A Career in Planning

While on summer break and after graduations, many students will be thinking about the best career path for them. One of the best careers is a career in planning. Here reference is being made to urban, city and regional planning. And planning is a profession that takes into account working to improve the welfare of people and communities from creating or instituting convenient, healthy and efficient places for our current generation and the future.

The person who selects this career path needs to know that planning it will enable them to work with distinguished people. They will be able to connect with community leaders, diverse businesses, citizens and residents to cooperate together in a very effective and meaningful way in building communities with the objective of enriching people lives. Issues of essential services, protection, environmental management, and inventive changes are possible in the career process. The individual will have the opportunity to work with the city mayor, planning commissioners, state senators, state law-makers, and others assembly officials, among others. This exposure and experience can prove to be very valuable in later career paths.

In performing their duties, planners also initiate broad visions of work, research, design, develop programs, perform technical analysis, manage and educate those with whom they have to work with and for. The individual may even decide to specialize in an area, for example, in engineering or transportation. They have authority over strategic planning - policy recommendation, community action plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, regulatory and incentive strategies, as well as historic preservation plans. Additional career and work plans that the planner will have authority over include economic development strategies, site plans, disaster preparedness plans and others.

Planners work in urban, suburban, rural areas, large cities, and overseas part of their international exposure. They are often found in the federal, state and local government departments or agencies. But they are also known to work in nonprofit organizations, in the private sector, for example in real estate development companies, or in multi-disciplinary consulting global organizations. Information about the salary payable will depend on recognized guidelines, work experience and qualifications. A college degree or a graduate degree in planning or related discipline is normally required. The American Planning Association, for example, will usually have more information on this point.

For those who are thinking of a career in planning, some important points to consider (apart from and in addition to the above) include your area of interest. Here for example, the person will need to decide on the planning topics and issues that interest them the most. Contacting college course catalogs and university enrolment officials for discussion, advice and information will then be necessary.

Getting information from past students and graduates will help in the decision making procedure in this career. For example, if the college of interest allows it, contact can be made with those on the job in planning to get an insight into the nature of the practical work and career and how well they have managed after their studies. Library and online personal investigations will also help. What a person may not tell about the profession, you may discover at the library or online through your own research.

One of the most essential thing to know as you decide is whether the college of choice will have internships or on the job training. This will give someone an added advantage of experience before the full time job after graduation. This will also enhance his/her resume in the job search and selection process. Whether the university has planners who also teach may matter to some, because some colleges may only emphasize research into planning rather then practical planning on the job after graduation.

Then there is the crucial matter of financial considerations. The cost of tuition will have to be compared across colleges, but within the guidelines of other factors, some of which are mentioned above. The availability scholarships or grants will help. Teaching assistants and research fellowship (especially after graduation and into the graduate level) will matter to some who may plan to pursue much more advance studies, but are concerned about the costs.

So during this summer, some may want to consider a career in planning. But before a final decision is made, the information above is helpful. Costs always matter, but so are other issues like location, the nature of the training and internships. Planning is a very good discipline and career to choose, so when a person decides to they are almost likely to make an excellent decision.

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