5 Step Guide To Career Plan - Lydiacochrane

5 Step Guide To Building A Career Plan
Written by Diana Roberts, Creative Careers Centre Manager and Entrepreneurship Tutor
STEP 1 – Complete Skills Audit

Complete the following audit and be as honest with yourself as possible. Some of the skills listed below may not be
relevant to you, but interpret them to your own advantage to gain the most out of this exercise.
NB The skills fall under five categories that have been devised by the RCM’s Creative Careers Centre. You can
find further resources on the Creative Careers Centre Learn pages that will support your understanding, knowledge,
and development in each of these categories.
Level of competency 1 = low, 5 = high

5 Step Guide To Building A Career Plan Factsheet
Identify My Identity
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Arranging X
Artistic programming X
Composing X
Identifying your USPs (unique X

selling points / propositions)
Languages X
Listening X
Performing X
Presentation X
Professional attitude / manner X
Resilience X
Self-awareness X
Self-help (health and wellbeing) X
Teaching / education X
Tenacity X
Workshop-leading X
Other skills relevant to you -

please list below
Flexibility within instruments X

(e.g tripling)
Creative Careers Centre

creativecareers@rcm.ac.uk | + 44 (0)20 7591 4368 | www.rcm.ac.uk | Royal College of Music, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BS

Progressing My Portfolio
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Adaptability X
Building and sustaining X

meaningful professional
partnerships
Completing job application X

forms
Decision-making X
Diary management X
Flexibility X
Interview techniques X
Networking X
Organisation X
Time management X

Building My Business
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Accountancy / tax (basic X

logging of Income and
Expenditure)
Computer literacy X
Contract writing X
Creativity (imagination) X
Event creation, development, X

and management
Financial planning X
General administration X
Health and safety / risk X

assessments
Leadership X
Negotiating X
Problem-solving X
Strategic planning X
Teamwork X
Writing / managing invoices X

Finding My Funding
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Budget creation X
Critical thinking / evaluation X
Research X
Written communication X

Promoting My Profession
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Attention to detail X
Copyright laws X
Digital / recording of teaching / X

performance
Identifying, segmenting, and X

targeting audiences
Marketing strategies X
Media / PR campaigns X
Social media X
Spoken communication X
Website construction / X
maintenance
Website design X

STEP 2 – Analyse your skills
1. From the list above, which strengths are most important to your career?
I think that flexibility and creativity will be the most important to my career, as I plan to go into pit and
session work, which requires a lot of improvisation, both within playing and working as part of the team
that these jobs rely on. Teamwork therefore is also a very important strength to have in these fields, and
remaining flexible and inventive will help massively to integrate someone as an important part of that team.
2. From the list above, which strengths are you most passionate about?
I am very passionate about creative projects, such as fusion with the other arts, so from the list above, I
think that performance, workshop leading, presentation, and creativity are the strengths that I am most
involved with.
3. Which of these strengths distinguish you from your competitors?
I think that having interest in more innovative projects helps to distinguish me from my competitors – I am
willing to try strange sounding projects and events, and like to think that I am productive enough of new
ideas that I might be distinguished from my competitors.

STEP 3 – Career Goal Setting
Long-term Goal(s)
If you could design your ideal career five years ahead of time, what core activities would it include? Please
list below.
Pit work
Band work
Session work / Recording studio work
Supporting artiste musician
Teaching / Large group workshop leading
Short-term Goal(s)
With your future career vision in mind, and from your weaknesses identified in the skills audit, which
aspect(s) urgently require(s) attention and improvement? List in order of priority below.
Improve my knowledge of the business side of music – workshops don’t happen if nobody knows about them
Languages – I’d like to teach or be able to travel around doing session and recording work, so need to learn to
speak other languages.
Composition – I think this is just key in being a well-rounded musician – being able to sing a bit, play the piano a bit,
and to be able to write something, especially as an improviser.

STEP 4
Mid-term Goal(s)
Using the SMART goals* framework, write at least one goal that you aim to achieve in the next three to six
months.
Specific (What do you want to achieve? What do you need in order to achieve the goal? Why is this particular goal
important? Who is involved?)
Measurable / Motivational (How will you know when the goal has been achieved?)
Attainable / Ambitious (How can the goal be achieved? How realistic is it based on your circumstances?)
Relevant / Realistic (Am I the right person to achieve this goal? Is it the right time to achieve the goal?)
Time-bound (What can be achieved today? What can be achieved in the next month? What can be achieved in the
next six months?)
Example
Desired goal without the SMART goals framework:
- I want to build a website.
Desired goal with the SMART goals framework:
- I want to build a website to take my career to the next level. For the next month, I will dedicate two hours each day
to building the site. In one month’s time, when completed, I will ask for feedback from my trusted supporters.
(You can also apply this process to your long and short-term goals).
I would like to arrange a piece for a small group, and play it in a concert in order to exercise my abilities to
arrange and compose. For the next few weeks, I will spend some time each week arranging and re-
composing, and when it is done, I will take it to my group and have them rehearse and feedback to me on
it’s effectiveness as an arrangement. We will play it in a concert within the next two months, after edits and
rehearsals.

*The first-known use of the term occurs in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran
STEP 5
Visit our Learn pages to access a broad range of resources.
Arrange a one-to-one meeting with the Creative Careers Centre Manager to discuss your future career:
Diana Roberts | droberts@rcm.ac.uk


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5 Step Guide To Building A Career Plan

STEP 1 – Complete Skills Audit

Level of competency 1 = low, 5 = high

Identifying your USPs (unique X

Professional attitude / manner X

Self-help (health and wellbeing) X

Other skills relevant to you -

Flexibility within instruments X

Creative Careers Centre

Creative Careers Centre

Building and sustaining X

Completing job application X

Creative Careers Centre

Accountancy / tax (basic X

Event creation, development, X

Health and safety / risk X

Writing / managing invoices X

Creative Careers Centre

Critical thinking / evaluation X

Creative Careers Centre

Digital / recording of teaching / X

Identifying, segmenting, and X

Creative Careers Centre

STEP 2 – Analyse your skills

3. Which of these strengths distinguish you from your competitors?

Creative Careers Centre

STEP 3 – Career Goal Setting

Session work / Recording studio work

Supporting artiste musician

Teaching / Large group workshop leading

Creative Careers Centre

- I want to build a website.

Desired goal with the SMART goals framework:

Creative Careers Centre

Visit our Learn pages to access a broad range of resources.

Diana Roberts | droberts@rcm.ac.uk

Creative Careers Centre

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