Most professionals, when charting their careers, are presented with a big dilemma. After all, they’d love to think about the future and figure out which way to go. But they’re not always absolutely certain of what they want to do professionally, and they get stuck. So, can it be possible to develop a flexible and adaptable career plan that accounts for all these possibilities?
Keeping in mind that most occupations are being revolutionized nowadays, and career changes become more and more prevalent, it’s absolutely natural to feel scared and cautious. Nobody wishes to outline their life to the last detail, only to soon discover it is no longer an option, for a myriad of reasons.
So, if you find yourself in this loop, good news. It is entirely feasible to make a career plan with flexibility and openness. This does not mean that you must abandon planning to leave your professional options open.
Therefore, if you’re interested in reading more about this potential, continue reading. Below, you’ll discover helpful tips to learn more about how to guide your document, as well as what you must do, now and forever, to maintain your content up to date.
After all, a good career plan is one that’s always up to date, with small or large adjustments and goals that reflect your changes throughout your career. We all change and transform every day. So, why should we stick with the same career plans we had when we were younger, without any reflection?
Flexible and adaptable career plan in 5 tips
1 – Y career plan
The first step is to understand that there’s a specific type of career plan for those who want flexibility: the Y-shaped career plan.
It follows the format of a letter: you follow a path to a certain point. From there, you can choose between two or more previously mapped career paths. In general, each “leg” of the Y represents a generalist or specialized career. However, you can design your plan with whatever possibilities you like.
Here, the important thing is to understand the entire journey you need to take to become a robust and well-rounded professional. This will lead you to the point of deciding on the next steps, which can also be fluid. After all, with all the experience gained over the years, you’ll also have the opportunity to transition between possibilities.
2 – Focus on developing soft skills
Furthermore, one method to integrate adaptability into your strategy is to strengthen your “suitcase” of behavioral abilities. Regardless of your goals, having good soft skills and developing the right competencies is key to success in any field and profession.
This happens because, nowadays, the job market has already understood that a good professional requires much more than just technical knowledge. If they don’t know how to apply this knowledge in a practical way, with good communication, problem-solving, resilience, and organization, among many other skills, they may not be truly complete.
Furthermore, having good soft skills makes it much easier to “recalculate your route” and consider new paths. After all, you’ll already have the behaviors and mindset necessary to transform and reinvent yourself.
3 – New experiences and possibilities.
A very important point in this journey is being open to new ideas. If you want a career path that embraces many possibilities, you also need to be willing to explore those ideas, right?
Did you notice a new trend within your industry? Learn about it and determine if it’s something that fits for you. Did a co-worker invite you to a professional conference that isn’t your vibe, but you’ve never ventured there? Do it; worst-case scenario, you find out you really don’t enjoy the direction. Did your supervisor suggest a new project? Jump at the chance!
4 – Don’t be afraid to change your planning at any time
While doing all this, you might want to shift at one point or another. So, don’t fear re-evaluating your goals and plans and setting new ones for your professional life.
A career strategy should be flexible and adaptable. It is dynamic, like all of our lives.
5 – Build skills and gain knowledge that will be essential for any career path
Lastly, recall that having a strong professional base will always be important to your future career. No matter which path you may choose, you can never know too much, particularly if it’s current, and it is always a brilliant way to demonstrate your potential and win new doors of opportunity.
Therefore, in order to create a versatile and adaptive career plan, discover MBA and Business Specialization programs. By doing so, you will remain current, acquire new technical and behavioral knowledge and skills, specialize, and be prepared for any professional challenge, on your present trajectory or in fresh ventures for your future.
