How to Develop a Career Plan

Almost every time I speak with juniors or college students, I get asked the same question: “I’m not sure what field I want to work in. How do I decide what to do?” It’s a completely normal feeling — and honestly, I’ve been there too. When I first entered college, I had no clue what specialization to take or what career path to pursue. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to have it all figured out right away. What you need is a plan to explore and narrow it down. Here’s what I tell anyone who asks: 📍 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 List a few things you genuinely enjoy or find intriguing — like writing, data analysis, designing, or public speaking. Don’t worry about how they translate into a career just yet Action Step: Write down your interests without worrying about how they translate into a career. The point is to recognize your natural inclinations. 📍 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Try out your interests through short-term activities like joining a club, taking a beginner’s course, or volunteering for a project. Give it 2–4 weeks and see if you enjoy the process Action Step: Try something for 2–4 weeks and assess: Did you enjoy the process? Did it feel meaningful? 📍 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 Reach out to people working in fields you’re curious about. Ask about their day-to-day work, the skills they use, and what they enjoy or dislike about their roles Action Step: Message 3 professionals on LinkedIn and politely ask for a 15-minute chat. Most people are willing to help if you’re genuinely curious and respectful of their time. 📍 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 Identify the skills you want to develop rather than getting stuck on job titles. Whether it’s data analysis, storytelling, or management, skills are transferable and will shape your career regardless of the role Action Step: Pick one skill you’re curious about and spend an hour a week learning or practicing it. 📍 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 Your first choice doesn’t have to be your final choice. Reflect every few months to see if you’re still enjoying your current path. It’s okay to change directions as you learn more Action Step: Set a reminder to reflect every 3 months: Are you still enjoying your current path? If not, what’s next? The Bottom Line: You don’t have to know your exact career path at 20. Just focus on exploring, learning, and building foundational skills — the clarity will follow. To everyone feeling overwhelmed — take it one step at a time. And remember, not having it all figured out is okay — it’s part of the journey. What’s one career option you’re currently exploring? Share below — I’d love to hear your thoughts!👇 #CareerAdvice #CollegeTips #FindingYourPath #SkillBuilding #CareerExploration #EarlyCareerInsights

Deborah Liu was a long-time VP at Facebook where she built and launched multiple billion-dollar businesses, including Facebook Marketplace. Prior to Facebook, she was a Director at PayPal and eBay. She now serves on the board of Intuit and, for the past 3.5 years, has led Ancestry as CEO. In our conversation, we discuss: 🔸 Why you should PM your career like you PM your product 🔸 Advice for succeeding as an introvert 🔸 Strategies for incubating new products within large companies 🔸 Creating a successful 30-60-90-day plan 🔸 The pitfalls of perfectionism 🔸 The value of resilience and turning failures into stepping stones 🔸 How to leverage coaching in your career development 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gvpRD46V - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gqEQUcKQ - Apple: https://lnkd.in/gmNhk9f2 Some key takeaways: 1. Treat your career like a product roadmap. Start by defining your long-term career goals and envision where you want to be in 5 or 10 years. Break these goals down into smaller, actionable milestones, similar to setting quarterly objectives for a product. Develop a career plan that includes key skills to acquire, roles to target, and metrics for success. Regularly review and adjust this plan based on your progress and any new opportunities or changes in your industry. 2. Introverts need to learn to speak up. Whether you like it or not, the business world favors extraversion. So if you don’t share your opinions and market your wins, you’ll limit your career progression. If you’re a leader, focus on creating an inclusive environment where your entire team has an opportunity to speak up, not just those who are naturally confident in group settings. 3. If the idea of self-promotion makes you feel uncomfortable, consider changing your perspective on what this process achieves. Think about it as a way of advocating for your team’s needs and resources, or sharing important metrics you’ve all achieved. When we shift the focus from “This is about me” to “This helps everyone,” the value of self-promotion becomes far clearer—and much more palatable. 4. When starting a new role, create a structured 30-60-90-day plan: a. 30 days (listening and learning): Meet with as many team members and stakeholders as possible (aim for 50 to 60 people) to understand their perspectives, challenges, and wish lists. b. 60 days (aligning and planning): Based on your learnings, identify one or two areas where you can make a tangible impact in the short term. Develop a plan to address these areas and present it to your team. c. 90 days (execution and impact): Begin implementing the plans and changes that have been agreed upon. Focus on delivering quick wins to build credibility and demonstrate value. At the end of the 90 days, review your achievements and the feedback received.

