And it’s not just big changes that a career plan helps implement. You can also use it to learn new skills and widen your knowledge in a particular area.

How to make a career planner

• Assess your options. First things first, you need to figure out what career is right for you. Prioritise your choice based on your interests and strengths, and consider the importance of factors like salary, company culture, working hours, and commute time.
• List your current skills. Listing your current skills, abilities, and experience will not only help you to understand what career path suits you, but it’ll also help you figure out if you’re qualified enough to take your preferred route. Areas where you lack knowledge will help you decide on the actions you plan to take in terms of training and development.
• Set goals and actions.
  Once you’ve decided on your ideal career path, it’s time to set some goals – which will help you decide what actions you need to take. These could both be short-term and long-term, and big or small.
• Give yourself timeframes. Setting deadlines for each of your goals will motivate you to get things done. Whether you work towards exact dates, or pick a broader timescale (e.g. a particular month) – adding this into your career plan will give your goals some realistic context, not to mention keep you motivated to keep going.
• Keep checking back. A career plan isn’t a one-stop-solution. To make sure your goals are up-to-date, it’s important to keep checking back on your career planner. Not only will it allow you to track your progress, it’ll also mean you can make alterations if your circumstances change.

 How should I structure my career planner?

Career plans can be laid out in many ways, depending on how specific you want to be with your goals – and what you want to place precedence on achieving.

However, your career planner should always follow a clear and easy-to-read format.To point you in the right direction, here’s our career plan example:

Career Planner

Personal overview
Include a brief outline of who you are and what you’re looking for. Include your strongest attributes and interests, as well as where you’re at in your current situation.

Education
Provide an overview of your educational qualifications.

Employment history
Write a short summary of your employment history.

Goals
   Short term: E.g. secure job with progression opportunities (in 6 months).
   Mid-term: E.g. get a promotion (in 2-5 years).
   Long term: E.g. become head of department (in 5+ years).

Current skills, knowledge, and experience
Sum up your key skills and competencies – whether they’re gained from work, study, or hobbies.

Training and development requirements
Use this section to assess what training and development is needed to achieve your goals.

Action plan
Give yourself a clear, step-by-step guide of the actions needed to reach your goals – including timescales against each action.
You can include as many actions as you want, but it might be most useful to limit yourself to a smaller number – so you can add new ones as you progress.

How do I stick to my career plan?

So you’ve created the perfect career plan, but now what?

Although forming a plan is the first step – it won’t work without continuous effort. That means using your career planner to inform your day-to-day, whilst making ongoing changes throughout.

This involves tracking your progress, ticking off finished goals, altering/adding steps, or even changing your direction after realising it wasn’t quite right for you.

Keep doing these things, and your career planner is far less likely to fall to the back of your mind. And, if you’re struggling to stay motivated, consider giving yourself rewards for each goal you meet.

But remember: your career is a marathon, not a sprint. Trying to get too many things done within a short space of time is only going to set you up to fail in the long run.

 Source: Article courtesy of Reed.co.uk

Well, the first thing you can do is accept that you can’t change the way things are. The worst case scenario is your sweetheart is leaving to make a break-up easier. You will soon know if that’s the case. Or, more likely, your love is off to school/university in another city or to work in another country. This is an opportunity for you to see the distance as holding you together rather than pulling you apart. Yes, it’s a test of your love.

It can be painful at first. You’ll feel it most in the dark hours of the night.

So, how do you WORK IT to make it work?

Communicate, but not obsessively. Saying good morning and good night every day is a must. Try sending pics or voice notes about your day; make it interesting or creative, even if nothing much happened.

Stay honest Talk about stuff you’re feeling. Don’t bury your feelings or your fears. If you try to hide your insecurities, worries or jealousies they will swallow you up. Talk it out – you need to support each other.

Show the world that you care Commit your feelings on your partners social media walls. Like their pics or comments. It is a comfort knowing that your partner declares often and publicly that he/she loves you and misses you. It’s a commitment. When you post pics of where you are or what you’re doing, tag your sweetheart; say ‘wish you were here” publicly. It keeps them feeling involved in your life far from home.

Send gifts Whether it’s a surprise photograph or really funny and relevant emoji on your phone or an actual gift to be delivered, it’s the thought that counts.

Avoid dangerous situations If your partner knows you’re going out clubbing with a group of friends and alcohol is involved, be careful to tell your partner beforehand. Remember, your partner might be stressed out and feel powerless knowing you’re drinking and dancing and meeting new people. If you know that you get a little “flirty” after a few drinks, rather don’t go. You don’t want to wake up with life-changing regrets.

