To get a good job after graduating, students should write a career action plan. This is a dynamic document containing career goals, education plans, ways to gain experience, and job search strategies. It may also be called a career development plan or career roadmap.
The plan defines your goals and the activities required to achieve them. Let’s see how students can develop an effective strategy to be successful, including examples and a template.
What is a Career Action Plan?
Your career action plan will normally contain several elements, each representing a step towards job success. The document provides structure around your career development ideas and activities.
To be effective, any career action plan should include objectives, practical steps to gain skills and experience, and regular updates to reflect changing goals. Whether you aim for a job straight after graduating or further study, a well-prepared plan helps you stay on track.
Example
Here is an example career action plan to give you an idea of what to include. We’ll use the example of a Psychology student in her 2nd year of study. Amy has decided to focus on HR job opportunities rather than becoming a psychologist.
Career goal
- Get a job in human resources management (high salaries, get a job anywhere).
- Look to do a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management after graduating.
Education plan
- Finish Bachelor of Psychological Science with strong grades.
- Add two subjects in Year 3 from business faculty (HR and/or management).
- Improve statistical skills by taking “Quantitative Methods in Psychology”.
- Take the “Cultural Leadership” elective.
Skill development
- Coach a junior basketball team.
- Attend “HR Essentials” workshops from the Australian HR Institute.
- Take Public Speaking course through ANU’s communication centre.
Experience building
- Apply for temp jobs in HR admin at local companies like Hays Recruitment.
- Join the ANU Business and Economics Society for learning and networking opportunities.
- Apply for summer internships in HR at companies like Deloitte or PwC.
Plans can be in note form and informal when just for personal use. Include more detail and explanation if you want to share your plan with a coach, mentor, or academic advisor.
Career Action Plan Template (Free)
To help you write a career development plan for yourself, here is a free Template in Word. Fill out the different sections to create your initial plan.
A career development plan for students is meant to be informal and flexible for easy updating. You can change the headings and focus depending on your individual requirements and preferences.
Sample Plans for Students
Here are sample career action plans for three students. We’re just showing highlights here to give you ideas for what to include in your plan. You can see how career planning by students can really set them up for career success.
Sam: high school student with strengths in English, Sociology
- Sam enjoys reading, writing, and social sciences, with strong performance in English and Sociology.
- He is planning to do a degree in communication or business, with electives in Arts and Business.
- Sam is exploring university courses that combine his interests, such as sociology and media studies, to broaden his career options.
- He will research occupations and explore job ads to help narrow down prospective careers.
Ian: 1st-year Bachelor of Information Technology
- Ian is in his first year of an IT degree and is exploring different pathways in tech.
- He is considering majors like AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics, all of which align with future job trends.
- Ian plans to choose electives in Year 2 that focus on programming and networks to strengthen his core IT knowledge.
- He’s also attending tech industry talks on campus to learn about Agile Skills.
Kelly: Postgraduate digital marketing student
- Kelly completed a B.A. in Communications and is now working towards a Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing.
- She is actively improving her CV by freelancing for small businesses to build her portfolio.
- Kelly is enrolling in online courses, such as SEO and Google Analytics, to build technical skills.
- She is networking through marketing forums and LinkedIn, aiming to connect with agencies for future job opportunities.
How to Set Career Goals as a Student
Career development plans for students go through different phases, depending on whether you’re embarking on study, in the middle of a program, or preparing for the job market. You need to plan at every stage.
If you’re unsure of your future occupation, planning needs to be done differently. Spend more time on assessing your strengths and weaknesses, what kinds of work you could do sustainably, and the broad fields of study that lead to jobs. Take time to reflect on what excites you as a career.
Research the world of work
Good Universities suggests researching industries that interest you. Focus on understanding job requirements and trends in fields like healthcare, IT, or marketing. This research helps identify necessary skills and qualifications, guiding your course and elective choices. Stay informed about which industries are growing or oversupplied to help focus your efforts on high-demand areas.
Keep education pathways open
Mallory Careers advises targeting broad fields like business or technology if you’re undecided. This allows you to gain transferable skills while keeping your options open. Broad areas also offer flexibility and opportunities to specialise later on, once you have more clarity on your career direction.
You can start many university degrees in Australia with multiple potential majors still available. For example, you can combine business studies with arts, technology, or science, and have the flexibility to major in any of these faculties depending on your subject choices later on.
Postgraduate Study Plans
Something students always need to bear in mind is the opportunity to change careers via postgraduate study. An example I gave here was of Amy, who is effectively switching from Psychology to HR halfway through her BPsychSc degree. Her bachelor’s degree won’t go to waste as she can leverage the skills and complement it with a job-relevant Graduate Certificate course.
There are many good masters degrees for career change. Options include Cyber Security, Marketing, Teaching, Business Analytics, Data Science, Public Policy, and Health Management.
Postgraduate courses offer pathways to high-demand industries, often with flexible entry requirements. Many master’s programs provide an introductory route through a Graduate Certificate. You can fairly easily and quickly transition into a new field and keep your dream of a successful career on track.