LookIng beyond Iunch tIme: The art of carrer pIannIng

By: Ben Williams

Source: CNN
In today's economic climate, people tend to Iocus on the urgent and important elements oI their working liIe, such as daily tasks
and the progress oI projects, useIul relationships, coping with oIIice politics, and meeting deadlines and targets. The important --
but never urgent -- process oI managing one's career gets rarely gets attention, until the ax Ialls.
Losing one's job is a threat to the bank balance and a strain Ior the Iamily. The key to reducing the threat is planning, yet
surprisingly Iew people consider doing this.
Planning
Having plans in place means you are less likely to Ieel threatened by a job loss. By planning in advance, a realistic overview oI
possible career paths can be evaluated calmly without pressure. The checklist below helps to convert potential disaster into
probable success.
- Regularly review job advertisements and update your resume.
- Research likely organizations Ior Iuture employment in your area.
- Research the marketplace by reviewing the recruitment pages oI proIessional journals and the press.
- Register with recruitment consultancies with a reputation Ior proIessionalism in your industry.
- Every time you complete a successIul project, add the details to your resume.
- DeIine what you would regard as equitable terms Ior your termination oI employment, and be ready to negotiate eIIectively.
Improve your negotiating skills in readiness Ior this.
- Examine and deIine your personal and career goals, ensuring that these are in line with your value system.
- Establish which career directions or changes might realistically satisIy you in terms oI contentment and success.
- Make yourselI aware oI how your current skills, talents and ambitions are transIerable and match the requirements oI the
employment marketplace.
II you're prepared, you will be less likely to sign redundancy agreements while in a state oI shock. You should always examine
such documents careIully and negotiate terms to take Iull advantage oI Iinancial entitlements and all possible support services
your employer may oIIer.
This preparation time should involve doing as well as thinking. Raise your proIile in at least one proIessional organization or
association in your Iield oI work. Begin networking with colleagues in other organizations or areas oI work where you might be
interested in progressing. Making contact with others enables you to update your proIessional skills. It is important to maintain an
active routine, to keep physically Iit and mentally active.
Goal setting and achievement
One question which helps to establish liIe and career goals is: "What would you have, or do, or be, or achieve, iI you knew you
could not Iail?" Once an answer has been established, each oI these goals should be broken down into sets oI objectives which, in
turn, are broken down into daily tasks. Daily tasks Iall into two categories: Progress and maintenance tasks.
Progress tasks are those which initiate a new activity, make an introduction, or establish a new approach. Examples are joining a
gym or enrolling Ior a course oI study.
Maintenance tasks are the regular tasks which make things happen. Maintenance tasks are important because they are the
persistent activities that drive progress in every aspect oI liIe. Going to the gym three evenings a week, or studying each evening
in readiness Ior seminars or exams are maintenance tasks.
%aking action
So what should the progress and maintenance tasks be? My research, during more than 25 years as an occupational psychologist,
indicates the Iollowing six instructions will assist in success:
- Understand Iully the value oI your skills and experience and what you oIIer to the market.
- Prepare a statement which accurately describes your skills, competency and experience so that you can present yourselI well
both on paper and at interview.
- Establish what you want Irom your new job, or your new career, and disclose this positively to interviewers and to people you
meet at your prospective new workplace. Tell them why it is exactly the role you are looking Ior.
- Be ready to explain that you will make a positive eIIort to Iit into a team in your role, and take a collaborative approach with
colleagues.
- Indicate that you intend to make a signiIicant contribution to the organization, that you wish to build your career with them (and
iI this is not the case, consider why you are making the eIIort to join).
- Be ready to enhance and develop your skills and experience with training, mentoring and coaching.
Conclusion
Success is a transient state, rather like happiness. Philosopher Bertrand Russell said: "Success is getting what you want and
happiness is wanting what you get." It is my view that both success and happiness can be achieved, but only when you are
prepared to choose very careIully and then take positive and persistent action can you meet objectives and achieve goals.