Try to avoid hanging out too often with the same person of the opposite sex. You might think it’s just an innocent coffee and chat but it could become more. Check in with your heart and your head. Do you want it to become more? Think of your distant partner; think of your love for each other and let that be the filter you use to find the answers.

Do things together Technology allows us to be creative with our time spent separated from our loved ones. We can watch movies together. We can go for walks at the same time, sharing real-time video. We can sing to each other on Skype.

Be positive Yes, it can hurt a lot sometimes when you’re apart for long periods of time. Try and focus on the good things, the little things. The last time you laughed together. The last picture you received or the last words of love and reassurance you shared. Be thankful for those small things and they will bring more positivity into your life.

Don’t overthink Don’t go digging up stats on the survival rates of “remote romances”. Just let it all go. Live your life. If you are meant to be together, you will both do what’s necessary. Don’t get lost in all the “maybe’s or what-ifs”. Trust in your love. And trust in each other. Communicate daily, with honesty.

But most importantly, love yourself every day; it will make you more loveable too.

A: It does not matter how old you are or which stage of your life, these 4 steps are what you need to take.

STEPS TO PLANNING A CAREER

Choosing a career is not one decision – it is a lot of little decisions as you find you like some things and dislike others. It takes time to research and can be confusing and frustrating sometimes, but also exciting and fascinating. Most people enjoy the journey.

TIP: Make a project out of it, with a special notebook and folder for pamphlets. If you have regular access to a computer, create electronic folders and store information like documents and pdfs.

STEP ONE : Know Yourself

Finding out where YOU fit in the world of work starts with knowing everything about YOU. Later you can match that information with what you learn about the world of work. The questions you need to answer are below.

STEP TWO: Know the World of Work

Gathering information about career possibilities is very exciting. There are many sources of information and methods. Some tips follow below.

STEP THREE: Decide about your Options

Look through all the information you have collected and narrow down your choices.
The tips to help you make decisions follow on below.

STEP FOUR: Action

List the things that need to be done. These steps may include getting the education and financial aid you need.

Suggestions about the action you need to take, follow below

STEP ONE: KNOW YOURSELF

• What do you enjoy doing? Find 5 things. If you are 30 or 50 you may have changed from the time you first started on a work life.
• In what way are you different from other people? (Ask others – you may be surprised!)
• What are you good at? (Sometimes we do something with very little effort and we don’t appreciate our strengths. We don’t realise that other people are not as capable as we are in that area.)
• What are your personal achievements and successes? List at least 5, even if they seem small.
• What interests you? (At home or school or elsewhere? Hobbies, Extra mural)

Here is a list of questions you could ask yourself, but it is not a complete list – use your own life to discover some other questions and answers.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• What are the qualities that make you who you are? Are you caring, patient, impatient, hardworking, friendly, resourceful, pro-active, obedient, self-disciplined, shy, impulsive, adaptable, systematic, open to new ideas?
• Are you a leader or a follower or a good team worker? Are you a visionary or an implementer?
• What other qualities can you think of…………… 

INTERESTS

• What interests you? At school and outside of school?
• What do you enjoy doing?
• What other interests can you think of……………

SCHOOL SUBJECTS / TASKS & SKILLS AT WORK / HOBBIES

• Which are your favourites?
• Which are you best at?
• Which would you like to follow and develop further in the career of your choice?
• What do you enjoy finding out about?

INDEPENDENCE

• Do you like to work on your own?
• Like to make your own decisions?
• Take responsibility for yourself and for what you do?

WORKING WITH PEOPLE

• Do you get on with others?
• Can you handle negotiating?
• Do you tolerate different viewpoints?
• Like to organise people?
• Entertain people?

INFORMATION HANDLING SKILLS

Are you good at/ enjoy

• researching
• cataloguing
• interpreting
• classifying
• selecting
• organising

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Can you work with different computer programs?
• Are you keenly interested in learning more about computers or different computer programmes?

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Are you good at:

• expressing yourself
• listening
• writing
• interpreting
• criticising constructively
• debating
• negotiating
• explaining
• entertaining
• persuading

NUMBER SKILLS

Do you enjoy:

• counting & measuring
• estimating
• calculating

WORKING WITH IDEAS

How good are you at:

• thinking things out
• planning
• creating
• assessing
• analysing
• strategizing
• evaluating

WORKING WITH THINGS

Do you like:

• designing
• making
• planning
• controlling
• fixing

GOALS TO ACHIEVE THROUGH WORK

Which are important to you?

