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CAREERS
How to Build a PersonalCareer Plan and Plot aCourse Out of Your Dead­End Job
 We've all heard it before: "You're lucky tohave
any
job." But just because you haveone doesn't mean you have to just suck it upif it sucks, or it's not the career you want.
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OCT 21, 2011 8:00 AMBY ALAN HENRY25,271 12
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 The problem may be that you're looking at your position as "just a job" and you have noidea what kind of 
career 
you want. It doesn'thave to be this way.I know a lot of people who hate their jobs, but when asked what they'd rather do, they're already very close to doing what they'repassionate about—they just needed to stop and figure out how to get there. Here's how you cantake a good, hard look at yourself, figure out what you really want to do, and work this into apersonal career plan that will help you get where you want to go, personally and professionally.
 Photo remixed from originals by Ava Verinoand  Michael Mandiberg.
Take Stock: Evaluate Yourself 
 Write Down What You Do:
The firstthing to do if you're going to pull yourself outof a career­related funk is to take stock of  where you are professionally. Your job titleand resume only say so much about what you do, so spend a few days taking goodnotes of what you
actually
do. Start with thecore responsibilities of your position (things you would put on your resume), then write down everything else you spend time doing at work,even if it's tangential to your actual "job."
 Photo by Bill Sodeman.
 A good way to get in the habit of doing this is tokeep a work diary of your successes, failures,and activities. It's also a good opportunity to get in the habit of doing a GTD­style weekly review , where you take time each week to take stock of what you've accomplished and preparefor the next week. When you're done, sort the list into things you absolutely hate doing, things you don't mind doing and things that you love and wish you could do more of.
 Write Down What You Want To Do:
 
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Once the list is sorted, it's time to focus onthe things you'd like to do more of. Build onthose items and write down what you wish you could do every day. Don't be afraid to getfar­fetched; if you wish you could get paid toread blogs all day, jot that down. Somepeople call it "wasting time on Reddit," butthe right employer may call it research.
 Photo bysunshinecity.
Now, start thinking long­term. Ask yourself,"Will I want to keep doing these things in a year? What about two, or five?" Don't bediscouraged if you're not sure. It's impossibleto know what the future you will want, buttry to write down some general thoughts. Ask yourself these questions: What am I best at doing, both personally and professionally? What am I terrible at?Do I want to stay in this job? Or this field?If I want to change jobs, do I want to be promoted into a similar, more senior role?If I want to change jobs, would I rather manage people, or would I prefer to continue doingit all myself?If I want to change industries, which field am I interested in? What is it about that industry that excites me? Has it always interested me? What am I doing already that will serve me well in that field? What type of company would I like to work for? What about that company is mostimportant to me? Would I prefer to work for myself, or become a freelancer, knowing that working for
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