After Identifying Your Career Goal, you’ll chart a clear path to your SMART career goal by creating a career plan.
Follow the steps below to determine the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for your desired career. Then, build an action plan using our resources to address any gaps in your qualifications and achieve your career goal.
This first step sets the foundation for your career plan by helping you see where you need to grow to reach your career goal.
Learn How to Do a Gap Analysis.
Watch these *videos:
*To access LinkedIn Learning videos, please first log in with your WGU credentials.
Complete Your Gap Analysis
Use the AI Quick Guide for a fast, basic gap analysis or the Gap Analysis Worksheet for a more detailed analysis. Want to use both? Start with AI for quick insights, then dive deeper with the worksheet.
See more details about each resource below.
💡 Helpful Tip: Check out the “Example” tab and the “Action to Close Gap Resource Guide” in the worksheet for extra support! Save a copy of your gap analysis for future reference!
After finishing your gap analysis, it’s time to create a career plan! In this step, you’ll work backward from your goal, listing the action steps you’ll take to close your gaps and ultimately reach your career goal.
Download the Career Action Plan Workbook to create your action plan:
Save a copy of your Career Action Plan to keep you focused and motivated as you work toward your goal.
Learn More
Research the career steps of professionals in your desired occupation/field to guide your career strategy.
Use the LinkedIn Alumni Tool to find WGU graduates from your degree program and investigate their profiles to explore their career history.
Check out “Using the LinkedIn Alumni Tool” for tips and strategies.
Develop Your Top Skills
Complete the CareerOneStop Skills Matcher and/or the Agile Work Profiler to uncover and explore your unique skills. These assessments will provide valuable insights into your strengths and capabilities, helping you understand how they align with potential career paths.
Great work completing Milestone 2!
Your career plan provides a clear path to accomplishing your SMART career goal. Remember to revisit it regularly to celebrate your progress and make adjustments as needed. If you’d like more support or have additional questions about this milestone, our career advisors are available to assist you.
Contact us at careers@wgu.edu or read our FAQs.
This video is a recording of a past Career Champions meeting that discussed Career Milestones 1 and 2 in the student journey.
Studies show that people who take smart risks in their careers are more successful than those who play it safe.
Watch this workshop to learn how to create a thoughtful career plan when considering a career change.
Find out how SEL skills—like self-awareness and communication—can give you a competitive edge in your career planning.