• job satisfaction
• money
• responsibility
• status
• secure employment
• your own business
• Doing good

SURROUNDINGS AND CONDITIONS

• Would you prefer to work for a large organization or a small one?
• Do you prefer to work outdoors or indoors
• in an office or in a plant or in a laboratory
• Any other? ……………

NEEDS

Do you need?

• security
• challenges
• recognition
• independence or do you need to feel part of a team?
• to feel you are ‘making a difference’?
• to feel ‘in charge’ of a team or project or activity?
• to focus on implementing ideas or projects?
• to start up new projects?
• to focus on seeing a particular job or activity through to its conclusion?

VALUES AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

Do you want?

• to earn a lot of money
• have status
• work independently
• help others
• to constantly learn
• to enjoy my job

DREAMS

At a certain point dreams about your future are a good thing to explore. You will have a chance to be realistic later.

STEP TWO: Know the World of Work & Training

There are many more career options than most people realise. Here is a list of industries where you could work. It covers almost the whole of the work world.

https://careerplanet.co.za/careers-listings/careers/

The link above will take you there. If you click on one of the options you will see the careers that fall into that field.  If you click on the career title it will show you a job description with information about what it involves including how to get there. Choose a few industries to explore – the more the better!

• Agriculture, Fishing, Farming and Forestry
• Animal Sciences
• Artisans, Trades and Technicians
• Arts, Media and Entertainment
• Business, Admin, Finance and Sales
• Construction, Engineering and Mining
• Education and Training
• Earth, Environment and Conservation
• Fashion and Beauty
• Gardening, Horticulture and Botany
• Government and Law
• Green Careers
• Historical Sciences
• IT and Telecommunications
• Medical, Health & Life Sciences
• Production and Manufacturing
• Safety, Security and Emergency Services
• Science, Technology and Mathematics
• Social, Domestic and Community Services
• Sports, Sports Science and Recreation
• Tourism, Hospitality, Gaming and Lotteries
• Transport and Logistics
• Wholesale and Retail

Make a note: Everything you are attracted to and why. Everything you are not attracted to and why.

This is going to take quite some time, so use a computer and an internet connection. (Your local library should offer this facility if you don’t have one at home. Please feel free to contact us if you have problems getting the information you need.)

Looking at the careers you are interested in, you may want to think about whether you like working with Things, or Information/Ideas or People, mostly.

EXAMPLE: A Meteorologist or Bookkeeper deals mainly with Information, an Artist with Things and Ideas, whereas a Social Workers work with  people in a caring way and a Manager with People in a organising way. It is important to match your personality to a career.

TRAINING

At the same time collect training information, whether it is higher education or just adding some skills. Most educational institutions have brochures (prospectuses) about individual courses and the requirements for admission.

We strongly recommend downloading them from websites or going to fetch a printed copy. Because they give you so much more useful information, it is really worth the effort. You also need information about the cost of studying and possible bursaries and/or loans.

It is a good idea to visit the places where you are thinking of studying and speak to the people in the Career Office, if they have one.

STEP THREE: Decide about your Options

You should end up with

• 5 career options (at least). Rank them from 1-5, depending on which you are most attracted to.
• All the courses related to these options as well as the requirements for admission.

You may find yourself going over STEP ONE or TWO again, as the need to decide sharpens your mind.

Look through all the information you have collected and narrow down your choices. You may feel you need to do some more exploration.

NOTE: You do not need to choose only one career or one educational institution. In fact a good decision allows for a PLAN A and a PLAN B and a PLAN C, because life is uncertain.

STEP FOUR: Action

List the things that need to be done. This may include applying to educational and financial aid you need.

Do it until everything on the list is ticked off.

21^ST CENTURY CAREERS

The chances are that what you decide to do now, will not be what you are doing in seven years time. 21^st century workers can expect a change every seven years or so and so an expectation of changing jobs and even entire careers ie studying something quite different) is a realistic way to plan and an open mind is a good thing!

Here, we have a look at some of the most common soft skills that are useful in today’s workplace.

Adaptability  

An employee with good adaptability skills is able to identify solutions to unforeseen problems. Then, they can make the necessary changes to adapt to the new situation or new environment.

Collaboration

Most employees require their people to work in teams. This implies working and interacting with a variety of different people, different personalities, and different levels within a chain of command. In such cases, the ability to apply skills like verbal communication and body language as well as demonstrating a solid character and personality are crucial.

Communication

Communication skills are pretty much linked to being successful in team environments. Yet, many candidates underestimate the importance of brushing up their communication skills since they believe their technical skills are the only ones that matter in their profession.

