Career Planning, Counseling & Development

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. - Michelangelo

Various terms of career

CAREER PLANNING is a process whereby an individual sets career goal and identifies the means to achieve them. A CAREER PATH is a chart showing the possible directions and career opportunities available in an organization; it presents the steps in a possible career and a plausible timetable for accomplishing them. CAREER GOAL are the future positions one strives for as a part of a career. CAREER MANAGEMENT is the process of designing & implementing goals, plans & strategies to enable the organization to satisfy employee needs while allowing individuals to achieve their career goals.

What is a Career?
Definition
Job vs. Career
Job What can I do now to make money? Career Chosen Profession for your life. Requires a willingness to get the training needed to build your skills for the future.

A career is the work a person does. It is the sequence of jobs that an individual has held throughout his or her working life Pattern of work-related experiences that span the course of a persons life. Reflects any work, paid or unpaid. Broad definition helpful in todays work environment where employees and organizations have diverse needs.

CAREER PATH - GODREJ

CEO

SR.GM GM

DY. GM ASST. GM SR. MANAGER

MANAGER PROJECT MGR TEAM LEADER

SY. ANALYST PROG. ANALYST PROGRAMMER

The Career Path of H. Lee Scott, CEO, Wal -mart

Fathers helper, Phillips gas station Graduated from Baxter Springs High School, Baxter Springs, KS B.S. degree in Business, Pittsburg State University in Kansas Executive Development Program, Penn State University Executive Development Program, Columbia University Management training program, Yellow Freight Terminal manager, Yellow Freight Systems

Assistant director of transportation, Wal-Mart Director of transportation, Wal-Mart Vice president of transportation, Wal-Mart Vice president of distribution, Wal-Mart Senior vice president of logistics, Wal-Mart Executive vice president of logistics, Wal-Mart Executive vice president of merchandise, Wal-Mart President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores division Vice chairman and COO, Wal-Mart Director of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. President and CEO, Wal-Mart

Traditional Career Stages

Stages of Career
Exploration Developmental tasks Identify interests, skills, fit between self and work Establishment Advancement, growth, security, develop life style

(continued)
Maintenance Hold on to accomplishments , update skills Disengagement Retirement planning, change balance between work and nonwork Phasing out of work Sponsor

Activities

Helping Learning Following directions Apprentice

Making independent contributions Colleague

Training Sponsoring Policy making Mentor

Relationships to other employees Typical age Years on job

Less than 30 Less than 2 years

30 45 2 10 years

45 60 More than 10 years

61+ More than 10 years

Career Development
An ongoing and formalized effort that focuses on developing enriched and more capable workers.

Career Development System: Linking Organizational Needs with Individual Career Needs
Organizational Needs
What are the organizations major strategic issues over the next two to three years? What are the most critical needs and challenges that the organization will face over the next 2 - 3 years? What critical skills, knowledge, and experience will be needed to meet these challenges? What staffing levels will be required? Does the organization have the strength necessary to meet the critical challenges?

Individual Career Needs

How do I find career opportunities within the organization that: Use my strengths Address my developmental needs Provide challenges Match my interests Match my values Match my personal style

Issue:
Are employees developing themselves in a way that links personal effectiveness and satisfaction with the achievement of the organizations strategic objectives?

The Career Development Process

Assessment Phase Direction Phase

Development Phase

The Assessment Phase of Career Development

Self-Assessment
Self-assessment is increasingly important for companies that want to empower their employees to take control of their careers Whether done through workbooks or workshops, self-assessment usually involves doing skills assessment exercises, completing an interests inventory, and clarifying values.

