Career Development Plan: Advantages and Disadvantages

Introduction

How this external factor has influenced my career development	How I have responded to this external factor
Family socioeconomic status is one of the factors that can influence an individuals’ career development. Typically, people from higher socioeconomic backgrounds can access career offices and guidance counselors, making it easy for them to develop career aspirations. In my case, lack of adequate funds was a significant issue since it limited my access to some programs that involve career development.	Although I felt that I had little control over the situation, I consulted friends and relatives who helped me raise capital to access required programs and resources in my career development. Furthermore, asking for assistance when facing challenges that are out of a person’s control is vital since one can acquire new ideas to overcome the obstacles.
Lack of experience is another factor that impacts career development. Lack of experience in a particular field can hinder individuals from accessing some career paths. Familiarity gives one the courage to tackle daily problems with ease. Having prior work experience helps one to adapt to a new working environment without struggle (Ismail & Rishani, 2018). Additionally, innovation has been encouraged since some of the tasks need immediate production.	With the assistance I received from my friends and relatives, I attended several training programs that helped me obtain the experience to start my career.
Employment rates is another factor that has a significant effect on career development. One cannot build a career that has limited career opportunities. The jobs left with high demand have much competition, and an individual has to be creative to be different from others (Nagy et al., 2019). In this case, one has to have skills that others lack.	The several training sessions I attended gave me adequate knowledge to develop ideas that existing industries lacked. Different concepts made me formulate the hypothesis that focused on required skills in my career path.

My Response to Factors that are Out of My Control

Occupational advancement is essential since it helps individuals improve their performance in their jobs. However, some factors can impact professional development and how I respond to them. Moreover, the strategy involves identifying obstacles in the plan and the advantages and disadvantages of the activities engaged in professional growth. Ways of improving an individual’s productivity have also been analyzed since many individuals lack adequate knowledge of advancing their professions.

My response to the factors reveals that I focused on creativity to design strategies to overcome obstacles. Critical thinking has helped me design ways to build my career despite experiencing difficulties. Enthusiasm has also allowed me to face challenges without having a fear of failure. Determination has also been a factor that has enabled me to be committed and respond to all elements. My responses were useful since I managed to achieve objectives in career development. The reactions were also positive, which encourages me to use the same approach if I encounter similar experiences. I would also continue to respond to issues that are out of my immediate control in the same ways since the strategies were productive.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Activity

One of the benefits of the activity is that it can help individuals identify the obstacles that can inhibit their goals. For example, individuals can learn that lack of sufficient funds can prevent them from attending training sessions. Another advantage of the career development plan is that it helps individuals recognize their abilities and weaknesses (Hirschi, 2018). For instance, the client can learn about the capacities such as having experience in a specific field. Therefore, the advantages that have been analyzed can encourage people to focus on ways to help in the growth of their profession.

Furthermore, clients can learn ways different successful people developed their careers and how they overcame the challenges. Another advantage of the activity is that clients can identify marketable careers since they can analyze various jobs in different sectors (Gould, 2017). With this knowledge, an individual can have multiple positions to choose from and not be entitled to few options. The activity is also essential since it applies to all individuals irrespective of culture and gender.

One of the disadvantages of this exercise is that it can be time-consuming when engaging in some activities. For instance, when researching, an individual may need much time and attending different coaching sessions. Some programs could last up to a month, and some individuals opt for ways that are not time-consuming. Another disadvantage is that this exercise requires many funds to complete. Moreover, funds can hinder many individuals from joining their passionate careers.

As a practitioner, one can identify the relevant advantages and disadvantages of the activity. One of the benefits is that it can help clients with poor performance work harder and achieve their goals. In this case, people can be encouraged to use the plan and develop ways of responding to the factors. Moreover, a practitioner can motivate individuals to ensure that they use the approach to design strategies that can help them become more productive. Another advantage is that the activity can encourage people to set their goals and guarantee that they overcome all barriers. On the extreme, an expert can identify the disadvantage of reduced morale in a client with low self-assurance since some factors can be out of a person’s control. Lack of adequate skills to react to the elements can be another issue that can discourage individuals when engaging in the action. Therefore, understanding socio-cultural theories is essential since they can help individuals interpret a client’s circumstances effectively. For instance, the socio-cultural transformation has impacted behavior patterns, cultural values, and norms of different people. Thus, one can focus on the changes that can affect the client’s perspectives about the activity.

Conclusion

Although a career development plan has various disadvantages, its advantages outweigh its demerits. Consequently, people should be encouraged to research various ways of developing their careers. For instance, one can focus on different occupations and what aspects can impact an individual’s success. People can also use various successful leaders to learn ways of developing their careers. Training sessions can also be used to educate individuals about ways of improving their performance in their occupations.

References

Gould, J. (2017). Career development: A plan for action. Nature, 548(7668), 489-490. Web.

Hirschi, A. (2018). The fourth industrial revolution: Issues and implications for career research and practice. The Career Development Quarterly, 66(3), 192-204. Web.

Ismail, H. N., & Rishani, M. (2018). The relationships among performance appraisal satisfaction, career development and creative behavior. The Journal of Developing Areas, 52(3). Web.

Nagy, N., Froidevaux, A., & Hirschi, A. (2019). Lifespan perspectives on careers and career development. Work across the lifespan (pp. 235-259). Cambridge, United States: Elsevier Academic Press.