The term “career management” is a bit abstract for some people. It sounds like this fluffy, indefinable concept that doesn’t really mean a whole lot. In reality, career management is a very significant and specific process that, when done properly, helps to ensure long-term career success.

According to CareerVision.org, it’s sort of like contributing to your own career piggy bank:

Career management uses concepts similar to good financial management. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a disciplined investment, made on a regular basis, yields a greater return.

In order to get the most out of your career, you have to put some effort into caring for it. Left to its own devices, your career may end up wildly off course. Without a structured career management plan, you’ll quickly find yourself doing what’s easy or convenient or what others want you to do. You may discover that your future goals don’t align with your present-day actions. And, before you know it, your career will be managing you.

1. Career Management is a Lifelong Process

The first point to understand is that career management is not a single event; it’s a part of your career journey. Don’t put it off until you suddenly realize there’s a problem. Just like a car, regular maintenance will help ensure a smooth ride.

2. Career Management is an Active Process

You can’t simply sit back and let others do the work for you. Otherwise, you’ll end up in someone else’s career! You have to be an active, engaged participant.

3. Career Management is a Structured Process

I believe that career management is most beneficial when it is carefully structured. Without structure, most of us would neglect it until an emergency came along. Structure helps keep the process moving at a steady, stable pace regardless of what’s happening.

4. Career Management is about Establishing, Tracking and Correcting:

• Establish Goals: The real nitty-gritty of career management is in understanding what you’re trying to achieve. This, for many people, can also be the hardest part. Each goal should be broken down into tasks that, once completed, will achieve the goal. A timeline can then be created to map each step along the way.

• Track Goals: Monitoring progress is a satisfying and useful strategy. Career management involves regularly checking in on established goals and the movement being made. This helps prevent stagnation and ensures career goals are being methodically incorporated into the rest of your life.

• Course Correct: Career goals will change and grow just as you do. Part of the career management process involves monitoring and adjusting them as needed. Each step along the way will heighten your understanding of what you want and how to get there. The map isn’t set in stone. As you move forward, the career management process will help you identify new paths and new destinations.

Participating in a structured career management process demonstrates the important role that career plays in your life as a whole. For most people, your career can provide you with the means to achieve a great number of other personal goals, like buying a house or starting a family or traveling the world. Work also occupies a huge portion of our time spent on this planet, so managing your career is clearly a worthwhile investment of energy.

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