Ep 166 - Career Planning: Why the Plan in Your Head Isn't Working

Career planning is one of those things most of us know we should do and keep putting off. In this episode, we explore why it feels so much harder than it should be, and why the version most people have in their heads doesn't actually count as a plan. Pam shares the simple, one-page approach she uses with her clients that takes an hour (or 10 minutes a day across a week) and turns vague ambition into something you can actually act on. If you've ever thought "I'll do that when things settle down" or "I wouldn't even know what to put in a career plan," this one's for you. Access Pam's Career Plan on a Page resource to work through it after listening Key points from this episode Why keeping your career plan in your head is costing you opportunities, even if you think you've got it figured out The biggest misconception that stops ambitious people from starting: it doesn't have to be a big formal exercise Why good career planning starts with looking back, not forward, and what that unlocks How a career plan becomes a compass when you're in a role you're not loving or you're wondering "is this it?" What Pam's Career Plan on a Page actually contains, and how to use it to keep moving forward 00:00 Introduction and why career planning keeps getting put off 01:00 The problem with keeping your plan in your head 03:00 What stops ambitious people from committing it to paper 05:00 The clarity gap: not knowing what to even put in a plan 06:30 Where to start: reflection before direction 08:00 Looking back to move forward, and what the career mapping exercise reveals 11:00 Using your plan as a compass when things feel hard 12:00 When a career plan leads somewhere unexpected: client stories 14:00 Pam walks through the Career Plan on a Page process 19:00 What the completed plan looks like and how to keep it live 21:00 Final thoughts: treating it as an experiment, not a commitment Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website