Career Planning for Freshers: Build Your Career Map

WHERE TO START CAREER PLAN ?

First we need to understand who we are and what we want ? For that we need to understand work and life. Following questions will lead us to in that direction and we need to ask these questions ourselves

The concept of ikigai as a purpose in life with both personal and social dimensions is captured by the well-known ikigai diagram. This diagram includes overlapping spheres covering:

• What you love

• What you are good at

• What the world needs

• What you can get paid for

So make sure you ask such questions to yourself and find more about you.

More questions for finding more about ourselves.

Ask yourself Who am I?

One of the most basic question which can open big doors of our life. Seems very simple question but it is hard. More you understand yourself , better you understand the world.

Here we just consider interests, skills, values and qualities. We should also ask ourselves :

• What am I good at?

• What do I like to do in my spare time?

• What have I achieved already?

• What things am I passionate about?

What are my Skill interests?

More you know about your Skill interest , more you will happy with such work. But most Fresher do not go deeply in their own skill interest at early and consider it as final one which can make your decision wrong. So better go deep down and work hard on your skill interest and find most details of it. Don’t just follow your friends interest or Grand-father’s interest or someone who recently got good pay. Find about yourself !

What are my values?

Values are much more important in any job and most fresher candidates just focus on domain knowledge , while after joining they can’t adjust with personal and organization values . Results into early give up.

Here , following questions can help to find your personal values and working conditions .

• Hours : at What your time and how many hours you would like to work ?

• Job security or risk : Job Security is very much considered during selection of job in INDIA but need to understand that job security and job satisfaction is different thing. So understand your priority. And bottom line is more you have skills and expertise , risk will be lesser.

• Back-Office or Field-Work : Do you like work on desk or like work on field ? Think about it. Presently students choose more indoor jobs while after joining they can’t hold in office whole day with same work and give up. So find out your choice of work environment.

• Working with Team : To work with team is not always easy when you are new to the environment , it takes a time naturally and if you can’t give enough time to yourself or to team, it will be stressful. So decide would you like to work alone or in team, If yes then which kind of ?

• Work Variety : Today many youngsters have a problem of getting bored easily. This can be happen at job as well. Try to find your preference , How easily you can switch to other work or you like follow a routine.

• Dangerous and Difficult work : Not everyone can ready to take risk of repairing electrical pole. or not everyone enjoying wild photography . Do you think such difficult work motivates you. If yes than take your best shot.

• Personal and Cultural values : INDIA is multicultural and that is why personal & cultural values makes huge impact on final decision of professional and personal life. For Example in one state liquor is allowed while in another state it is not which might be not acceptable to you or family during relocation.

Where am I?

Before making career decision we need to understand where we are ? and where to go . We need to understand our personal situations. Following factors should be considered.

• Family expectations – Look at your parents or family opinion about what career you should choose, or what course you should study or what they can afford to help you.

• Career readiness – What is next plan ? Diploma to Degree or Degree to Master . If going for master, Go ahead without looking back

• Challenges – Finance or Family situation might be bottleneck to study further or Need to try new location.

Where do I want to be?

In many interviews you will see this question of where do you want to be ? More clear answers shows your vision clarity about your own future. Few related questions might help you to find answer. Ask yourself

• Do you want a job that earns lot of money?

• Do you want a job that will give free time for other professional activities?

• Do you like giving advice or having people come to you for help?

Need help?

Once you finalize your skills and ideas about yourself, you should share your thoughts and get more details about it. More you find , more insights you will get about your decision.

• Try to share your decision with family , friends or teachers or Specially Industry experts.

• If you are doing part-time internship or volunteer work , ask to teammates about your skills and possible future.

This Free Links helps you to know more about yourself. MBTI Profile & DISC Profile and More

Following are some of most wanted skills by most employer and by improving following skills you can find best job. By Training you can sharpen your wanted skills .

