Özyeğin University, Çekmeköy Campus Nişantepe District, Orman Street, 34794 Çekmeköy - İSTANBUL
Phone : +90 (216) 564 90 00
Fax : +90 (216) 564 99 99
E-mail: info@ozyegin.edu.tr
Creating a Career Plan
Creating a Career Plan
Creating a Career Plan
What is Career?
Career is not only the job you have; it is the sum of choices you make throughout your life, choices, experiences you gain, experiences ve your entire developmental journey. This journey encompasses your education, internships, work experiences, skills, and interests.
What is Career Planning?
Career planning is the process of finding answers to the questions, 'Where do I want to go and how do I get there?' . A good career plan helps you to clarify your goals, minimize loss of time and energy, utilize your strengths correctly ve make more informed decisions .
You should remember that your career plan is not a fixed path; it is a flexible and personalized roadmap .
4 Core Steps of Career Planning
- Setting goals
- Analyzing your current status
- Identifying required competencies
- Building and executing the roadmap
The most critical aspect of career planning is self-awareness. Self-awareness is answering the following questions honestly:
- Who am I?
- What do I do well?
- What do I really want?
Understand Yourself with a SWOT Analysis
You can use the following framework to get to know yourself better:
Strengths (My Strengths)
- In which areas do you think you perform better than others?
- What are your greatest achievements?
- What are your trainings, certifications, foreign languages, or notable achievements?
Weaknesses (Areas for Improvement)
- What are your areas of improvement?
- Which skills will you focus on developing?
- Are there any personal traits or thought patterns holding you back?
Opportunities (My Opportunities)
- What opportunities can you leverage in your life?
- What opportunities could your strengths provide you with?
- Which trends can you benefit from?
- What strong qualities do you possess that can make a difference in your target field or industry?
Threats (My Threats)
- What are other, more experienced professionals specializing in your field doing?
- Do your development areas pose any threat to your goals?
- Is there any factor that might disadvantage you in your target field or industry?
This analysis enables you to make more informed career decisions.
How to Set the Right Career Goal?
A career goal refers to the specific position, role, or level of success one aims to achieve in their professional life. A good career goal should meet the SMART criteria:
- S (Specific): Your goal must be clear and explicit.
- M (Measurable): It must include concrete criteria to evaluate whether the goal has been achieved.
- A (Achievable): Your goal must be realistically achievable under current conditions.
- R (Relevant): Your goal must align with your values, priorities, and long-term vision.
- T (Time-bound): Your goal must have a specific deadline.
Instead of 'finding a good job someday',
'specializing in data analytics and securing a position at a multinational company by the end of this year' is a much more powerful career goal.
How to Build a Career Plan
You can utilize the GROW model when structuring your career plan:
What Empowers You on Your Career Journey?
Opportunities you can leverage during your university years:
- Internships
- Volunteer projects
- Student club activities
- Certificate programs
- Networking opportunities
- Career portals and advising services
If you would like to receive advising support in preparing your career plan, you can request an appointment via the LinkProfessional system. If you have any questions regarding logging into the system, you can contact us via our professional@ozu.edu.tr email address.