4 Elements of Career Management You Forgot

kentoh; BigStock

Searching for a job can be an exhausting task. Trying to prepare a resume, keep your network fresh, and stay current with your interview skills can be overwhelming. And to make matters worse, career management is about more than just finding a job; it’s about keeping track of your career as a whole and monitoring its direction and focus.

While there are a lot of things job seekers are getting right, there are certain elements of career management many job seekers overlook.

Here’s what you might be forgetting:

1. To build self-awareness

It’s important to build self-awareness so you don’t waste time applying to the wrong jobs. What does this mean? Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and where you might be a good fit.

A good way to build self-awareness is through personality tests. The Myers-Briggs test, for example, can tell you what your personality type is and what strengths and weaknesses emerge from that. This knowledge can come in handy for interviews when you are asked to tell more about yourself, or what an example of your strengths and weaknesses are.

2. To gain environmental awareness

Environmental awareness is exactly what it sounds like — being aware of your surroundings. How important is the culture of an office to you? What kind of workplace do you want to be in? It’s important to achieve a good fit between self and environment. Wherever you end up working, be sure it’s a place you fit in and feel comfortable.

In addition, think about the literal translation of this — the Earth itself. Do you want to work for a green company? How important are a company’s environmental policies to you? These are all things to keep in mind when managing your career.

3. To plan ahead for your career

Where do you want to be in five years? What’s the ideal career path you’d like to take?

Keep your career path in mind when looking for a job. If there is a dream company you’d love to work for, think about how you could position yourself for a job there. Although it might mean taking an internship when you would prefer full-time, or working a job that isn’t perfect in order to gain experience, keep your career path in mind and plan ahead to end up where you want to be.

4. Work-life balance

It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of trying to find a job, but remember to take time for you, too. Maintaining work-life balance will help to reduce stress and keep you feeling happy while searching for a job.

Even after you land a job, remember to keep work-life balance in mind to avoid burnout. Cultivating hobbies, staying active through a gym or fitness classes, and making time for friends and family are all crucial for maintaining work-life balance.

While it’s easy to focus solely on finding a job, job searching is just one element of career management. There are many others, including building self-awareness, gaining environmental awareness, achieving a good fit between self and environment, and planning ahead for your career. When all of these things come together, you become a job-seeking, career-focused powerhouse.

What are other elements of career management job seekers overlook?