Positive Attitude : Attitude is key to most of your routine. How you look at problem and solutions ? Positive attitude helps you to see things differently and improve your actions. So most employer wanted it.

Problem Solving : In today’s time we are habitual to want things faster and we find ready-made solutions on the internet. But that is not the case in our real life, many problems needs hard-work and great efforts. if you look closely many successful entrepreneurs are great problem solvers. Think about it .

Communication Skills : For example Animals might be knowing more than us but can’t express. We can express so we can find better solutions by helping each other. Same way in organization, If we can’t communicate effectively we can miss the opportunity.

Learning : Willingness to learn is asked by most employer. Employer is ready to teach any skills which required to do the job , but they can’t if would not like to learn. In today’s time – this is really a bottleneck to many young people because candidate think that they know this and I will not do this because I have done graduation in this particular area. But in reality everything is connected to each other in organization. So if you know production process , you can hire better people as HR executive.

Teamwork : Organization is made by people , So better team makes better organization. Just think in your home , no one helps each other nor talk with each other. What could be happen ? Sure you know the answer , so employer wants very good team players.

Personal Values : Any skills can be thought but not personal values. This comes with environment around you with long journey from childhood to adulthood. Personal values are most demand by employer more than domain knowledge in many cases. For Example how you define your friend ? you will surprise – he/she will be in list of your most trusted people. Same way organization need such from each other and it is continuous process .

Flexibility : New system comes in place and you are not ready to accept it . Now that system is important to future of company. What company will do , if you deny to work on that system. Simply , you will lose the job. Point is flexibility helps you to learn new things and that is why it is wanted employer skills.

How to get Career Options

• - Get Inspiring Career Stories

• - Look part-time and Free jobs around you

• - Keep on learning online

• - Find Mentors

• - Stay Connected in your interest related Network

Job Search

Following things needs to understand you start searching Job.

• - Understand Job

• - Understand your skills related to Job

• - If not enough skills get it first

• - What is career path , learning path of the Job ?

Keep in your mind more open about future and try to see job search with few key things in mind.

• - What jobs are in demand now and Why ?

• - What regions have the most jobs and Why ?

• - What are your skills which does not affected by automation and still you required ?

For career starters , learning is far more important than anything. So keep that in mind while searching job

How to get job ready without Job?

• - Do volunteer or Free work

• - Keep on learning

• - Be realistic in expectations and in learning during industry projects

• - Check out online options regularly

Tips for Fresher – Free Work & Training

• - Develop expertise and skills first , rest will follow you

• - Nothing is free so the missing opportunity will cost you later

• - Be Dedicated at learning or be ready to pay the cost of time & future competition

• - Don’t give up image is easy to share and hard to execute .

• - Don’t give excuses

Job Trainings

• - Knowledge is like fuel to career engine, so keep on learning

• - Make Difference in career race

• - No Work , No Training Or No learning will decrease your career speed in competition

• - Job courses helps to stay healthy and fit in terms of career like gym training for body.

• - Easy Job getting – Many job programs are with job assistance

Job Myths are many and it can be a barrier in your career starting. By understand it we can avoid such mistakes. 

Sample Resume are ready to edit and it can be used as guide for starting.

Where to do Job Search

• Job Portals

• Social Media platforms

• Professional & business forums

• Local News Papers

• Local business associations

• Direct Company Approach

• References

• Recruiters or Recruitment Agencies ( Can be Paid / Free / Fraud :(  so not included in video

Don’t blindly apply to any job without understanding about Job, company, location, Job Skill requirement and job challenges.

• Understand Job

• Understand your skills related to Job

• If not enough skills get it first

• What is career & learning path of the Job ?

• What jobs are in demand now and Why ?

• What regions have the most jobs and Why ?

• What are your skills which does not affected by automation and still required ?

Its simple doc to make your career plan, simply start listing your passions, dream careers and visualize all steps those we learned and check out overall picture to make your decision better.