do you have to know what you want to have a good career or can you be opportunistic?

[hatwoman]

do you have to have a very definite idea of where you're going? set your aims and work out how to get there? or can you just browse the relevant job pages and let chance (with a dose of common sense and good judgment) steer you?

it's abit of both I think, and very much coes down to general strength of character.
I have found yself with afledgling business and its really looking good. would neer hae thought I'd be in this position, but with hindsight, the steps were there, and it all fell in to plae, as it were

I think most people probably do know where they want to go. I didn't, I fell into working in finance when it's absolutely not my natural milieu but it pays ok and I don't hate it (and I can do it, I know my job now) so here I am.

I do have a goal though and it's been the same one for the past 4 years: to earn as much money as possible for as little effort as possible.

And we want to buy a house so my immediate priority is to carry on with the contract I'm doing as it's reasonably well paid. It's also increased my market rate and given me a more varied skill set. I will then go for a permanent job once I want a mortgage so by the end of next year.

So actually, I suppose I think if you don't sit down and work out what your goal is, then you can't plan how to get there. So it is important. All the people I know who earn a lot of money got that way through planning their next step and always working towards it. I do appreciate that not everyone has cash and promotion as their goal but in one example I can think of the person went to their manager and said "this is where I want to be in 2 years time, this is my career planning, how can you help me achieve this?" He's now v v senior and earns a lot. (And is happy!) He didn't get there by chance, he planned it. (apols for echos of Reggie Perrin!)

So no, don't let chance steer you. IMO you won't get where you want to go that way.

I know lots of people that have not planned their careers but have taken chances when interesting roles have come up. Some of them are extreemly senior now.

There are also those who have planned things to the last month and succeded.

They seem to have a few things in common. They are clear on what they want from life, they have a positive attitude to learning and they see others in a positive light - they are great to work with.

If you do go for interviews though you need to be clear about why you want that role in that company. Or I guess if you decide to set up your business I am sure there comes a point when you have to totally commit.