Without proper Career Planning, it is very difficult to succeed in professional life... First of all let us know what is Career Planning?  Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in the job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. The Career Planning Site offers coverage of all these areas. This article will focus on career choice and the process one goes through in selecting an occupation.
Thi s may happen once in our lifetime, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals.
Career Planning: A Four Step Process The career planning process is comprised of four steps. One might seek the services of a career development professional to help facilitate his or her journey through this process. Whether or not you choose to work with a professional, or work through the process on your own is less important than the amount of thought and energy you put into choosing a career.
1. Self Assessment
Self assessment is the process of gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. It is the first step of the Career Planning Process. A self assessment is often conducted with the help of a Career Development Professional. Gather information about yourself (Self Assessments)
• Interests
• Values
• Roles
• Skills/Aptitudes
• Preferred Environments
• Developmental Needs
• Your realities
2. Options
• Explore the occupations in which you are interested
• Research the industries in which you would like to work
• Research the Labor Market Get more specific information after you narrow down your options by:
• Job Shadowing
• Part time work, internships, or volunteer opportunities
• Written Materials
• Informational Interviews
3. Match
During this phase of the process, you need to know:
• Identify possible occupations
• Evaluate these occupations
• Explore alternatives
• Choose both a short term and a long term option
4. Action Plan
You need to develop the steps to take in order to reach your goal, for example:
• Investigating sources of additional training and education, if needed
• Developing a job search strategy
• Writing your resume
• Gathering company information
• Composing cover letters
• Preparing for job interviews
Make a List of Occupations to Explore
Look over the lists of occupations generated through your use of the self-assessment tools. They are probably rather lengthy. You want to come up with a much shorter list, consisting of between five and ten occupations.
Circle occupations that appear on multiple lists. Circle occupations you may have considered previously and that you find appealing.
Write these occupations down on a separate list titled "Occupations to Explore."
What is an Informational Interview Anyway?
The purpose of an informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge.
When you are on an informational interview you should not ask for a job. This is not to say that an  informational interview cannot lead to a job. In addition to helping you learn about a particular career, the informational interview is a way to start building a network.
The person, who is the subject of your informational interview today, may be the first person in your network many tomorrows from now. Here's another way an  informational interview can benefit you. For those of us who are a little skittish about going on a job interview, the informational interview provides a non-threatening forum in which to get some practice. Think of it as a dress rehearsal.
Who Should You Interview?
Here's how I see it. You need information. Someone has that information. Anyone is fair game as long as that person is knowledgeable about the field in which you are interested.
Ask friends, relatives, fellow students, your teachers, and neighbors if they know someone who works in your targeted field. People love to talk about themselves and what they do. Call someone you read about who has your "dream job." Call your alumni association.
When I first thought about becoming a librarian, I contacted an employment agency that specialized in that area. I was able to get an interview with one of the agency's founders, she is a librarian. She was able to tell me about the job itself, and because of her unique position as a placement counselor, she was able to tell me about the outlook for the field.

Questions to Ask At an Informational Interview As previously mentioned, you should research your career of interest in order to ask intelligent questions. Was there something mentioned in the occupational information you didn't fully understand? The informational interview is a good forum to get that clarified.
Here is a small sampling of questions you should ask:
• Describe a typical day at work.
• How many hours do you normally work in a week?
• What do you see as the potential for growth in this field?
• What can I do now to help me find employment in this field?
Continue Narrowing down your list:
Pare down your list of possible occupations based on what you learned from your research. For example, you may not be willing to put the time and energy into preparing for an occupation for which an advanced degree is required, or you may consider the earnings for a particular occupation inadequate.
One of the most important things you will do during the career planning process is set goals. A goal is something you want to achieve; the end to the means, so to speak. In order to achieve a goal, you will need to exert some energy — generally a lot of it. You should set both long-term and short-term goals:
• Long-term goals: these are goals that you should be able to achieve in about three to five years.
• Short term goals: these are goals that you should be able to reach in one to three years.
In order for your goals to be achievable, they must meet certain criteria.
Your goals must be:
• Conceivable: you must be able to put your goal into words;
• Achievable: you must have the attributes, energy, and time to accomplish your goal;
• Believable: you must believe you can reach your goal;
• Achievable Within a Certain Time Frame:
you must be able to state how long it will take you to reach your goal;
• Clearly Defined: you must know exactly what your goal is;
• Flexible: you must be willing to modify your goal as necessary;
Once you have defined both your long-term and short-term goals, you can go on to develop a career action plan. The career action plan will list all your goals and the steps you must take to reach them. If your goals meet the criteria listed above, you are more likely to be successful in achieving them.
Train for your New Career:
Today's work place is very competitive. You will need to have a variety of skills that will give you the competitive edge you need to succeed.
To be competitive in today's work place you must be able to:
• Listen Well: Good listening skills make you more productive, help you get along better with others, and allow you to work better in a team-based environment.
• Know How to Use a Computer: No matter what your job is, it's likely you will need to use a computer. It's important to make sure your computer skills are up-to-date.
• Write Effectively: Whether your job requires you to write short memos or lengthy reports, you must be able to communicate well in writing.
• Deal With Crises at Work: Being able to solve problems quickly and seamlessly can set you apart from others.
• Manage Your Time: Learning how to manage your time effectively will allow you to complete projects in a timely fashion.
(The author is Training and Placements Officer in Sree Dattha Engineering and Science, Sheriguda,  Ibrahimpatnam)