I’ve coached thousands of job seekers who felt lost and overwhelmed. Here are the 10 steps we start with to find the right path: 1. Your #1 Priority Clarity should be the first thing you invest in. It makes career success SO much easier (at every stage). When you have clarity, you can invest 100% of your energy into that goal. So before you start applying to jobs or grad school? Find your path. 2. The Myth Of “Passion” People think passion is a lightning bolt that suddenly hits you. One day you wake up knowing what you're supposed to do. That's BS. Passion stems from action. It's the result of trying new things. If you want to find your path? You need to act. 3. Map Out Your Ideal Lifestyle Career happiness doesn't come from a job title. It stems from the ability to meet your lifestyle needs: – Target salary – Ideal living situation – Surrounded by people you love – Work that fills your cup Start by defining all of these things. 4. Label Your Energy Next, grab a piece of paper. Make two columns: 1. Energy Creators 2. Energy Drainers Now list out every single activity, task, and project you've worked on. Label each as a creator or drainer. Your career path should be filled with energy creators. 5. Clarify Your Strengths Success is easier when your path plays to natural strengths. I recommend the High 5 Test. It's a 15 minute quiz that will define your top strengths. It'll tell you what each means and how to harness it. Talent: A natural way of thinking, feeling, behaving × Investment: Time spent practicing, developing your skills, or building a knowledge base = Strength: The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance 6. Find People Doing "Cool" Stuff Now you've created clarity around your strengths, energy, and ideal lifestyle. Next, I want you to find people already living that life. Who has a job you admire? What jobs have seemed “cool” to you in the past? Make a list of 30+ contacts. 7. Reach Out & Learn Make a daily habit of reaching out to one person. Be honest about your situation and desire for clarity. Then make sure to build up their achievements and mention why you admire them. Here's the email template I used when I was on this journey: The Winning Template: Subject: Quick Question  Hi [Name], My name is [Your Name] and I came across your information on LinkedIn while I was looking for people who transitioned into [Industry/Field] from a non-traditional background. Your background is really impressive! I saw you do different fields and [Industry/Field] really piqued my interest. If you have a few minutes, I’d love to hear more about your journey and how you landed in your role today. I know that’s a big ask so no worries if it’s too much. I totally understand. Either way, hope you have a great rest of the week!  

