Career planning steps introduction
Isebell Gauche

If you want to succeed in the current competitive job market, you will need to do career planning. Businesses don't hire new employees in the same way as 20 years ago. Many don't even place ads anymore. They rely on networking to get them the best employees. In France for instance, it will be difficult to get into the job market without a connection. Nepotism is often at the order of the day. First step in succeeding in the current job market - career planning.

Another way that hiring practices have changed is the focus on resumes or CVs. No longer do you need a long six page CV to show off your skills, but a two to maximum three page resume will do. The reason - time!

There are too many people looking to enter the job market and too few with the required skills for particular positions. The end result: the hiring manager receives hundreds of CVs or resumes for the same position. He or she doesn't have the time to scan through a booklet of six to ten pages about one person. Instead they look for concise and well written resumes. Your CV or resume should thus highlight achievements and not provide lists of responsibilities. Everyone has those - what did you do to make you different from the crowd?

It is essential that you do proper career planning to gain a competitive edge and for this reason you need to follow a few basic steps. The first and most important step is to do a self assessment. Read about the self assessment in the next page.