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Step 6: Write a Career Plan

Use this “Career Plan Sample” from ABMP as a guide when writing out a career plan of your own.

Career Plan Sample

Step 6: Write a Career Plan

In previous newsletters, we have explored what it means to be an employee, to work in private practice, to mix and match in blended careers, and to specialize. You are ready now to make some choices and write a career plan.

A written career plan helps you focus your activities to achieve specific goals related to your career. Plans can be written for one year, three years, five years, or longer. While there are many different models for career planning, this one is specifically related to massage or bodywork.

  • Goal: Describe your primary career goal for the year ahead.
  • Employment Status: Describe the employment status you prefer. Do you want to be self-employed, work as an employee, work as an independent contractor, or a combination of these? List activities that will help you prepare for your chosen employment status.
  • Work Environments: Describe your top three preferred work environments and list activities that will help you prepare to obtain a job in such an environment or create such an environment for a private practice.
  • Target Clients: List the top three client types you would like to work with and describe ways you plan to reach out to these client groups and educate them about the benefits of massage.
  • Specialized Skills and Knowledge: Describe any areas where you would like to specialize and list any additional training you will need in order to offer a specialized massage system or work with a particular group of clients.
  • Mentors and Professional Networks: List people or groups you would like to meet or develop relationships with to grow yourself and your business.
  • Plan for Self-Care and Personal Growth: Describe activities you will undertake to care for yourself and grow as a person over the course of a year.

Once you have written a career plan, post it where you can see it regularly and keep track of your progress. It is a useful exercise to reevaluate and rewrite a career plan annually. A sample of a completed career plan is provided in the Picked Fresh section of this newsletter for reference. Don’t forget to have fun!