Vocabulary
1. look Ior-(pv) - try to Iind, search Ior, hunt
2. enhance-(v) - To improve, increase, or intensiIy.
3. equitable-(adj) - Fair and just.
4. involve-(v) - To make someone or something a part oI something else.
5. likely-(adj) - Probable.
6. maintain-(v) - To keep in good condition.*
7. maintenance-(n) - To take care oI something and keep it in good shape.
8. proIile-(n) - A brieI description oI something.
9. successIul-(adj) - Accomplished at what one set out to do.*
10. termination-(n) - The end oI something.
11. transIerable-(adj) - Capable oI being given or moved Irom one person or place to another.
12. transient-(adj) - Existing or staying Ior a short time.*
13. intend-(v) - Plan to.
14. enable-(v) - Make it possible to do something.*
15. break down-(pv) - To divide into categories.
16. accurately-(adv) - Do something exactly.
17. achieve-(v) - Succeed in reaching a goal.
18. aware-(adj) - Knowing.
19. convert-(v) - Change.
20. regard-(v) - Think about, consider, or view something.
21. ensure-(v) - Make certain or guarantee.
22. break-(v) - To split something into pieces.
23. disclose-(v) - Tell or show something that was secret.
24. review-(v) - Look at again.
25. threat-(n) - Message or signal oI plan to hurt or punish.
26. threaten-(v) - Warning oI plan to hurt or punish.
27. means-(n) - A method or way oI doing something.
28. reputation-(n) - What most other people think oI someone or something.
29. course-(n) - Line oI motion or direction.
30. establish-(v) - To determine iI something is true or not.
31. mentor-(v) - To serve as a trusted counselor, teacher and guide.
32. approach-(n) - Way oI dealing with a person or problem.
33. enroll-(v) - To join or add a name to a membership list.
34. statement-(n) - Something that is said.
35. industry-(n) - Businesses oI the same type; businesses concerned wit goods.

Pronunciation
%he sound of % as in %ree, you%
Pronounce these words in pairs:
This-bliss, that-bat, through-brew, think-brink

This month was the birth the theater.

ocus on Grammar
A Identify

Notice the diIIerence between the sentences "Carol washed the car" and The car was washed by Carol. "
The Iirst sentence is about Carol; Carol is the subject and the verb is "washed", the simple past tense.
The second sentence is about the car, the car is the subject and the verb phrase is "was washed", the passive
voice in the past tense.
What is the subject oI the sentence(s) below?

1. By planning in advance, a realistic overview oI possible career paths can be evaluated calmly without
pressure.
2. Once an answer has been established, each oI these goals should be broken down into sets oI objectives
which, in turn, are broken down into daily tasks.
3. It is my view that both success and happiness can be achieved, but only when you are prepared to choose
very careIully and then take positive and persistent action can you meet objectives and achieve goals.



B Practice - Sentence Writing

Write original sentences using the grammar in this exercise.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



6 Word Roots and Stems
A Identify

The suIIix ly changes an adjective into an adverb, like slowly.

Find the word that ends with -ly in each sentence.

1. The key to reducing the threat is planning , yet surprisingly Iew people consider doing this.
2. - Establish what you want Irom your new job, or your new career, and disclose this positively to
interviewers and to people you meet at your prospective new workplace.
3. - DeIine what you would regard as equitable terms Ior your termination oI employment, and be ready to
negotiate eIIectively.
4. - Establish which career directions or changes might realistically satisIy you in terms oI contentment and
success.
5. - Prepare a statement which accurately describes your skills, competency and experience so that you can
present yourselI well both on paper and at interview.
6. You should always examine such documents careIully and negotiate terms to take Iull advantage oI
Iinancial entitlements and all possible support services your employer may oIIer.





B Practice
ill in the blanks below, just as in the models.
absolutely ************************************************
angrily (angry - y i) ly e spoke angrily to his enemies.
correctly correct ly Answer correctly and you could win a million dollars'
easily ************************************************
silently ************************************************
soItly ************************************************
Vocabulary Practice
1. He read the paper this morning but it tonight.
2. He reIused to where he got the money.
3. The government to put him i jail iI he didn't pay his taxes.
4. The dog growled as a to the stranger.
5. Americans baseball as their national sport.
6. The old school was into an oIIice building.
7. He his leg skiing.
8. She brought extra money to she could pay her own way.
9. The built the bridge by the quickest possible.
10. He in the new teacher's class.
11. Jim's is to study the problem beIore starting to work.
12. The tobacco markets a very proIitable product.
13. He made a to the police.
14. The ship is on a to Spain.
15. She has a as a hard worker.
16. She the younger employees in her oIIice.
17. The police that he was at home at the time oI the crime.
18. Are you that you there is toilet paper stuck to your shoe?
19. Older sports cars are diIIicult but Iun to drive.
20. The clouds are very dark, it is that it will rain.
21. The newspaper wrote a personality oI the politician.
22. The old car takes a lot oI
23. Spices the taste oI Iood.
24. She has been her credit card all morning but she can't Iind it.
25. Please don't me in your argument.
26. Everyone agreed that the price was .
27. Robert Louis Stevenson's most story was The Strange Case oI Dr
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
28. The class was into groups oI 4 children.
29. Subways people to move around the city quickly and easily.
30. She everything she set out to do.
31. Her designs are very drawn.
32. The invitation is , so you are welcome to bring Iriends to the party
who did not get one.
33. He to sleep late tomorrow.
34. Her vacation was because she needed to be back working on
Monday.

Writing

Write about career planning, giving your opinion about the matter. Relate it to our economic reality and the
current events. II convenient, use your personal experience to explain your point oI view. Using the
vocabulary learned, is required that your text have at least 100 words.