to move your career forward. If one doesn't work, think about new steps and try them. This step is an on-going process.

6. Draw up an implementation-plan: This is nothing more than putting your action-plan into play. Determine a timeline of activities. The people who are most successful in taking their careers to the next levels know plans are ineffective unless associated with specific timelines.. not just to do them within a certain period of time but to also measure the results and make adjustments accordingly. A winning career strategy often includes scheduling time each day to carry out the plans. Are you willing to do that?

7. Think Differently: I think it was Heraclitus who said, "Everything is changing save the law of change." Think about how you will constantly re-invent yourself to adapt to what's going on in our business world and how it will impact your career. Constantly examine how you can be of more value to your organization. There are a number of great websites out there who are dedicated to reviewing companies and industries, such as http://www.vault.com and http://www.hoovers.com . Keep up to date! Routinely ask your boss how you can be of more value to your company.

•  Everybody a business: Is becoming a free-agent right for you? As corporate America continues to downsize, out-source, acquire and merge, the opportunity for people to start their own business has never been better. But is it for you? How will you know? What criteria will you use to make such a decision? Maybe the best research you can do to decide if it's right for you is to talk to people who have left corporate America to become a small business owner or independent consultant. Ask them what they like or dislike now that they have made the leap. Ask them what surprises they experienced. Ask them what they would do differently knowing what they know now.

A final bit of thought on this idea of having a career strategy.

It may turn out that you can have the career you have always wanted without going through the work I just outlined. I guess it's possible. I'm not sure how probable it is. What I do know is this: If you think the current job market is unpredictable, maybe even puzzling and disconcerting, fasten your seat belt. The ride may get rougher. There are some work place "experts" who say that 90 percent of the jobs as we know then today will be gone within five years. The work won't be gone, but the way it gets done will be. Are you ready for that? You can be, and in my opinion, a strategic career plan can give you a great chance for a much smoother and rewarding ride.

Gordon Miller is a career coach, speaker, and the author of The Career Coach: Winning Strategies for Getting Ahead in Today's Job Market (Doubleday). He can be reached at gordonmiller@group56.com or http://www.group56.com .