but my hobby activities were always only a few degrees away from my job, and often turned out to provide new insights and even pave the way to new skills i ended up using at work

maybe i was simply lucky, but i loved computer design and software algorithms with a passion - i feel i was lucky enough to get paid for doing what i loved

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Sunday, June 03 2012 @ 06:03 PM CDT

forgot to say:

most of the folks i worked with laughed about how out-of-touch the personnel people were: "where do you want to be in five years" - HA - who knows? who cares? it doesn't matter, by then all the rules will have changed several times (and you, personnel person, won't be here)

your choices of what to work on, and not to work on, what teams to commit to, what actions you devote your time to, that's what matters, not some abstract five year plan

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Monday, June 04 2012 @ 10:34 PM CDT

here's your title:

bloom where you're planted

;-) wherever I go there I am. it's all attitude apart from the pay ;-) I love my job and the people here, and it's never anything i would have planned or chosen. and my education counts for very little

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Tuesday, June 05 2012 @ 05:17 AM CDT

Quote by: dimm witness here's your title: bloom where you're planted

nice!

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Tuesday, June 05 2012 @ 11:08 AM CDT

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.


Then again, the best laid plans of mice and men . . .

Re:Myth of Career Planning
Tuesday, June 05 2012 @ 11:30 AM CDT

when I settled down to get married, people said, "now you need to find something to do so you have something to 'fall back' on"....i put my usic on hold, and joined a wedding band..where i stagnated and made alot of money. Got a dayjob, which lead me to starting my own little design business, which did very well for 9 years....now, my kids are grown and gone, my design business is nearly dead thanks to this economy. All my contemporaries in the local blues scene have progressed so that they play 5 nights a week. I am 18 years behind now....

The thing for which I found a "fall back on"...is now the only thing I have going for me. If I had listened to my heart, i would have stuck with blues music, and I would have the career I want, gigging 5 nights a week....

thank god i have my health to a certain extent...i can go out and perform...but i cant help but think where i could be if i had not been sidetracked for so long....