1. Twenty Keys to Successful
Career Planning

2. UNDERSTANDING
1. CAREER PLANNING BEGINS WITH YOU UNDERSTANDING YOUR SKILLS AND
MOTIVATIONS!
• What makes you tick–regular evaluation?
• What are your main strengths?
• What drives you with your job? “Success comes from clear
vision.”
• What circumstances make you happy to do your job best?
• Measure yourself to be top person!
• Are you aware of Managements’ HR Policies, Employment,
Legislation, Training & Development?

3. LEARNING FROM THE PAST
2. LOOK BACK AND LEARN FROM YOUR SUCCESS & FAILURES TO
MAXIMISE POTENTIAL!
• Are you having fun ? Follow a desire!
• Use your background and experience effectively
• Be happy to provide genuine “In-flow” into your job.
• Identify reasons why you failed and apply “your talents”
• Adopt a mentor who can grow you with understanding –
help develop new capabilities.
• How do you really handle criticism?

4. PLANNING
3. LOOK AHEAD AND THINK CLEARLY ABOUT WHERE YOU WISH TO BE!
• Do not float like a cork
• During times of change a clear and positive goal become more
important.
• Use your goals as a compass and maintain direction and
purpose.
• Flexible strategies accommodate Final Achievement in 3 – 5 –
10 years.
4. BALANCE YOUR WORK WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
• Work should enable you to enrich your life not dominate it
• “Whole life” also consists of family recreation, friends, health
and community as well as work.
• Become and remain a corporate athlete with proper diet and
exercise.

5. FOCUS
5. FOCUS ON A CAREER PATH NOT JUST A JOB!
• Accommodate changes to your job description.
• Try to identify any concerns your employer may have.
6. FOR CAREER SUCCESS FIND A JOB YOU LOVE!
• There is no greater punishment that futile and hopeless labour.
• Organizations should create meaning in the work place.
• Don’t always vote with your feet, change the job internally.
7. JOIN BUSINESSES WHERE YOUR SKILLS CAN BE DEVELOPED!
• Is your organization a market leader along with new challenges?
• What value does this job add to my employability?
• Make sure you are growing by contributing and not standing still.
8. SUCCESS = FOCUSING ON STRENGTHS AND MANAGING YOUR
WEAKNESSES!
• Focus on your strengths = source of your success.
• Do more of what you are good at and become more successful.
• Develop strategies to minimize your weakness.
• Jack of all trades but master of none.

6. GROWTH AND TIMING
9. GET OUT MORE AND EXPAND YOUR OWN NETWORK!
• Find and maintain friends who you can work with and learn from.
• Establish effective working relationships with complementary sound people by
listening and taking time to get a feel of the pulse of the organisation .
• Communicate regularly with these people you have chosen
• Don’t imitate your competition at work just listen and learn from the encounter.
10. KNOW WHEN TO MAKE A CAREER CHANGE!
• Do not get caught in comfort zone and stop developing.
• reaching a peak and then declining in motivation and challenge.
• Find and challenge somewhere you can practice compelling
• Maintain purpose /clear perspective and courageous persistence.
11. TO PROGRESS BREAKOUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
• Stretching and growth can be slightly uncomfortable.
• Consider different areas and challenges
• Identify activities at work that make you uncomfortable and learn
to manage discomfort.
• Learn new things outside work to keep ahead.
• Display willingness to take charge of a situation.

7. AWARENESS
12. BE ALERT OF OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN YOUR CURRENT JOB!
• Build a track record of success in your current job.
• Excellent performance plus attitude = Visibility.
• Use initiative and expand your job responsibility.
13. SEEK MORE INFLUENCE ON CRITICAL DECISIONS!
• Participate – Be part of the solution
• Become a decision maker
• Management always move “with the movers.”
14. PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE!
• Develop an appropriate and alternative career plan
• Planning = survival
• Adaptability = Longevity
• Know your own course of action to cope with growth,
retrenchment and business as normal.

8. FLEXIBILITY / INTEGRITY
15. RIDE “TRENDS” NOT “FADS”!
• Anticipate, predict and understand future and then turn it to your
advantage
• Where are you illustrated ….
• Making it happen?
• Watching it happen?
• Wondering what happened?
• A Trend = Slow but significant change in social economic
• Technologies like Ageing or Life Cycles.
• A Fad = short lasting fashion ie fireworks.
16. SUCCESS = REALISTICALLY REPRESENTING YOURSELF!
• Do you have both the sausage and the sizzle?
• How is your image – now be honest?
• How do people /friends rate your brand identity?
• Perception is reality .

9. VISION
17. ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE!
• Ambitious high flyers differentiate themselves from the pack by both
the SIZE and SCOPE of their recommendations and thinking.
• Look at the long-term benefits of your “Recommendations” which
do not have to be clever but offer your organisation practical and
genuine “Added Value Contribution.”
• These “Added Value Contributions” will influence management and
your successful career path.
18. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE!
• We can’t “do it all” or “have it all.”
• Don’t be confused over vast range of things available to us.
• Focus only on what will give your career the best boost.
• Focus on Critical Career Plan Paths.
• Say no to “Nice-to-do” projects as this disturbs priorities.
• Be ruthless about time-wasting at workplace and outside .
• Focus on few real and critical projects which contribute to your
organisation and accelerating your career progress.

10. CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
19. ENSURE ACCELERATED CAREER PROGRESS- KEEP YOUR SKILLS UP TO DATE!
Widen set of your skills through:-
• Continuous product knowledge expansion.
• Compliant and Competency delivery of tasks in workplace
• Attending development courses to accelerate your own up-skilling
plans.
How transferable are your skills and competencies?
20. ENSURE ACCELERATED CAREER UP-SKILLING BECOMES A LIFE-LONG HABIT
FOR LIFE-LONG SUCCESS!
• If you analyse your strengths and weaknesses when retrenched
this is too late.
• Continuous accelerated up-skilling is not for debate.
• Review your progress and re-set goals to accommodate “our ever-
changing world.”

11. 20 Keys -
Questions and Answers
 At interviews is personal appearance important? Y/N
 At interviews should eye contact be made Y/N
 Is sincerity, enthusiasm and manner essential Y/N
 Should achievements be demonstrated at interviews Y/N
 Should portfolio of life values and beliefs be discussed Y/N
 Should strengths and weaknesses be discussed Y/N
 Should hobbies / leisure activities be discussed Y/N
 Should ambition and career progression be mentioned Y/N
 Is evidence of a balanced lifestyle really important Y/N
 Are demonstrated conflict resolution skills important Y/N
 Is thorough preparation and key-word delivery important? Y/N

12. 20 Keys-
Questions and Answers
 Do you understand what planning a career involves? Y/N
 Have you learnt from past mistakes and re-orientate? Y/N
 How thorough and structured is your planning really? Y/N
 Should portfolio of life values and beliefs be discussed Y/N
 Should strengths and weaknesses be discussed Y/N
 Should hobbies / leisure activities be discussed Y/N
 Should ambition and career progression be mentioned Y/N
 Is evidence of a balanced lifestyle really important Y/N
 Are demonstrated conflict resolution skills important Y/N
 Is thorough preparation and key-word delivery important? Y/N