Essence Of Career Planning

            ESSENCE OF CAREER PLANNING IN CHINESE COMMUNITY.
             When we are still young, most people would ask is "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Initially we have a ready answer, some wanting to be astronauts, some dreaming of becoming doctors and some teachers. But as people progress in age and maturity, we get to feel how daunting our initial dreams were, especially if the person is ambitious and had set lofty goals on life. Some cave in to the enormous challenge and make do with whatever it is that they can easily have, setting for the next best or even third best option. Some take the challenge seriously and face it head-on. It is to these people that the concept of career planning is of paramount value.
             Career planning gives an orderly and systematic process with which to consummate a person's goals and ambition. At the outset, the person should have a clear vision of what one wants to be in the coming years, an ideal future state that one desires to achieve. Questions as to what kind of life we dream about and how do we see ourselves in the next 20 to 40 years should be answered. For example, someone might dream of becoming an astronaut. Having done this, he or she should then proceed to outline the plan of action that needs to be executed in order to accomplish the goal. This plan of action should detail the steps, much like a staircase, that a person has to implement and go over, and the difficulties along the way that have to be surmounted. The plan should also explore the possible consequences of the person's actions and provide contingencies measures for such. In our example, if one is to be considered into the space program, it is essential that one should have a healthy mind and body, courage & maturity, and proficiency (almost being an expert) in mathematics and physics. Therefore, if one is serious in such ambition, a plan of action should entail a healthy lifestyle and excellent academic achievements, especially in math and sciences.