“I don’t know what I want to do with my career…” Let’s just go ahead and normalize this. Because more people are here than you think. And not just once, sometimes multiple times throughout their lives. (I know I’ve been here. More than once.) But the part we don’t talk about enough? The HOW. → How do you figure out what you actually want? → What fits? → What makes sense for your life now? So here’s what I’ve learned from being that person and helping other people work through this same exact thing: 1. Stop trying to force yourself to pick a job title. - Scrolling job boards hoping something clicks? - That usually leads to frustration. - Truth is, most of us don’t even know how to name what we’re looking for. Start by asking: → What kinds of problems do I enjoy solving? → What work has felt most like me, even if the title didn’t reflect it? → What do people always ask me for help with? 2. Look at the why behind your past roles (and other parts of your life). → What were you brought in to do? → What made you feel useful or alive? → What did you outgrow, and what did that teach you? Your career has patterns. You just haven’t been taught how to read them yet. 3. Use this filter: Pay. Power. Peace. → Can you live off it? → Do your strengths actually matter here? → Can you breathe? If it doesn’t hit at least 2 of the 3, it’s probably not it. 4. Don’t just run to quit your job, run small experiments. You don’t need to burn it all down. You need data. → Try a course. → Join a project outside your usual lane. → Ask someone, “What do you actually do in your role?” Clarity is built in motion—not in your head. 5. Keep a “Could-Be-Me” list. Every time something lights you up, write it down. Then ask: → Why does this resonate? → What strengths do I already have? → What would I need to build? No pressure. Just explore. 6. Create a Career Criteria list. Think beyond the job. Ask: → What kind of life do I want? → Flexibility or structure? → Am I best front-and-center or behind the scenes? → What are my absolute no’s? You’re not trying to fit into a job, you’re building a career that fits you. Let me say this: If you’re in the “I have no clue what I want to do” season… -You’re not broken. -You’re not late. -You’re just being honest with yourself. And that’s where real clarity begins. If you want support figuring it out with guidance, strategy, and real community, I got you. Drop “PATH” in the comments or DM me and I’ll send you the info to join the P.A.T.H. Forward™ Community. You’re not behind. You’re in the middle of realignment. And that’s brave as hell. 💥 _______________ Join the P.A.T.H. Forward Community: https://lnkd.in/gDMj8V5r Hi, I’m Erica Rivera, CPCC, CPRW. 👋 Voice-finder. Story-shaper. Career strategist. I help you untangle the career story you were handed — and rewrite it in a way that aligns with your values, your vision, and your next chapter.

Stuck isn’t a place—it’s a mindset. For years, I thought the perfect career would simply find me. Spoiler: it didn’t. It took courage, curiosity, and a few missteps to realize that staying stuck wasn’t an option—and neither is it for you. Here’s the truth: you have the power to rewrite your story. If 2025 feels like the year to pivot, explore, or reignite your passion, here are 25 practical ways to get started: 1. Align with your values: What truly matters to you? 2. Get curious: What sparks your interest? Follow that thread. 3. Reconnect with your network: Reach out to mentors, colleagues, or peers. 4. Experiment: Test-drive new roles or skills through freelance work or volunteering. 5. Create a side project: Showcase your talents on your terms. 6. Invest in learning: Take a course, read a book, or attend a workshop. 7. Job shadow: Observe someone in a role you aspire to. 8. Update your CV and LinkedIn: Tell your story clearly and authentically. 9. Explore new industries: What field has always intrigued you? Dive in. 10. Set realistic goals: Start with small, actionable steps. 11. Join communities: Surround yourself with people who inspire you. 12. Reflect often: Ask yourself, “What’s working? What’s not?” 13. Prioritize self-care: Don’t let burnout derail your journey. 14. Ask for feedback: From colleagues or trusted friends—it’s invaluable. 15. Attend industry events: Meet people and learn what’s trending. 16. Embrace imperfections: No job (or career pivot) will be flawless. 17. Find a mentor: A guide can make all the difference. 18. Use online resources: Platforms like LinkedIn Learning or Coursera are gold mines. 19. Research company cultures: Do they align with your values? 20. Develop soft skills: Communication, adaptability, and empathy are timeless. 21. Track your progress: Celebrate every step forward. 22. Stay flexible: Your dream job might look different than you imagine. 23. Consider coaching: A career coach can provide clarity and structure. 24. Take risks: Growth lives outside your comfort zone. 25. Keep going: The journey to your dream career is worth it. I’ve seen it firsthand: when you take brave, intentional steps, amazing opportunities unfold. So, if you’re feeling stuck, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take one small step today. Who knows? Your next big adventure might be closer than you think. 💬 What’s one thing you’ve done to get ‘unstuck’ in your career? ♻️ Think this post could help someone in your network? Share it! 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Utkarsh—Executive Coach and lifelong learner. I share insights on leadership, growth, and living courageously. Follow along for more thoughts and strategies.

