5 year Career Development Plan

5 year Career Development Plan 03/07/11

I’m making this career plan after leaving UC, where I’ve worked for five years. I have 11 years experience in IT, mainly as a software developer. As of now I have XXX and XXX on my resume, soon I will have a stint at XXX as a contractor. My career development plan for the next five years involves developing my technical skills to an elite level in a focused range of marketable technologies, starting my own business and developing business management expertise, obtaining experience working with Fortune 500 corporate clients, and increasing my financial compensation level so that I can comfortably provide for my family.

Name:
Goal: Elite consultant/owner of consulting company --or-- IT manager or architect at a great company that I respect
Current education and experience: BA, MS, 11 years experience as a developer
Current skills: Various programming languages, open source softwares, and operating systems (see resume) - mainly database driven J2EE development on Linux

Objective 1:
Maintain employment as a contractor for 5 years, focus on working with Fortune 500 corporate clients and gaining experience in a focused range of marketable technologies. Develop a supportive network of contacts and references.
Target completion: 03/16

Objective 2:
Research phasing out of contracting through and agency and contracting through your own LLC or an umbrella company. Become familiar with the tax structuring implications of starting your own business and working as a contractor. Start LLC or sign with umbrella company and start soliciting work.
Target completion: 03/12

Objective 3:
Obtain a series of professional certifications that would position you as an expert software developer and architect.

1. Set of sun java certifications - SCJP, SCWCD, SCBCD
Target completion: 03/13

2. Oracle database certiciation - 11g database certified associate
Target completion: 03/14

3. CISSP
Target completion: 03/15

4. Project manager cert, this should be last one - PMP
Target completion: 03/15

5. TOGAF or SCEA
Target completion: 03/16

Objective 4:
Gain professional experience in a variety of marketable technologies for which I do not plan obtaining industry certification or for which there are non available - while making money. Do this by monitoring short term development projects posted on sites like scriptlance and elance that correspond to what you are currently studying. Do these projects and eventually start profile/company and bid on new projects.
Target completion: 03/18


Objective 5:
Raise industry profile by continuing to develop technical blog and attending users group meetings and networking.
Target completion: 03/18