WORK PLANNING

WORK PLANNING

Can you really know what job you’ll be doing, or even want to be doing, in five years?

Five years, in today’s environment, is very hard to predict. 

You have to clarify for yourself what you aspire (direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something) to do with your career before you can communicate it confidently to others.

You need to be prepared to do some serious introspection and consider parts of your life that you may not regularly think about. 

It starts with a reflection on what you are good at and what you are not good at. Far too many people spend time doing things they are not suited for or enjoy.

1. What are my values?
2. What are my goals?
3. What am I willing to do to get there?

Even the deepest soul-searching may not yield a definitive plan for you. There are many moving parts in people’s career decisions — family, the economy, finances — and you may simply not know what the next five years holds. Some worry that without a polished answer they will appear directionless.

I can’t say exactly what I’m going to be doing in five years, but I hope to have further developed my skills as a strategist and people manager. 

I don’t know where I’ll be in five years, but within a year, I hope to land several high-profile clients.

In any competitive environment, the job is going to go to someone who is genuinely interested and can articulate their interest.

Don’t:

• Make up an answer you don’t believe in
• Provide a specific position or title; instead focus on what you hope to learn
• Feel limited to answering the narrow question asked — broaden it to communicate what you want the hiring manager to know about you

 to aspire to do with your career - (direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something) 
an introspection - the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes
to yield a definitive plan - produce or provide
a polished answer - shiny as a result of being rubbed
high-profile clients - attracting much attention or publicity