Careers and Career Management

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Questions for Discussion:

1. When you think about the term career, what comes to your mind? 2. Does it make sense to speak of careers and career management in todays business environment?

3. What are the typical issues employees face as they progress through their careers?
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

What is a Career?
Status of a profession

Involvement in ones work Stability of ones work platform

Progression and increasing success The property of an organization or occupation

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Current trends in careers

Increasing workload for individuals, both in terms of hours worked per week, and the intensity of effort required during each working hour Organizational changes (delayering and downsizing) More global competition More team-based work more short-term contracts Increasingly frequent changes in the skills required in the workforce More part-time jobs Changing workforces More self-employment and employment in small organisations Working at or from home Increasing pressure on occupational-based pension schemes
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

What is Career Management?

Career Management is the combination of structured planning and the active management choice of ones own professional career. It is also the lifelong process of investing resources to achieve career goals. Career management is about taking control of your career to proactively ensure that your career is meeting both your professional and personal objectives. Career management isn't a single intervention but an ongoing strategy. However, there are times in your career when it will require more input, especially if you are looking for a job move or promotion.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Goals or Objectives Development

The career management process begins with setting goals/objectives and a relatively specific goal/objective must be formulated. This task may be quite difficult when the individuals lacks knowledge of career opportunities and/or is not fully aware of their talents and abilities. However, the entire career management process is based on the establishment of defined goals whether specific or general in nature.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

The time horizon for the achievement of the selected goals or objectives- short term, medium term or long term will have a major influence on their formulation. 1. Short term goals (one or two years)
- are usually specific and limited in scope. Short term goals are easier to formulate. Make sure they are achievable and relate to your longer term career goals.

2. Intermediate goals (3 to 20 years)

- tend to be less specific and more open ended than short term goals. Both intermediate and long term goals are more difficult to formulate than short term goals because there are so many unknowns about the future.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

3. Long term goals (Over 20 years), of course, are the most fluid of all. Lack of life experience and knowledge about potential opportunities and pitfalls make the formulation of long term goals/objectives very difficult. Long range goals/objectives, however, may be easily modified as additional information is received without a great loss of career efforts because of experience/knowledge transfer from one career to another. 4.Making career choices and decisions the traditional focus of careers interventions. The changed nature of work means that individuals may now have to revisit this process more frequently now and in the future, more than in the past.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

5. Managing the organizational career concerns the career management tasks of individuals within the workplace, such as decision-making, life-stage transitions, dealing with stress etc. 6. Managing 'boundary less' careers refers to skills needed by workers whose employment is beyond the boundaries of a single organisation, a work style common among, for example, artists and designers. 7. Taking control of one's personal development as employers take less responsibility, employees need to take control of their own development in order to maintain and enhance their employability.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

The second component is learning.

This is one of the main tools for advancing in your career. Your task is to use it effectively in line with the goals you have set for yourself.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

The third component of career management is networking.

This component is essential for advancement. It is equally important for finding a new and better job, in case you become unemployed or decide to have a career change. You have to develop and keep mutually beneficial relationships with your coworkers and managers. This will certainly help you advance in any organization and industry. You should also keep contact with other people in your industry. This is easily done through joining a professional organization.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

How will I benefit from career management?

Achieving higher salary Enhancing job satisfaction and interest Improving your marketability Minimising risk where there is career uncertainty Positioning yourself for future job opportunities Creating balance between your personal and professional needs

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

How can Career Management help me?

Identifying and assessing your key skills and experiences and any gaps Working out what it is you really want to do for the future Devising a practical career action plan to determine what to do and when maximizing opportunities within your current organization Marketing your skills persuasively to potential external employers Enhancing your salary negotiation skills to ensure that you are being paid appropriately and well Reviewing your strategic action plan to ensure your career remains on- track and is able to accommodate unforeseen changes

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Career forms
It is still tempting to view careers in the narrow sense of predictable moves to jobs of increasing status, within a single occupation or organization. This is called the bureaucratic career. There are two more career forms identified, professional and entrepreneurial.
Professional - is where growth occurs through development of competence to take on complex tasks rather than through promotion to another job. Entrepreneurial - rests on the capacity to spot opportunities to create valued outputs and build up one`s own organization or operation

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

The boundary less career

A range of career forms that defy traditional employment assumptions (Arthur and Rousseau) Careers are boundary less in the sense that, either by choice or necessity, people move across boundaries between organisations, department, hierarchical levels functions and sets of skills Hirch and Shanley argue that although the boundary less career might look liberating, for many people it is deeply threatening and confusing

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Career anchors
It is an area of the self-concept that is so central that he or she would not give it up even if forced to make a difficult choice. People anchors develop and become clear during their earlier career, as a result of experience and learning from it. It consists of a mixture of abilities, motives, needs and values (Schein) Examples:
Managerial competence Technical/functional competence Security Autonomy and independence Entrepreneurial creativity

Pure challenge Service/dedication Lifestyle integration

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Career success
It can be based on observable things such as status and salary, or on more subjective things such as a sense of accomplishment and having a balanced life.
Personal characteristics, behavioural strategies and human resource strategies have all been shown to influence career success