One of the talks I’ve given to a few teams internally at Microsoft is “PMing your career”. Mid-career is the perfect time to step back, see yourself as a ‘product,’ and start managing your career with intention and strategy. Here are 5 axioms I use as part of the frame: ➡️1. Treat your career as a Product with a strategic fit: Every high-performing professional has a unique value proposition. Regularly assess your Personal Product-Market Fit (PMF) to ensure that your strengths, skills, and how you’re positioning them align with the needs of your industry and your company. Strong careers, like great products, adapt to stay relevant and strategically fit. This helps you identify places you might need to grow too. ➡️2. Your resume is (kind-of) Product Review Document (PRD): Like a PRD highlights a product’s features, your resume should capture your top achievements and core skills. Keep it current and aligned with your goals, showcasing how your career product has evolved. ➡️3. Use feedback as your career “Customer Review”: Just as products thrive on customer feedback, your career benefits from input from mentors, peers, and leaders. Thoughtfully incorporate this feedback to stay aligned with your goals and make strategic improvements. ➡️4. Set a career Roadmap: Map out your career with a focus on strategy and clear goals. These checkpoints – skills to gain, connections to build, and roles to pursue – keep you moving toward your vision of success and position you for future opportunities. Ask others who have already taken the path what the checkpoints are. ➡️5. Embrace phases as part of your strategy: Like product lifecycles, careers have phases. In early roles, focus on mastering foundational skills; as you advance, lean into influence and decision-making; and eventually, hone discernment for opportunities. Each stage strengthens your overall career strategy. Hope this helps you today

𝐀 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞. 📈💼 Many mentees have asked for a framework to help them brainstorm and set career goals. Having faced this myself multiple times, I know that this exercise can be exhausting without a structured approach. Here’s a simple yet powerful framework that has worked for me consistently. 👇 Step 1: Capture your current state in detail (professional only or both professional + personal). ✍️ Step 2: Define your future aspirations without limitations—list everything that comes to mind! 🌠 Step 3: Identify the “swimlanes” that matter to you. These may vary, so be clear on what’s important for you. 🏊♂️ Step 4: Set milestones within each swim lane. For example, if “financial safety” is a swimlane, your milestones could include buying a house, creating a corpus of ₹X crore, etc. 🏠💰 Step 5: Establish timelines. Map out concentric zones with achievable milestones over time. ⏳ Step 6: Track your progress regularly. 📊 Having a mentor can be invaluable here, as they can act as a sounding board, providing guidance and helping you stay aligned with your goals. Having this mental map will significantly help you plan your career transformation. 🌟 I hope this helps! Let me know your thoughts in the comments. 💬 #CareerPlanning #GrowthMindset #CareerTransformation #GoalSetting #Mentorship #Framework

Stop guessing your next move—let a Personal Development Plan guide your progress. A while back, I mentored a professional named Rahul, who felt he was being repeatedly overlooked for promotions. We conducted a competency mapping session and discovered a key gap in his ability to work cross-functionally and lead diverse teams. 🧩 Rather than feeling discouraged, Rahul saw this as an opportunity. We built a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to close those gaps. By enrolling in relevant courses and taking on cross-departmental projects, Rahul not only improved his skills but also earned the promotion he had been aiming for. 👉 What is a Personal Development Plan (PDP)? A PDP is a roadmap for your career growth, detailing the specific skills you need to develop to advance in your role. Here are the Key Sections every PDP should include: 💢Self-Assessment: Identify your current strengths and areas for improvement based on feedback or a competency mapping session. 💢Goal Setting: Set clear, measurable goals for what you want to achieve in your career (e.g., leadership skills, cross-functional collaboration). 💢Action Plan: Outline the steps you’ll take to close the gaps, such as enrolling in courses, seeking mentorship, or participating in projects. 💢Timeline: Assign deadlines to each action item to track your progress and stay on course. 💢Evaluation: Regularly assess your progress through self-reflection or feedback from peers and supervisors. 💡 Key Action Points: ⚜️Use competency mapping to identify specific skill gaps. ⚜️Develop a Personal Development Plan to close those gaps. ⚜️Engage in practical experiences like cross-functional projects or targeted training. Feeling stuck in your career? Start building your personal development plan today and tackle those skill gaps head-on! #CareerDevelopment #SkillGaps #PersonalDevelopmentPlan #LeadershipSkills #CompetencyMapping #ProfessionalGrowth