Organizational Assessment
Some of the tools traditionally used by organizations in selection are also valuable for career development. Among these are:
Assessment centers Psychological testing Performance appraisal Promotability forecasts Succession planning

Common Assessment Tools

Self-Assessment Career workbooks Career-planning workshops Organizational Assessment Assessment centers Psychological testing

Performance appraisal Promotability forecasts Succession planning

Sample Skills Assessment

Use the scales below to rate yourself on each of the following skills. Rate each skill area both for your level of proficiency and for your preference.
Proficiency:
Preference:
1 Still learning 1 Dont like to use this skill 2 OK competent 2 OK Dont particularly like or dislike 3 Proficient 3 Really enjoy using this skill

Skill Area
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Proficiency

Preference
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Score
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Problem solving _______ Team presentation _______ Leadership _______ Inventory _______ Negotiation _______ Conflict management _______ Scheduling _______ Delegation _______ Participative management_______ Feedback _______ Planning _______ Computer _______

SWOT ANALYSIS
Internal
Your Strengths

Your Weaknesses

External

Opportunities in Your Career Field

Threats in Your Career Field

Strengths

Weaknesses

Internal positive aspects that are under control and upon which you manage Work Experience Education, including value-added features Strong technical knowledge within your field (e.g. hardware, software, programming languages) Specific transferable skills (e.g., communication, teamwork, leadership skills) Personal characteristics (e.g., strong work ethic, self-discipline, ability to work under pressure, creativity, optimism, or a high level of energy Good contacts/successful networking Interaction with professional organizations

Internal negative aspects that are under your control and that you may plan Lack of Work Experience Low score, wrong major Lack of goals, lack of self-knowledge, lack of specific job knowledge Weak technical knowledge Weak skills (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork) Weak job-hunting skills Negative personal characteristics (e.g., poor work ethic, lack of discipline, lack of motivation, indecisiveness, shyness, too emotional plan to improve

Opportunities Positive external conditions that you do not control but of which you can plan to take advantage Positive trends in your field that will create more jobs (e.g., growth, globalization, technological advances) Opportunities you could have in the field by enhancing your education Field is particularly in need of your set of skills Opportunities you could have through greater self-knowledge, more specific job goals Opportunities for advancement in your field Opportunities for professional development in your field Career path you've chosen provides unique opportunities Geography Strong network

External

Threats Negative external conditions that you do not control but the effect of which you may be able to lessen Negative trends in your field that diminish jobs (downsizing, obsolescence) Competition from your cohort of college graduates Competitors with superior skills, experience, knowledge Competitors with better job-hunting skills than you Competitors who went to schools with better reputations. Obstacles in your way (e.g., lack of the advanced education/training you need to take advantage of opportunities) Limited advancement in your field, advancement is cut-throat and competitive Limited professional development in your field, so it's hard to stay marketable Companies are not hiring people with your major/degree

Goal Setting

Goal Setting

The Direction Phase of Career Development

Individual Career Counseling
This refers to one-on-one sessions with the goal of helping employees examine their career aspirations.

Information Services
Information services provide career development information to employees.
Job-posting systems Skills inventories Career paths Career resource center

THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

INDIVIDUAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Career progress and development is largely the outcome of actions on the part of an individual. Important steps are: Performance: Career progress rests largely on performance. If the performance is substandard, even modest career goals cannot be achieved. Exposure: Career development comes through exposure, which implies becoming known to those who decide promotions, transfers and other career opportunities.

Contd
Networking: It implies professional and personal contacts that would help in striking good deals outside (eg. Lucrative job offers, business deals.) Leveraging: Resigning to further ones career with another employer is known as leveraging. However, jumping the jobs frequently may not be a good career strategy in the long run.

Contd
Loyalty to Career: Companies such as WIPRO, NIIT, Infosys (all IT companies, where the turnover ratio is very high) have come out with a lucrative, innovative compensation packages in addition to employee stock option plans for those who remain with the company for a specified period.

Contd
Mentors and Sponsors: A mentor is, generally an older person in a managerial role offering informal career advice to junior employee. They act as Role Models. A sponsor is someone in the organization who can create career development opportunities.