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Career choice
Six personality types, realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, conventional (Holland) People find environments satisfying when environmental patterns resemble their own personality patterns Incongruent interactions stimulate change in behaviour An environment expels incongruent people, seeks new congruent ones, or change its demands on inhabitants Self-directed search ask the respondent about his or her preferred activities, reactions to occupational titles, abilities, competencies and even daydreams. It makes it easy for a person to see him or herself what occupations seem to be most suitable.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Making career decisions

Self-awareness Knowledge of occupations Putting self-knowledge and occupational knowledge together Career exploration and job search The quality of a person`s career exploration, his or her style of decision-making, and belief in his or her own abilities, all affect how successful his or her career decision-making is

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Tips on how to improve careers

1. Speak up! Make sure the Boss hears your ideas at meetings, in emails, in memos establish yourself as a constant source of bright thinking and good ideas within your team. Work Hard! Be seen as the person on the team that always does their homework. Never come to a meeting unprepared. Think through what the agenda is, and add your insights and ideas, in front of everyone so you will be recognized. Push Yourself to the front! That doesnt mean you have to be in-their-face, but it does mean that you should seek out opportunities where you can show your abilities to best advantage.

2.

3.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Development through the lifespan

Donald Super identified four career stages in his early work: (he later loosened the connection between ages and stages, and broadened the focus from career to other domains of life) Exploration of both self and world of work in order to clarify the self-concept and identify occupations which fit in, typical ages 15-24 Establishment; perhaps after one or two false starts, the person find a career field, and makes efforts to prove his or her worth in it, typical age 25-44 Maintenance; the concern now is to hold onto the niche one has carved for oneself, typical age 45-64 Disengagement; characterised by decreasing involvement in work and tendency to become an observer rather than a participant, typical age 65+

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

It is your responsibility to manage your career as effectively as possible. You have to be able to continually assess your career to determine if the path you are on will enable you to accomplish your long-term ambitions. Here is a list of questions that, as a professional, you should ask yourself and answer honestly to insure that your career is progressing on the path that you desire.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Question 2: What are my strengths and weaknesses?

We all like to believe that we are strong in all aspects of our career and that we do not have any weaknesses. Unfortunately, that's not realistic. We should be honest with ourselves about these items so we can make decisions to either focus on reinforcing our strengths or developing our weaknesses. Keep in mind long-term career goals when making these decisions.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

Question 1: What are my long term plans?

You should have some goals in mind when you assess your current position. Career planning is important. If you have a longterm career goal in mind, your current position should be helping you develop skills that will make you qualified for the position you would ultimately like to have.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

 You can define your strengths and weaknesses in either technical terms or business terms. They can range from technical knowledge on a specific information security topic to the ability to communicate information security requirements to non-technical business leaders.
As your career develops and job responsibilities increase, obviously it becomes more important to broaden your information security knowledge. Broadening your skills in many areas is more effective then making them deep in one particular area.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

Question 3: What skills do I need to develop?

It is important to keep in mind what is happening around you in the information security industry. It is your responsibility to understand the trends within in the industry and the skills that are going to be in higher demand. It is important to figure out a way to get involved in these types of initiatives so that you make yourself more desirable to your current employer or prospective ones. You should also consider which of skills will enable to you to best position yourself for your long-term career goal.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

Question 4: Have I acquired a new skill during the past year?

When companies are looking to promote individuals or hire from within their organization or to acquire key talent from outside, they search for people who have skills that can address their most pressing issues. It is important to venture outside your comfort zone and accept new challenges. This type of exposure will often lead to increased opportunity. One of the best things about our industry is that it is in a constant state of evolution. The skills that were in demand five years ago are more commoditized in today's employment market. It is very possible to accelerate your career by leveraging expert knowledge in one particular area. Some of the skills that are in the highest demand today include application security, identity and access management and regulatory compliance.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Question 5: What are my most significant career accomplishments and will I soon achieve another one?
Your career accomplishments should be easily defined, articulated and measured. As you progress in your career, your accomplishments should become less personal and wider ranging. For instance, early on you learned how to administer a firewall. You then demonstrated an ability to design enterprise-wide network security architecture.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

When you are evaluating your job and your responsibilities, you should consider if you are in position to add to your list of accomplishments. Your current position should enable you to reinforce older skills as you develop new ones.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

Question 6: Have I been promoted over the past three years?

Companies are always looking to find rising stars, whether they are internal or external. A history of success is a key indicator when companies are evaluating talent. If you have been recognized for your contributions, it will always bode well when you are considered for the next opportunity. If you have not been promoted, you should figure out the reasons why and if you will have the chance for more responsibility in the future.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Question 7: What investments have I made in my own career?

You owe it to yourself to invest in your own career. Many people only receive education, training or acquire certifications when their company is footing the bill. You should not rely on your current employer to manage your career for you. If there are certain areas that you want to pursue for your own betterment, then take the initiative to do this on your own; do not wait for your employer's invitation.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

Question 8: Am I being impatient?

The one constant in everyone's career is time. The more time that you are able to focus on your position, the more proficient you will be at mastering the skills and organizational challenges that you may face. The more time that you can invest in a particular opportunity, the more good things should materialize from that particular situation.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>

Many people are afraid that they may be missing out on a new opportunity. Some choose to manage their careers on the principle that the grass is greener elsewhere. This may provide immediate gratification, but it could result in long-term problems. It is important to get the most that you can out of a position before you consider looking for another one. Sometimes the best career move is staying put.
>> 0 >> 1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >>