There was a time when employees did not need to manage their careers – it was the responsibility of their managers to plan the careers of their direct reports. However times have changed and in today’s world it is up to us to manage our self and our career.

The question which would arise in your mind is what does that mean and how can you do so ?

We need to define and then to carve out our place in the organization and know when it is necessary to change our direction or career path. It’s up to us to keep ourselves engaged, motivated and productive during a career that may last between 35-40 years.

According to Peter Drucker, “It means we have to learn to develop ourselves. We have to place ourselves where we can make the greatest contribution to our organizations and communities.”

Broadly speaking all of us hope to achieve results by choosing a career of our interest and doing what we are good at. But, very few people actually know what their fundamental strengths are and how they can take advantage of them. So don’t try to change yourself but concentrate on improving the skills you have and accept jobs/assignments that fit into your way of working. If you do that, you can transform yourself into an outstanding performer and also maintain a high level of job satisfaction.

Remember, the keys to success are :
First, that you cultivate a deep understanding of yourself by identifying your most valuable strengths and most dangerous weaknesses
Second, that you gain awareness of how you can learn and work with others
Third, that you find the type of work environment where you can enjoy your work as it is there that you will make the greatest contribution.

Only when you have identified the above and work on your career with a combination of your strengths and self-knowledge can you achieve true and lasting excellence. So take responsibility for managing your future, both in and out of the office. 