5-Year Career Development Plan: In the modern working environment, the definition of a career path has extended to include options of several paths, working on various positions, and development of new competencies. Consequently, an individual needs to remain committed to an ongoing, proactive personal career development and management in today's economy. The process of ongoing career management incorporates two major steps i.e. self-assessment and the development of an individualized and thoughtful plan or design. The use of these two processes enables a person to be proactive in the management of his/her career path. In relation to the development of a career plan, an individual should make several considerations such as a realistic evaluation of accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses (Wagner, 2010, p.17). This paper presents a 5-year career development plan for becoming a human resource manager in one of the leading companies across the globe. I am currently a sophomore undertaking a course in human resources since I would like to become a human resource manager.

Career Goals and Objectives:

I am a 17-year-old college sophomore student undertaking a course in human resources in a leading university in the country. My career goal is to become a human resource manager upon completion of my studies in this profession or field within 5 years. I would like to work in a large organization with several branches and contribute towards ensuring that the organization recruits and retains a highly productive workforce that help in realization of organizational objectives. As a human resource manager, I would like to contribute towards building a company that will be renowned as an efficient and consistently productive firm with tremendous growth through hiring and retaining a highly productive and motivated workforce. I would also like to help in creating a positive working environment that promotes the growth of every single employee in the organization.

Some of my major career objectives include contributing to the viability and success of the business or organization through strategic management of human capital. This is primarily because the human resource profession continues to enhance its stature as a career choice in the ever-changing and increasingly competitive workplace ("Careers in Human Resource Management," n.d.). Secondly, I would like to focus on organizational development in my human resource studies in order to develop appropriate skills, knowledge, and abilities to contribute to enhanced organizational bottom line and overall success. This will be achieved through focusing equally and contributing functionally and strategically in the management of an organization's talent.

Possible Promotional Opportunities for Career Growth:

As previously mentioned, human resource management has increased its stature as a career choice in the past few years to an extent that it is pursued by many individuals in today's competitive and ever-changing marketplace. This growth is attributed to the fact that human resource professionals no longer pay the behind-the-scenes administrative role but are actively engaged in shaping organizational policy and overall success. The growth and improvement of this career choice has contributed to the emergence of several promotional opportunities for career growth. In addition to pursuing a formal human resource education in a formal business context, the other probable promotional opportunities for career growth include internships, which link education with experience. Internships serve as promotional opportunities for career growth because most entry-level positions in this profession require a minimum of 1-year experience. Secondly, developing a network of HR contacts is a promotional opportunity for career growth because approximately 70% of all HR jobs are found through networking or personal contacts. The third opportunity for career growth is continuing education because it helps a HR professional to stay current or up-to-date. The final possible promotional opportunity for career growth is career training programs, which help in enhancing knowledge, skills, and abilities in this profession.

Methods of Career Management:

The achievement of career goals and objectives in the human resource management profession requires the consideration of career management practices or methods. The failure to determine career management methods could contribute to incoherent utilization of human resource policies (Duggan, n.d.). In order to achieve my career goals in this field, my career management plan will incorporate the creation of a career plan, identification of the benefits of career planning, and evaluation of career paths. The creation of a career plan will be centered on obtaining formal education on HR, developing experience, and creating networks.

In my 5-year career development plan, the next two years will be centered on completing my degree course in human resources. During this period, I will use educational opportunities and the Internet to develop a network of HR contacts that would be crucial in my future endeavors to locate a first job position. I will use the Internet to access the various forms of assistance such as advertised openings and post...

After graduation, I will spend two-years to acquire an exempt-level HR experience through certification by the HR Certification Institute. The HR Certification Institute focuses on providing professional credentials through certification that demonstrates competence and commitment in this profession ("Careers in Human Resource Management," n.d.). The final year in my career development plan will be spent in working in a reputable organization as an HR professional to gain necessary experience that will help growth and development to become a human resource manager.
The other aspect of career management is evaluation of career paths to determine progress made towards realization of career goals and objectives. This evaluation will be conducted after the commencement of my work as a human resource professional. The review will help in determining progression from the role of administering payroll and benefits to assuming managerial role and responsibilities.

Current Skills, Abilities, Training, and Education:

In attempts to achieve my career goals and objectives in human resource management, I have obtained some skills, training, and education in this field. Currently, I have been undergoing formal education in human resources for the past two years since I am a college sophomore who will be graduating with a degree in this course in the next two years. Apart from formal education, I have obtained skills in HR through attending training seminars, workshops, and certification programs that have enabled me to understand latest trends in this career.

Job Satisfaction Attributes:

In the course of achieving my career goals and objectives in the human resource field, one of the major components that will enhance my progress and growth is job satisfaction. Generally, job satisfaction is a multi-faceted process that is characterized by various dimensions and attributes. Some of the most important job satisfaction attributes in my career include recognition, wages and incentives, good relationship with co-workers and the management, and opportunities for career advancement.

Action Steps for Achieving Career Goals and Objectives:

Generally, the process of becoming a human resource manager requires a mixture of education and related work experience ("Human Resources Managers," 2014). While a bachelor's degree would suffice in most cases, a master's degree is required in some cases. As part of achieving my career goals and objectives, the first action step would involve earning a graduate degree, which is an important part of formal education and sought-after credential. The pursuit of formal education programs will also involve attending career training programs, which help in developing necessary skills. These programs are significant because they provide on-the-job skills on interacting with employees across all organizational levels. The second step will involve pursuing internships or summer work in this field as introductory work in different organizations. The internship or part-time work opportunities will be identified through consulting career counselors in my school for internship listings. The third action step will be to work in a human resources department after completing formal education in order to gain experience in various areas in this field and gain management experience.

Potential Barriers to Achieving Career Goals and Objectives:

The path of achieving career goals and objectives through the application of the stated action steps is characterized by some potential barriers. One of these probable obstacles include increased educational and experience demands because of the changing nature of human resources. Actually, there is need for new role and agenda for human resources to focus on outcomes rather than conventional HR activities (Ulrich, 1998, p.1). The second potential barrier is credibility issue since I will enter the human resource field with minimal work-related experience despite academic qualifications.

In conclusion, as a second year college student in human resources, my career goal is to become a human resource manager who helps in linking human capital management with the real work of the organization. This goal will be achieved through developing necessary skills and experience that are required in the field. The process of achieving this goal requires formal education and work-related experience from internships and working in a HR department.