To begin the planning process, PREPARE by establishing career goals based on your work interests and work environment preferences.

• Set aside a few hours a week for this task to ensure you have the time needed to successfully complete this phase.
  
• Identify a family member or friend who you trust and can talk with about career decisions.
  
• Establish small goals and milestones for your planning process to help build momentum.
  

• Complete the My Career Fit Tool to identify your interests and preferences.
  
• Establish long-term career goals (e.g. “Within the next six years, I plan to earn my MBA and obtain a GS-15 position.)
  

• In this phase, you will discover the types of jobs that match your interests and strengths.
  
• With your long-term career goals established, you are ready to explore specific career options that are in line with those goals.
  

You have prepared by identifying jobs at VA that suit your interests. Now EXPLORE those positions and discover opportunities and resources that can propel your career at VA forward.

• Determine the time you will dedicate each week to completing this phase. Make a schedule and stick to it.
  
• Set learning goals by comparing the skills and areas of expertise required for your current job to those required for your target job. Learning goals are the actions you will take to learn a new skill or gain the additional knowledge necessary to secure your target job. For example, if you determine you need to improve your technical writing ability to achieve a new position, you might set the learning goal of completing a TMS course on technical writing.
  
• Prioritize your learning goals. Determine which goals are most important to you, and plan to devote the majority of your time and effort to those.
  

• In this phase, you will develop a more comprehensive understanding of career opportunities in VA.
  
• At the end of this phase you will have created a personalized career path: a list of steps that you can follow to move from the job you have to the one you want.
  

Now that you’ve explored jobs at VA and have a target job in mind, create a personalized career development PLAN for how you’ll reach that career goal.

• Schedule your week so you can dedicate a few hours to crafting your plan.
  
• Share your career goals with your supervisor and ask for his/her support.
  
• Revisit your career goals. Identify themes (groups of goals that are related) and break complex goals down into simple, attainable objectives.
  

Completing your plan will give you:

• Improved awareness of your capabilities and enhanced marketable skills.
• Support for career transitions, broader developmental opportunities and the ability to adapt to change.
• Higher probability of career satisfaction and success.

Put your plan into action and DEVELOP the knowledge, skills and experience you will need to achieve your career goals.

• Share the plan you have made with your supervisor/manager and determine how they can help you move forward.
  
• Share your plan with family and friends. Discussing your goals with others can help motivate you to complete your plan.
  
• Commit yourself to putting in the work required to learn new skills. Developing new abilities is critical to moving forward on your career path.
  

As you develop your career, you will likely:

• Experience a higher degree of career satisfaction.
  
• Gain skills and expertise that will prepare you for a successful future at VA.