Contd
Key Subordinates: Qualified and knowledgeable subordinates, often extend invaluable help that enables their bosses to come up in life. Expand Ability: Employees who are career conscious must prepare themselves for future opportunities that may come their way internally or externally by taking a series of proactive steps (Eg. Attending a training program, acquiring a degree, updating skills in an area.)

ORGANISATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The assistance from managers and HR department is equally important in achieving individual career goals and meeting organisational needs. Tools and activities for this purpose are: Self Assessment Tools: Here the employees go through a process in which they think through their life roles, interests, skills and work attitudes and preferences. They identify career goals, develop suitable action plans and point out obstacles that come in the way.

Contd
Individual Counselling: Employee counselling is a process whereby employees are guided in overcoming performance problems. It is usually done through face to face meetings between employee and counsellor or coach. Information Service: Employment opportunities at various levels are made known to employees through information services of various kinds. Records of employees skills, knowledge, experience and performance indicate the possible candidates for filling up such vacancies.

Contd
For compiling and communicating career related information to employees organisations basically use four methods: Job Posting System, Skills Inventory, Career Ladders and Career Paths and Career Resource Center. Employee Assessment Programme: Initially a new recruit is informed about career policies and procedures of the company. Formal orientation programmes are used to educate employees on career programmes, career paths and opportunities for advancement within the company.

Contd
Several assessment programmes are also used to evaluate the employees potential for growth and development in the organisation. They include assessment center, in which a number of performance simulation tests and exercises are used to rate a candidates potential, psychological testing, promotability forecasts and succession planning.

Contd
Employee Developmental Programme: These consists of skill assessment and training efforts that organisations use to groom their employees for future vacancies. Seminars, workshops, job rotations and mentoring programmes are used to develop a broad base of skills as a part of such developmental activities.

Contd
Career Programmes for Special Groups: In recent years there is a growing evidence regarding dual career families and growing tension owing to their inability to reconcile the differences between family roles and work demands. Therefore organisations are providing a place and a procedure for discussing such role conflicts and coping strategies. They are coming out with schemes such as part time work, long parental leave, child care centers, flexible working hours and promotions and transfers in tune with the demands of dual career conflicts.

Management Personnel Replacement Chart

Elements of the Succession Planning Model

Communicate Possible Opportunities Identify Who Is Interested Assess Competency Readiness Prepare Development Plans

Provide Development Opportunities

AVOID BIG CAREER MISTAKES- TO GO AHEAD

Having NO plans Expectations: People who dont understand what their employer would expect them to deliver are bound to miss the Bus. Being a Loner : The Golden rule of work is relationships Business respect those who are willing to take tough decisions & deliver things- right or wrong. Focusing too Narrowly

Special Challenges in Career Management

Dealing With Older Workers Coping With Job Loss Balancing Work and Life Socialization and Orientation

Dual-Career Paths

Plateauing

Skills Obsolescence

Example: Career Plan at AT & T

A unique company initiative at AT &T is on internal labour pool of more than 600 contract workmen. Termed Resource Link, about 300 contingent labour joined the contract pool as a career move. Resource Link promised employees an opportunity to increase their skills knowledge, visibility and marketability. On selection, they are offered permanent positions at Resource Link and retain same salary and benefits.

Example: Career Plan at AT & T

It is only their assignments that remain temporary. Rater than being in a traditional job and career path, the Resource Link Associates move from project to project. AT &T is reaping innumerable benefits and successfully been able to retain and develop talented employees. The company is spending much less on severance payments and makes huge savings on fees payable to external agencies for hiring temporary employees.

Example: Career Plan at HSBC

The executive career development programme of HSBC in India- four and half year period. Training on various aspects of banking by projects. The executive career development programme provides them with cross-functional exposure through postings to a variety of jobs in personnel banking, credit, cash management The executive trainee development programmeintensive 7 week course at HSBC group training facility in U.K.

Career Planning is NOT

Leaving the decision to chance Getting information and never deciding Going along with someone elses plans

Its OUR future. WE need to make our career decision!!

Bye for Now.