Being an adequate speaker, writer and listener is important in most careers, where clarity and understanding are required for completing teamwork projects. Public speaking and making presentations are less commonplace, but great skills to have, particularly in trade shows and conferences.

Attention to detail 

Having an eye for spotting a small detail that, if unnoticed, can cause the employer financial or other losses is a valuable soft skill for any career candidate to possess.

Creative thinking 

Here is where thinking-outside-the-box becomes essential. Creative thinking is a skill required by many jobs across different industries. Finding ways to apply existing knowledge in a new and creative way can take you further in any career. Creative thinking is a soft skill that more hard-skilled professions like engineers and others in the STEM field should cultivate to become truly valuable as both a team member and as a leader.

Leadership 

Delegating tasks, managing teams of people, and coordinating complex projects are going to be on your everyday list as a leader. To become a top leader, therefore, implies that you need to master as many soft skills as leadership requires.

What kind of soft skills do you think you need to cultivate and advance your career?

Source: Edited from original article https://interestingengineering.com/engineers-should-master-soft-skills-for-a-successful-career

Did you know that 87% of those who have been bullied felt it had a negative effect on their self-esteem…

Low self-esteem can have harmful effects on your mental health, your decisions about your appearance and ultimately, your future. It’s not easy to like every part of the way you look, but getting stuck on negatives can really bring down your self-esteem.

Other effects of low self-esteem include:

• You avoid difficult situations
• Sensitive to criticism
• Anxiety
• Withdrawal from social situations
• You are reluctant to trust yourself

It’s important to believe, deep down that you can change. Change doesn’t necessarily happen easily or quickly, but it can happen. There are simple interventions aimed at helping you increase your self-esteem. Here are the DTL expert’s top tips and the best ways to build and improve your self-esteem:

1. Challenge bad thoughts about yourself

Replace them with more positive thoughts which celebrate things you’re good at. You can do this by writing down a list of at least three things you do well. Remember this list when you start feeling low, this will help bring yourself back to reality.

2. Take care of you

Eating well and exercising boosts endorphins, the body’s natural opiates, which make you feel good on the inside and stimulates a more positive mood. When you exercise, you’ll ease stress and feel better about yourself. Having a cheesy dance in your bedroom, or going for a jog around the block are great ways to boost your self-esteem.

3. Relax

Stress plays a huge role in self-esteem. Reduce your stress by taking time out to do something you find relaxing. This can be anything from taking a bath, meditation, gaming, exercise… you name it: if it works, it works!

4. Set Goals

Take the time every day to think about what you’d like to achieve. Then set yourself realistic goals for each day and keep track of your progress by writing down all your accomplishments. This can be as simple as finishing off a piece of work or tidying up (we all know how challenging this can be!) You’ll feel an enormous sense of accomplishment when you’ve ticked off everything on your list for the day. The trick is to not get bogged down by the list; some days you won’t manage to get it all done and that’s OK too!

5. Help someone out

This can be a friend, family member or even a classmate who is struggling with their work or having a tough time at school. You could give them some advice or just be there to listen to a problem. It’s amazing how much our confidence is boosted when we do selfless things – do one thing a week to help someone else without expecting anything in return.

6. Take a different perspective

Look at tricky situations from alternative angles. Try to replace thoughts like ‘why should I bother?’ with ‘I won’t know unless I try’. By looking at a situation through a more realistic lens you’ll realise that you actually can do what you want – you just need to apply a bit more positivity! By doing this every time you have a negative thought, you’ll eventually default to this kind of positivity on the regular, and who doesn’t love a go-getter?

7. Try new things

Our brains are really good at learning new stuff and the more new stuff you learn, the better you get at learning it. Everyone needs a creative outlet; music, art, dance, games, sewing, cooking, web design – all you need to do is get on YouTube and find some tutorials. All the information you need is out there – it’s just waiting for you to click on it.

8. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good

Spend your time with people who appreciate and care about you. It can be a little tricky at first, but try to distance yourself from people who make you feel bad about yourself. Even if they’re the most popular kid in school or the coolest person you know, it’s really not worth hanging out with them if they make you feel rubbish! Strengthen other friendships and you’ll most certainly feel better about things in the long run!

9. Accept yourself

First up: self-acceptance is key to feeling confident. When people pay you compliments, simply say ‘thanks’ rather than brushing them aside or countering them with a negative. Second: Nobody is perfect. Accept your ‘flaws’ or imperfections and learn to love them, they are what make you unique, work it!

