After graduation, students look for various fields that are present, in which they can build a successful career. Parents, friends and relatives suggest career options which they find interesting and fulfilling. However, it is important for students to choose the best option among them so that they do not regret their decision later in life. To have a successful career, it is necessary that you plan for it, so that you know where you are currently standing and what you want to achieve after a particular time span. Planning will help you in presenting a clear idea about your goals and how you need to go about achieving them. Here are a few tips for people who have recently completed their formal education and are ready to step into the corporate world. Useful Tips for Career Planning Schedule Your Planning Planning your career is a serious issue and requires a lot of thinking. Hence, must not be done casually. Fix a time when you will be able to concentrate only on it and nothing else. Make sure there is no disruption around when you sit for planning. Treat your career planning schedule as you would treat a physician's appointment. It is not a one-time task and must be taken up from time to time, in order to review and revise the plan, if need be. Take Up a Few Tests Self assessment helps a person in identifying his strengths and weaknesses. Take up a few self assessment tests to find out the areas you are good in and the ones you need to work on. You can select a career option requiring skills you are good at. Doing so, you will be in a better position to perform the job and this will work in a positive way for your career growth. Look Out for Interesting Options A person can give his 100% to a job only if he is interested in it. A job you don't find interesting at all, will not motivate you to give in your best. This will hamper your career growth and you will tend to move slowly up the ladder of success. That is why, don't concentrate on one particular field. Widen your horizon and look for other available options. You can always find an interesting field you would love to make your career in. Think of the Job Requisites Before choosing a career, it is important to ask a few questions to yourself like, the kind of work culture you would like to work in, the kind of organization that will help you in achieving your goals, the kind of work schedule you would be comfortable with and whether you can commit to traveling or not. Answering these questions will give you a clear picture of what you can do and what you may not. Research Thoroughly Try to find out all the information about the career options you have selected for yourself. Proper research gives you the actual picture which will help you in choosing the best option for yourself. Utilize the Facilities of Career Center Colleges have career centers that provide guidance to students, for choosing the right career path and help them plan accordingly. Make use of resume development workshops, interview workshops and career development seminars arranged for the students. You can also get in touch with the college alumni to gain information about their fields and scope of career development in it. Opt for Internships and Voluntary Work Doing an internship in the industry will help you in gaining knowledge about how things actually work on the job floor. As you are on the job, you can experience it and decide if it is your cup of tea or not. Voluntary jobs help you build your network and display your capabilities to people. It will add on to your resume and may work in a positive way for your placement. Ask Someone to be Your Mentor A person having an established career in the field of your choice can help you in a great way. Find someone who can be your mentor and guide you in building a great career. A mentor can motivate you when you feel low and support you at every step. Build a Network Networking is one of the important aspects of building a great career. Make people aware that you are ready to enter into the industry. Meet people who are already working in the field you would like to enter. They can give you proper insights of the industry and clear your doubts. Joining professional associations can also help you in getting into the industry. Study Job Trends Studying job and career trends will tell you whether the job of your choice is having an uptrend or downtrend and will tell you the market status of the job you want to get in. Set Career Goals Once you have decide on your career, take the next step by enlisting your career goals. Set short-term and long-term goals for yourself, so that, you know when and where to concentrate to reach your set target. Take the help of these tips for career planning. It should be done at the right time to reap its benefits. It is not a one-time task. Even after you join an industry, make sure to review your plan at pre-decided intervals, to check if you are on the right path or have deviated from the goal you had set for yourself. Reviewing your career plan will prepare you to build a successful and satisfying career.