Career Development - Aspirations

• Do you work to live or live to work?
• How will your career choices affect your family and vice versa?
• Do you have a career path mapped out or are you just focussed on the next opportunity?

Everyone has different aspirations and different concerns about past, present and future situations. We will help identify what is important to you and help you move along your career path.

Be realistic with your goals and break them down into manageable and achievable portions. The key is to be happy with yourself and your decisions. People who are happy in their job are usually productive as well. Building on the positives will help you develop your career. Likewise identifying and overcoming the barriers to success and not repeating situations that have a negative impact on you are equally important. CNA consultants are trained and skilled at discovering these factors, but a degree of self analysis and soul searching prior to discussing your aspirations will be of enormous value.

Here are some ideas for you to consider.

Company: What industry sector do you prefer to work in? Do you prefer to work in small businesses or in large corporations? Do you want to be in a young developing business or one that is very established? What is important to you about the products/services and their standing in the market?

Leadership: How do people get the best out of you? What objectives and values do you need to share with the leadership? How much direct contact do you need? What type of direction and future vision is important to you?

Environment: Consider where you would prefer to work and whether you are best on your own or as part of a group. How important is location and what are the travel and commuting requirements? What type of interaction with peers and other business functions do you prefer? What roles and responsibilities are you suited to. How many people do you need in your team? How much flexibility do you require?

Advancement: What are your prospects for promotion? What are the training opportunities? What new skills and experience can you gain? How does the role and company affect the value of your CV?

Rewards: Are bonuses or commission an incentive to you? How does your package compare to the market average? How important is personal recognition to you?

There will be many more questions that you can ask yourself. You will have your own values and it is very important to consider the needs of your family as well.