10. Keep visual reminders of things that make you feel good

Mementos are a great way to see all the cool things you’ve been doing. How about making a ‘wall of fame’ in your bedroom with snaps of you and your friends? We are living in an age where we have a camera in our pocket at all times…take more pictures! Capture those memorable moments and when you look back at them, you’ll realise how many awesome things you’ve done this year!

Source: Ditchthelabel.org

But there are ways you can earn money without serving food and drinks on the weekend. Come on, let’s find the entrepreneur in you!

House-sitting

With the growing popularity of social media neighbourhood groups, there are many ways you can put your services out there. Make sure you have good personal references to offer a family who needs a baby or pet-sitter. If you’re lucky, you can house-sit for long periods and make good money in comfort! Going rates for sleep-in house-sitting services are R230 – R300 p/d.

Tutoring

You’ll notice (if you’re looking) that your local social media groups or community newspapers will always have ads for tutors – especially Maths and languages. Or musical instrument lessons. Turn your talents and passions into cash. If you’re a handy sporty type, try your local teams who might be looking for refs or coaches.

Surveys & Focus groups

Check out the market research businesses in your city and offer your services. You’ll be surprised how many focus groups and one-on-one interviews are conducted for a whole range of products and services. You are a consumer so your views and opinions are of value to marketers – and you get paid to express them!

Run a small business’ social media

You’ll be surprised how many businesses just haven’t got around to employing the power of social media in their communications mix. You’re no doubt already an expert on Instagram and Facebook, so doing the same thing for a small business is right up your street. Start by calling around. Have a plan on how you’ll manage their posts and community engagement. Two or three clients paying you a modest fee will get you up and running.

Garage/yard sale

Turn your old stuff into cash – clothes, furniture, books and stuff you’re just tired of. One person’s junk is someone else’s treasure. Get your friends involved. Hype it up in the hood and in your online community pages. Have some fun and make some cash. If it all sounds like too much work, visit the many used clothing or 2^nd hand furniture shops around you.

Sell stuff online

Let’s face it; the web offers a much larger audience than your neighbourhood garage sale. But the same principle applies…get rid of stuff you don’t want or need; you can be sure someone else is looking for it!

Make your own products

Maybe you’re handy with wood, or metal, or electronics, or simple crafts. Using the internet, you’ll always find someone looking for something unique. Having a hobby you love is good for stress levels – especially if it can make you cash!

Sell at a farmers market
They’re popping up everywhere. And it’s not just farmers who are cashing in. If you have a talent for making homemade candles, pies, essential oils – go and chat to the organisers of a craft/farmers market in your neighbourhood. Do things you love in your spare time and make extra cash, and new friends.

Open a savings account

It makes sense to put away any extra cash you make into an account that earns you a good interest rate. Not only do you watch your money grow, but it is a great motivator to be more disciplined in your spending.

These steps will help you get going.

Note your expenses

Obviously, the starting point is looking at your expenses. Try break it all down into categories and don’t leave anything out. Write everything down. Start with the big numbers – rent, transport, insurances, accounts, groceries. Keep track of the small numbers too – coffees, snacks, tips. Now that you have your costs grouped, you can begin the next step.

Budget

Here again, some banks have useful tools to help you structure your personal budget plan. Once you have an idea of what you spend in a month, you can begin to organise your recorded expenses into a workable budget. This should measure your expenses against your income – and give you a clear picture of where you’re over-spending and where you can trim. Besides all your monthly commitments and living needs, be sure to allow for those “surprise” expenses, like new tyres or a medical emergency.

Be tough on yourself

Common wisdom is that you should aim to allocate 10% of your income to savings. Not always possible, right? You may have to trim a little here and there. Look at those expenses that you can realistically cut. Usually, the money you spend on yourself or on entertaining others. To make it a little easier on yourself, try thinking of savings as an essential expense, like food or rent. That might help put your “night out” spending into perspective.

Goal setting

One of the best ways to save money is to set a goal. Start by thinking of what you might want to save for—break them down into short-term and long-term lists. Then figure out how much money you’ll need and how long it might take you to save it.

Short-term (1–3 years)

– Unexpected expenses

– Holidays

– Deposit on a vehicle

Long-term (4+ years)

– Home renovations

– Kids education

– Your Retirement

Again, check your bank’s website for savings tools or free Apps.

Open a savings account

Choose a bank that gives you a choice of savings plans to suit your personal goals. Fixed, flexible or tax-free savings plans are available. Compare interest rates and monthly service fees. Having a savings account creates a framework of discipline to help you stick to your plans and reach your goals.