Career building is an ongoing activity. Planning and goal setting are part of career building, but so is adjusting and taking advantage of things that happen in an unplanned way. Our dreams and desires, as well as the opportunities open to us, are changing all the time. Sometimes, they can change dramatically over a short period of time.  Dealing with change often requires taking your career in a different direction. Therefore, most people's career paths wind up looking more like a forest path or the course of a river than a straight flight path from point A to Point B. Career paths tend to  _ . Just as a river must take an indirect path to get round hills and other obstacles , we often have to do a little meandering to get round barries. We also meander simply to explore various career posibilities.  This doesn't mean that you should wander aimlessly for the rest of your life! It doesn't mean that, although career building gives you an overall sense of direction, it is responsible to expect that you'll have to take some meandering along the way.  Career building involves maneuvering as well as meandering. To maneuver is to be focused and strategic , to decide what you want and how you are going to get there. Believe it or not, you can maneuver and meander at the same time. In fact, you have probably already done so. For example, if you have ever sent in an application form for an education program or job before you are really sure you want your application to be accepted, you have taken action on a plan while you are still exploring other posibilities. In other words, you are maneuvering and meandering at the same time. This passage is mainly to   _  .
tell you how to gain more control over your life give you a better understanding of yourself show you how to take an active role in planning your career help you to deal with things that happen in an unplanned way