Self-directed career planning

Introduction

Ponderings about one's work career emerge as part of normal development in teenage years or in early adulthood at the latest. Experiences from school, family traditions, role models and advice constitute the basis for young people in making choices about suitable education and occupations. External influences such as peer pressure, social desirability and timely fads may as well strongly affect your choices. Therefore, an important part of planning one's career is also excluding educational and occupational fields that appear less suitable to oneself. Many people don't have any greater difficulty in making choices but some people experience uncertainty about their occupational direction and can make significant changes during their studies or early work years.

Digitalization and AI are currently disrupting work life. Changes in jobs, occupations and competencies lead people even in established work careers to examine their careers and competencies. Increasing are also situations where individuals in middle of their work careers feel that their current or foreseeable tasks don't meet with their basic competencies or desired ways of thinking and doing things. Mismatches in the current job may also concern specific competencies or work domains. Awareness of one's characteristic behavior and thinking tendencies can provide solutions to such situations. Exclusion of less suitable educational and occupational fields and jobs is important. Examination of one's competencies can also lead to discovery of new competency potentials. The disruption of work, touching upon nearly everyone, makes career planning an important part of well-being at work.

20 Experts in work

Basic work competencies are people's competent ways of performing in independent activities, leading others, collaborating, planning and solving problems and viewing the world and oneself. They are expressed as 20 Experts in work from a Quality seeker to an Optimist. It is important to realize that the basic competencies don't cover the whole picture of people's competence at work. An individual's competence at work can be described in pyramid form composed of educational, occupational and job specific competencies situated on top of the basic competencies.

Basic competencies derive from one's characteristic motivations, ways of thinking and attitudes developing earlier in life and being more stable in time than educational, occupational and job specific competencies. They also guide the pyramid's "upper" competencies regardless of age, experience or level of education.

It all begins with development of Basic competencies which guide toward Educational competencies which guide toward Occupational competencies which in turn form the basis of Job specific competencies. In addition to the preceding elements the guiding effect of Basic competencies can be detected in each competence element. Whatever work you do or plan to be doing, Basic competencies function as direction givers, as base structures that guide the pyramid's upper competence elements.



The answer to the question who am I in ACTION becomes focused by studying the following experts in work: Quality vs. Results seekers, Action vs. Thought leaders, Communicators, Advisors and Listeners to others vs. Followers of one's own path. The answer to the question who am I as a PLANNER AND PROBLEM SOLVER becomes more focused by studying the corresponding experts: Fact-based vs. Idea generator, Viewer of Practical vs. Complex pictures, Analytic vs. Intuitive thinkers and Cautious vs. Risk taking implementers. The answer to the question about viewing the world and onself pertains to satisfactory WORK ENVIRONMENT AND VIEWING. Experts in the former include Proponents of Order vs. Variety. Experts in viewing one's success odds include Realists vs. Optimists.

ACTION

Behavioral or actional competence derives from behavior driving motivations, what one wants to do and how one wants to act (see Lesson: What is motivation?). Are you a Quality or Results seeker, an Action or a Thought leader, a Communicator, Advisor, Listener or Follower of your own path? They all represent competence in some jobs. Everyone is a bit of each but it is important to know which expert figures represent your best competence. From the following eight experts, choose the one that best characterizes your behavior and mark number 1 beside it. Then, choose also your second most characteristic and mark 2 beside your choice.

1. Quality seeker - a focuser who seeks high and flawless quality. Concentrates on the task at hand and wants to take it into finish before moving on to new things. Proceeds along even, controlled steps and spends time in doing so. Gives the best effort in professional or supporting roles in technical or otherwise clear-cut jobs. In leadership roles occasional micromanagement. Precision, endures routines, goes the extra mile.

2. Results seeker - seeks for sizeable, "big" results. Sets high goals and competes with self/others. Seizes opportunities and proceeds along long, risk taking, corner cutting and hasty steps. Gives the best effort as an entrepreneur or a professional in results oriented, loose-boundaried jobs. Takes on activities with highest payoff, doesn't spend time on details.

3. Action leader - leads others' action. Sets direction to others, gives instructions and orders. Proceeds along determined, straightforward steps. Demanding, overpowers others' resistance and is sometimes bossy. Gives one's best effort in supervisory positions and in jobs involving control of others' conduct. Strong-willed, closes deals, direct feedback and conflict handling.

4. Thought leader - an influencer who leads others' thoughts and impressions. Inspires others through ideas and presentations. Senses what's going on in people's minds and presents uplifting visions. Gives the best effort in supervisory roles and in influencing, marketing things before audiences. Presentation and displaying skills, identification of trends, brand design.

5. Communicator - forms and fosters contacts with others. Friendly, carefree and easily approachable. An information sharing "spokesperson" keeping others posted on things. Gives his/her best effort in professional and supporting work roles centered at direct, face-to-face communication. Networker, organizer of social events, melter of ice.

6. Advisor of others - guides and supports others. Actively offers his/her advice and instructions to others. Assumes responsibility over others, an empathetic mentor. Gives the best effort in professional, supporting or supervisory roles centered at direct, face-to-face advisory and guidance as in training and education. User experience design.

7. Listener to others - listens to, serves others. Relies heavily on others and takes care of others' needs even at the expense of his/her own interest, a "right hand" to another. Gives the best effort in professional and supporting roles centered at direct, face-to-face listening to others, cf. customer service and care jobs. Depth interviewing, user experience design.

8. Follower of own path - walks one's own path. Relies heavily on oneself. Holds on to one's principles, withstands external pressure and is less influenced by others. Gives one's best effort in jobs calling for steadfastness as in purchasing, security, inspection, high-pressure negotiation and conflict resolution. Withstands majority/cross pressures, an external problem solver.

