3 Steps to Develop Your Career Plan B

Even if you have a job you love and feel secure in, you should always have a backup plan. These steps will allow you to develop a plan that will save you from feeling lost if an unexpected job loss occurs.

1) Polish your Documents and Online Presence

Make sure your resume and LinkedIn are up to date. Have a career coach or friend look over your resume. Get active on LinkedIn engaging on posts, posting articles related to your field, or joining networking groups.

2) Complete a Reflection Exercise

Find a quiet space and set aside a few hours to complete the following exercise. Whether you end up changing directions or not, it will ensure your career is heading in the direction.

• Do you have any limiting beliefs about yourself that may prohibit you from being successful? For example, you may think you can never start your own business because you have only ever worked in the corporate world.
• How would others describe you? List as many words as you can think of.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do people compliment you on most — at work and outside of work? Can some of your weaknesses actually be seen as strengths? If you have trouble building this list it would be a good time to look into doing a test such as Clifton Strengthfinder or Disc. to give you a better insight.
• Do you have a skill set that you can monetize? Is this a path you would consider? What would be required to make this a career?
• List other possible paths for your career. What are the benefits and the challenges if you were to pursue them?
• How can you network? Are there any specific people in your network that can help connect you?
• In an ideal world, where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Once you decide the answers to those questions, where do the gaps lie between where you are and where you want to be? What actions can you take to fill those gaps and get you where you want to be?

3) Start Putting in the Work

A dream without any action is simply a dream. Open your calendar and start scheduling. Ask to have coffee with people with the job you want. Join networking events after work. Look up a job description of the job you want and circle what you are missing. Then, sign up for trainings that will get you the knowledge you are lacking.

Get comfortable selling yourself. What is your 30 second “elevator pitch”? Develop this NOW. Start attending virtual networking events to get comfortable introducing yourself and networking. Confidence and networking are skills that can be improved like any other.

Taking the time for reflection can turn experience into insight. You may even discover that your new plan is more attractive than your “Plan A”. Life offers so many opportunities, but we must prioritize the time and effort to career plan to see them. Your career is worth it. YOU are worth it.

Jessica L. Beck is an HR Professional living in Florida with her family. She writes on human resources and lifestyle topics with a passion for process improvement in all areas of life so we can cut the clutter and enjoy life more.  You can read more of her writing here: Jessica Beck Copywriter (canva.site)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarrarobeck/

Email: jlbeckbooks@gmail.com

Header Image Credit: Alexander Suhorucov. Find it here.