Project Proposal

On Career Management & Development

Principles of Career Management & Development :

In the 21st century, huge and rapid changes are redefining the nature of work, jobs and careers. The old certainties are gone never to return. A job for life, a structured graduate programme, a steady climb up the career ladder are yesterdays realities. In the current economic environment, education is becoming increasingly critical to career success. We should remember, today the challenge is not merely to find a job but to manage your career for lifetime employability. A major premise of this study is that individuals can exert considerable although not total control over their careers. Effective career management and development requires not only keen insight into oneself and the world of work but also sound decision-making skills that can be developed and improved. Careers are no simple progressions of employment in one or two firms with a single profession. Employees now want to exchange performance for training, learning, and development that keep them marketable. Restructuring of organizations makes it essential that companies reconsider the concepts of career and career management in order to retain and motivate employees. Companies successful at managing employee growth that accompanies business expansion emphasize that employees are to be responsible for career management.

Statement of Career Management & Development :

Job vs. Career Job What can I do now to make money? Career Chosen Profession for your life. Requires a willingness to get the training needed to build your skills for the future.

Career :
The occupational positions a person has had over many years. Career is a sequence of attitudes and behaviors associated with the series of job and work related activities over a persons lifetime. We will define career as the pattern of work-related experiences that span the course of a persons life.

Career Management:
The process for enabling employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests more effectively. Career management is a process by which individuals can guide, direct and influence the course of their careers. Career management is the process through which employees: Become aware of their own interests, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Obtain information about job opportunities within the company. Identify career goals. Establish action plans to achieve career goals.

Career Development :
The lifelong series of activities that contribute to a persons career exploration, establishment, success and fulfillment. Career development is the process by which employees progress through a series of stages. Each stage is characterized by a different set of developmental tasks, activities, and relationships. There are four career stages: Exploration Establishment Maintenance Disengagement

Objectives of Career Management & Development :

Global competitive pressures, IT breakthroughs, heightened customer expectations and other, sometimes discontinuous, events are transforming organizations and the nature of the employment contract. Entrants to the labour market can no longer expect to have stable career in the same organization for all their working lives. Instead it is becoming much more common for individuals to experience a number of organizations and a number of ways of working. Against this background it has never been more important to manage ones own career. From an organizational perspective, helping to manage the careers of others is a key aspect of personnel and development work. In doing so, the personnel and development professional has to consider and balance: The aspirations and expectations of individual employees, who are increasingly aware both of their market ability and their vulnerability to market forces and therefore conscious of the need to acquire and maintain a portfolio of transferable capabilities. The organizations need to secure its skills base and develop peoples potential and commitment, in the face of global competition for knowledge workers and scarce managerial talent. The way people are increasingly concerned about maintaining a balance between work and quality of life.

The Standard looks at the psychological and sociological factors that influence employee thinking about careers, and the strategic, managerial and operational issues associated with career management and development within organizations. It aims to help practitioners acquire an understanding of careers and career management and develop the skills needed to manage their own career and the careers of others.

Structure of Career Management & Development : Career Development:

Overview :
Career development essentially means the process of increasing an employees potential for advancement and career change. In other words, it is a process of planning the series of possible jobs which an individual may hold in the organization over time and developing strategies designed to provide necessary job skills as the opportunity arises.

Significance and Advantages of Career Development

The significance and advantages of career development both from organizations and employees point of view can be summed up as follows: 1. It reduces employees turnover by providing increased promotional avenues. 2. It improves employee morale and motivation. 3. It enables organizations to man promotional vacancies internally, thereby, providing opportunities to reduce the cost of managerial recruitment.