Career Development Program Has your organization seriously considered implementing a career development program? If not, perhaps this is a good time to do so. The following description of several, widely used career development interventions and case studies can be used to stimulate discussion on various career development practices. Elements of Career Planning Programs Though programs differ, four distinct elements of career planning programs emerge. They include (1) individual assessments of abilities, interests, career needs, and goals; (2) organizational assessments of employee abilities and potential; (3) communication of information concerning career options and opportunities with the organization; and (4) career counseling to set realistic goals and plan for their attainment. Career Management Best Practices Here are some of best practices in the field of career plan and development. First, providing employee assessment and career planning workshops. Companies such as Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems hold on-site workshops where employees learn to take charge of their careers, beginning with assessing their abilities, interests, and values. Samples of Great Resume In today's job market, an effective, eye-catching resume is essential for success. These samples of great resumes can help you make a strong first impression and take a confident step toward landing the business management job of your dreams. When you download, you will find sample of resumes for various positions. Career Anchor and Career Stage Schein's career anchors represent aspects of work that are especially valued or needed by people for their personal fulfillment. Career planning and development activities allow employees to grow in any of these desired anchors. Key Steps in Career Development Initiatives To "hit the bull's-eye," you need to talk with employees to find out what's missing. Is it lack of perceived opportunity, not enough training, too little communication, diversity issues? Exit interview analysis, employee surveys, and focus groups can help you become clearer about employees' views on these issues. Building A Competitive Talent Organization To build a competitive talent organization, the talent leader needs to be closely aligned with other senior managers in organization. Here are five ways that senior managers can contribute to your organization's talent goals. First, plan vigorously. Senior managers should partner with the talent leader and hiring managers in their division to create a written plan for how they will meet your current and long-term talent needs. Self Assessment of Career Interest Do you need to develop some new skills or abilities to improve your potential for your next step ? If so, what skills or abilities would you develop ? Summarize what you personally want and what you can do and will do to satisfy your wants. These are some examples of self assessment questions to explore your career interest. Fast-tracking Career : Pros and Cons Fast-tracking high potential management and technical talent is a strategy many organizations are using to ensure that the good people they are able to attract are properly developed, effectively utilized and retained. The scenario goes like this: Sammy Starr is top dog of his MBA class at Famous University. Before "B" school, Sammy was a Phi Beta Kappa and swim team captain. From 650 Fortune 500 job offers, Sammy finally accepts an offer from Big City Bank. The Rules for Corporate Career Resilience Rule #1: The company is not in charge of your career—you are. Your people can no longer wait for you to come to them with a new assignment or opportunity; they must seek out such opportunities themselves. Your relationship with them is no longer one of parent-to-child, but adult-to-adult. They share the responsibility for initiating career discussions.