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆? Let’s be real. Most professionals spend years building their skills, growing their networks, and staying on top of industry trends. Yet, many still feel 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑐𝑘. If this resonates, you’re not alone. The real reason? 𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒕. A Career Blueprint is more than just a list of goals or a LinkedIn summary. It’s a strategic plan that combines your skills, passions, and values with a clear path forward. Here’s how you can start: 1️⃣ 𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 Visualize where you truly want to be in the next 2, 5, or 10 years. Are you aiming to lead? Start something of your own? Pivot? Write it down. 2️⃣ 𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒔 Your blueprint needs to center on your unique strengths, not just what’s trending in the job market. Think about the times you’ve felt most energized and engaged. What skills did you rely on? 3️⃣ 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒂𝒑 Map out the skills and experience you’ll need to get there. Don’t just look at technical skills—consider leadership, emotional intelligence, and adaptability too. 4️⃣ 𝑺𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒔 Break down your journey into measurable, achievable steps. This creates momentum, prevents overwhelm, and keeps you accountable. 5️⃣ 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 Your network, mentors, and coaches are essential. They’ll keep you inspired, grounded, and help you adjust your blueprint as life evolves. Remember, a blueprint is not set in stone. It’s a living document that will adapt and evolve, just like your career. So, how does your Career Blueprint look today? What steps will you take to make it a reality? Let’s build it together. 👊 #CareerBlueprint #ProfessionalGrowth #Coaching #CareerCoaching #LifePerformanceCoaching #CoachManisha

YOU KNOW SWOT, BUT DO YOU KNOW SOAR? SOAR analysis is a tool designed to create a forward-looking and value-driven plan for career development.   It is similar to the SWOT analysis but more positive and aspirational, focusing on building on strengths and leveraging opportunities rather than merely identifying weaknesses and threats. The goal is to emphasize what works well and how to capitalize on it to achieve your career aspirations.   The acronym SOAR stands for: 📌 Strengths 👉 Focus on what you do well and how to enhance these strengths. 📌 Opportunities 👉 Identify external factors that could positively impact your career. 📌 Aspirations 👉 Consider what you truly aspire to achieve in your career. 📌 Results 👉 Determine the measurable outcomes that will signify you’ve achieved your aspirations.   Conduct your SOAR analysis in six phases:   1️⃣ Identify Your Strengths Begin by listing your core strengths. Include hard skills (e.g., technical abilities, domain expertise) and soft skills (e.g., leadership, communication). Pay special attention to your area of distinction—that one-off combination of skills and attributes that sets you apart from others in your field. Write down how these strengths have helped you succeed and how you can leverage them in the future.   2️⃣ Explore Opportunities Identify external opportunities that align with your strengths and area of distinction. Look for industry trends, new technologies, shifts in organizational strategy, or emerging markets. Write down at least three opportunities you can take advantage of and describe how they align with your unique capabilities.   3️⃣ Define Your Aspirations Reflect on your long-term goals, the impact you want to make, and the legacy you wish to leave. What do you aspire to achieve in the next five to ten years? Write down your aspirations, focusing on how they connect to your strengths and identified opportunities.   4️⃣ Set Measurable Results Define how you will measure success and translate your aspirations into specific, measurable outcomes. For each aspiration, set one or more tangible results. Write these down and keep them visible as a reminder of your commitment to your career growth.   5️⃣ Action Plan Create an action plan that outlines the steps you need to take to leverage your strengths, seize opportunities, achieve your aspirations, and reach the desired results. Set timelines and prioritize actions based on their impact and feasibility.   6️⃣ Review and Adjust Periodically review your SOAR analysis to track your progress. Adjust as necessary to stay aligned with your goals and the changing environment.   The SOAR analysis creates a strategic roadmap to help you stay proactive and adaptable and keep your career development focused and effective. It enables you to clarify your career direction and emphasizes your unique value in a competitive marketplace.   #CoachRisto #CareerPerceptions   #careermanagement