Effective Career Management - Essay Example

AR Effective Career Management 10/19 Effective Career Management Introduction Career is a broad term which can encompass all the aspects of setting up objectives and achieving them respectively. This term is usually used in the world of business where careers are very important when it comes to achieving success. Arnold described career as “the sequence of employment-related positions, roles, activities and experiences encountered by a person” (Arnold 1997). This definition can clearly tell as to what a career is and what it revolves around. It is related to work activities in which an individual strives to reach the top position. In building up a career several important aspects have to considered. In other words the career has to be effectively managed by an individual himself. He has to look for opportunities which would lead him to the top position. In business terms it is also the organization for which the individual is working for. Nowadays as the businesses have reached their top position it can analyzed that careers revolve around the work related activities. In order to manage a career it is important that several aspects are considered (Rosemary 2005; Arnold 1997). Body Effective career management is when the person handles his career well to reach the top position. The realms of career management revolve around the work that they are into. Previously the employees looked for opportunities where they could progress their career and secure their job. However in the recent years it is seen that this concept has shifted towards a new category of expectance. The transactional contract has taken up the position of the old view as the employees now look forward to a better quality of life from their employer along with progression to better positions. In other words the new concept has begin to move more towards career management. Individuals nowadays are striving to achieve top positions and not making themselves loyal to a single organization. Herriot & Pemberton (1995) give an excellent review of this current situation by terming it an economic exchange between the employer and the employee. Both the employer and employee are working for their personal benefits and the integration has now become horizontal along with the previous approach of vertical. It depends on both the employees and employers to achieve a sustainable contract so that the individual can achieve success in his career. In order to manage career effectively the employees nowadays are looking forwards to the concept of Herriot & Pemberton (1995). They are moving towards a revolutionary era of ‘careerism’. By working in a firm these employees are asking for more so that they can join other reputable institutes to extend their career. For example if a person is given an opportunity to work in a normal firm with a good pay along with the opportunity to work in a reputable firm as an internee, he would select the reputable firm if he has to effectively manage his career. The only reason for joining the reputable firm would be to associate himself with that firm so that he can work in other institutes in future to build up his career. This is the first step in effective career management. Individuals are moving towards an era of ‘boundaryless career’ as cited by Arthur. They want opportunities in every aspect of organization and hence they are looking for different ways (Arthur 1994). Effective career management can only be achieved if the potential individuals have made up prior plans regarding their objectives. If an individual lacks on objectives it is possible that he would not be able to pursue a career building process. It has been associated with management of a person’s own potentials and skills in such a way that he can achieve success. In order to effectively manage a career a person has to show his potentials to the employers so he can grab on to the ladder of success. Effective career management involves work involvement which would give the employers a positive review about the employee. Individuals who want to build up on their career are always looking for opportunities where they can strike so that they can become successful. It also involves the knowledge base of an individual such that he is always willing to learn more in his field (Greenhaus et al 2000). An effective career management almost always involves contacts. The person who is looking for careers should always try to make social contacts through which he can build up his communication skills and get into organizations. Effective career management can only be achieved if an individual is aware about the market he is entering into. Hence he should always grab enough information about the market and should act accordingly. Reputation is the foremost factor which helps an individual in building up his career. He should always be aware that people in organizations are keeping a watch on him. In other words he should work with involvement such that he is praised at his workplace. Timing is also an important aspect which should be considered when it comes to effective management of careers (DeFillipi & Arthur 1994). An individual cannot hop onto better opportunities the very moment he is offered them. He should rather think on them and allow time to pass so that he may know as to what is right for him and what is not. In managing a career it is always important to gain new skills about his work. He should try new experiences and work in different places to have such a grab. In other words he should be switching jobs to build up on his reputation and skills simultaneously. Professionalism is one important aspect of career management which would come over time in the individual. His capability of learning and advancement would help him to achieve success in this world (Baruch 2004). Conclusion Effective career management depends on the aspects of the individual who is pursuing the best career. A person should always be looking for perfect opportunities where can strive and achieve. Having a grip on skills would allow him to build up on his reputation which can provide him with career orienting opportunities. Salary should not be the sole reason for working in an organization at the first place if an individual has to build upon his career. All these aspects together help to build up a successful career (Noe 1996; Arthur 1994; Baruch 2004). References Arnold, J. (1997). Managing careers into the 21st century. London: P. Chapman. Top of Form Arthur, M. B. (January 01, 1994). The Boundaryless Career: A New Perspective for Organizational Inquiry.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 4, 295-306. Baruch, Y. (2004) Managing Careers: Theory and Practice, Harlow, FT Prentice Hall. Defillippi, R. J., & Arthur, M. B. (January 01, 1994). The Boundaryless Career: A Competency-Based Perspective.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 4, 307-324. Greenhaus, J. H., Callanan, G. A., & Godshalk, V. M. (2010). Career management. London: SAGE. Herriot, P., & Pemberton, C. (1995). New deals: The revolution in managerial careers. Chichester: J. Wiley. Noe, R. A. (1996), Is career management related to employee development and performance?. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17: 119–133. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199603)17:23.0.CO;2-O Raddon Rosemary (2005) (Ed) Your career, your life: career management for the information profession. 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