Managing Careers (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: B, Oxford University, language: English, abstract: The human being today is career oriented as it is the one sure way that will lead to satisfaction of one's needs. For this reason managing careers is extremely important so as to achieve maximum results as well as make informed decisions while going about once career (Baruch, 2004, p. 10). A career in the today world can be termed as a profession or any form of employment that one concentrates on with an aim of satisfying his/her needs as it advances. In the world today, career is all about modifications in that particular employment and preparing for foreseeable future.
According to Baruch (2004, p. 22), managing can be said to involve planning, organizing and systematic monitoring and evaluation of progress. Managing careers involves development of overall goals and objectives, development of a strategy to achieve the identified goals and objectives then development of policies, rules, procedures and activities that will help implement the formulated strategy then finally a constant but systematic evaluation and monitoring of the progress towards achieving the set goals and objectives. Managing tasks could prove difficult especially when one lacks knowledge of the available career opportunities as well as being unaware of the potential he or she has (Baruch, 2004, p. 23). The career management process is defined by the goals and objectives whether general or specific, short term, medium or long term all have an influence in the strategy to be used.
Making informed career choices and decisions in the work environment today requires individuals to revisit the process constantly every now and then unlike in the traditional career set up where revisiting was not really necessary. The career management has to be harmonized with the organizational career which includes all the tasks of individual within a work place. This is important because the organization is responsible for molding an individual's career as it provides an environment with the ingredients required.
There is also the aspect of individuals being in control of their personal development in management of career. This is where employers take less responsibility and employees take full control of their own growth and development in their career to achieve their objectives as well as enhance their employability.