PLANNING & PROBLEM SOLVING

Processing of information or planning and problem solving is driven by one's ways of thinking (see also Lesson: What are ways of thinking?). As a planner and problem solver, are you Fact-based or an Idea generator, a viewer of the Practical or Complex picture, Analytic or Intuitive thinker, a Cautious or a Risk taking implementer? They all represent competence in some jobs. Everyone is a bit of each but it is important to know which expert figures represent your own best competence. From the following eight experts, choose the one that best characterizes your planning and problem solving and mark 1 beside it. Then, choose your second most characteristic expert and mark 2 beside it.

9. Fact-based - favors well-proven approaches. Approaches things based on tried facts with the downside of shutting eyes from new ideas and openings. A "doer", best suited to action-centered practical jobs where things are known and to jobs where facts must be attended to. Has feet on the ground, spots shaky ideas.

10. Idea generator - favors novel approaches. Approaches things by seeking for new ideas and openings. Looks at things from an original, creative standpoint with the downside of bypassing facts. A "thinker", best suited to jobs requiring new ideas, to content production and planning jobs. Creativity, product/service design.

11. Viewer of the practical picture - directs attention to visible practical matters. Focuses attention on concrete things that meet the eye and doesn't spend time in theorizing. Is able to simplify, "wrap up" complicated things with the downside of bypassing true complexity. A "doer" and best suited to action-centered jobs, to practical information & educational environments. Has feet on the ground, operative/tactical sense.

12. Viewer of the complex picture - directs attention to complex wholes. Focuses on things beyond the concrete and what meet the eye. Delineates contexts, causes and effects with the downside of over-theorizing, turning simple things into complicated ones. A "thinker", best suited to heavily planning-centered jobs, theoretical information and educational environments. Concept design, systems intelligence and strategic sense.

13. Analytic thinker - intellect and logic. Comes up with rational, standard solutions which is competence particularly in logical processes (material processes). In irregular processes (people processes) this may lead to mechanistic, "by-the-book" solutions. Best suited to information and educational environments which involve measurement, calculation, quantities, cf. technical + natural science studies. Objectivity, graph reading, math skills.

14. Intuitive thinker - feeling and instinct. Comes up with instinct driven, potentially disruptive and at best creative solutions addressing the situation's unique features which may be far-fetched and work poorly in practice. Sense of irregular, whimsical processes (people processes). Best suited to information & educational environments involving interpretation and qualitative data, cf. humanities and art studies. Creativity, sense of nuances.

15. Cautious implementer - contemplates and ascertains. Implements things with caution and taking due time which is competence in jobs requiring judgment, research or involving critical consequences. The downside is often procrastination and being late, "missing the train". A "thinker", best suited to jobs requiring sound judgment, decision preparation and planning. Risk awareness, "better safe than sorry".

16. Risk taking implementer - quickly seizes opportunities. Implements things quickly, by taking risks. Moves quickly from one thing to another, may skip details and act hastily. This marks competence in competitive environments. A "doer", best suited to quick-tempoed, action-centered jobs which require alert responding and risk taking. Action orientation, gets quickly down to business, doesn't remain sitting on things.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & VIEWING

Individuals' ways of viewing the world and oneself derive from different attitudes. Proponents of order feel at home in stable work environments while proponents of variety enjoy mobile work environments. Realists and Optimists have different success expectancies valuable in different jobs. Are you a proponent of Order or of Variety, a Realist or an Optimist? From the two work environment experts, choose the more characteristic, 17 or 18 and mark 1 beside it. Then, from the two experts along success expectancies, choose the more characteristic one, 19 or 20 and mark also 1 beside it.

17. Proponent of order - favors regularity. Favors clear rules and expects the same from others. Feels good in stable work environments involving consistent processes and clear-cut responsibilities. Best suited to jobs requiring detection of irregularities and errors cf. financial administration and process monitoring. Organized and cost aware, organization person, "walker of the narrow path".

18. Proponent of variety - favors the new and varied. Favors variety, scans for new terrains. Feels good in mobile work environments involving variety and surprises. Best suited to mobile and creative work. Adapts to situations and tolerates ambiguity, cf. expatriate jobs and creative work. Variety seeking can be behavioral ("adventurer") or ideational ("artist"), a free soul, "grass is greener on the other side".

19. Realist - aware of limited resources. Has only a partial belief in success. Realistic in appraisals, detects problems, risks and obstacles and doesn't beautify things: "there is no free lunch". The "glass is half empty" philosophy may also lead to underestimation of odds. Best suited to jobs that require awareness of risks and resources cf. rescue occupations. Problem awareness, cost-benefit analysis.

20. Optimist - strong belief in success. Has a strong belief in success. Energetic, action spirited and carefree, cf. "problem out of sight, out of mind". Becomes excited and jumps fearlessly into new things. The "glass is half full" philosophy may also lead to skipping of problems and overestimation of odds. Suited to many kind of jobs which call for zeal and ability to jump into new things.

FINALLY

As continuation, you may request a certified career coach for feedback on your choices. You may also fill out the standardized 224 item WOPI test used in recruitment. It gives a comprehensive coverage on the same expert figures bringing precision to the self-portrait. The career coach prepares a report on the test results pertaining to action, planning and problem solving, work environment and success expectancies. The coach also presents specifying questions concerning current/targeted educational contents, occupations or jobs.

In addition to the above freely downloadable pdf form, an alternative way to make choices on the experts is to use the card pack of "20 Experts in work", either a physical pack or its mobile phone version. The expert cards can also be used for captivating group exercises where people make guesses on each others' expert figures. The cards serve also in team building exercises where the playful cards serve as a pretext in getting to know one another while spreading the competence vocabulary efficiently throughout the organization.