Developing a career takes time and attention. However, many people get sidetracked when planning careers or pursuing job opportunities. Charting your career path is worth the time investment. I recommend having a dark horse mindset.
Meaning, purpose, and fulfillment
In the age of personalization, we are redefining success as meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Fulfillment is essential for satisfaction and happiness. Most importantly, we get more pleasure from meaning, purpose, and fulfillment than we do from status, power, and money. True fulfillment also leads to deeper thinking and more significant innovation.
There is not any “right path” to attaining your professional goals. Some paths may be more direct than others, but the ways to get there are innumerable. Executive search firm Phillips DiPisa's report has useful advice for mapping your career journey.
If you are seeking to follow a more traditional path, keep in mind: progressive titles, expanded portfolios, added budgetary responsibility, movement from a smaller to a more significant or a more prestigious firm. Moreover, to whom you report influences how an outsider perceives your development.
“If you are trying to advance your career in the traditional sense, being promoted from a manager to a director to a vice president will be viewed as a steady progression, which will be appealing to future employers.” — Denise Trammel
We provide the ladder of leadership to help you on your journey. It would be best if you considered that the path to the top is now climbing the corporate lattice rather than the corporate ladder.
Such advancement may also mirror that you gained areas of responsibility and that you took on more budgetary responsibility. By managing more resources, people, and dollars, you show professional growth. Also, reporting structure and to whom you report to are crucial factors because these are often indications of how much influence or visibility you may have within an organization.
Seeking Advancement
Furthermore, going from a smaller organization to a bigger one — is usually seen as a positive step and shows development. But not always. You may decide to move from a large organization to a smaller one to gain a more senior role. Of course, the reputation of your current organization is naturally important and going from a more prestigious organization is another way to show advancement in your career.
Future employers consider these developments and progressions when assessing your career path. However, achieving success today will it always be, linear or progressive. The title you have, your portfolio responsibility, the reporting structure are not the only ways to advance your career. It would help if you got involved in big projects or critical organizational initiatives. This approach is a terrific way to increase exposure and will serve as another avenue for success.
Chart your career path with these five tips
Be self-aware
Being self-aware matters in building a career. You may think that it is obvious. What we do well and enjoy doing provides fulfillment. Following your micro-motives and strengths inevitably produce positive outcomes. We all have talents that come naturally – our superpowers.
Our behavioural analytics show you your behavioural DNA. The insight also reveals the other aspects of your talent stack that still needs additional development. Be aware of your skills and abilities and know where you are less competent. It would be best if you thought about your personal life when you are considering your career path.
“You should be self-aware enough to know whether a new opportunity or career move will work well for you and your family.” — Denise Trammel.
This consideration is one of the first items we discuss with candidates as soon as we present them with possible job opportunities. The perfect job is one that makes sense on paper and works for your entire family.
Finally, always consider the factors that drive your job satisfaction. For example, depending on the time of your life, flexibility may be crucial to professional fulfilment. At other times, you may be driven to be part of an innovative or start-up-like culture. Knowing what provides you fulfilment is vital to career success.
Be motivated to perform at your best
It is essential that you are doing well in your current job to achieve success. Your employer will notice your enthusiasm, commitment and arduous work. Also, if there is knowledge, you need to obtain and the skills you need to improve, seek more training.
You need to focus on the results of your current job. After your time in this role ends, you should be able to point to what you accomplished. Remember that responsibilities tell, and accomplishments sell. High performance may not guarantee you a promotion, but it will undoubtedly give you a chance at bat.
Maintain and grow your professional network
When you chart your career path, you should develop and maintain your professional network. Through networking and increasing your visibility, you are making connections which may help you later in your career.
Remaining professionally connected may require you to join a professional organization, accept speaking engagements, get published or recorded in the press, and maintain relationships with executive recruiters. Everybody you work with may ultimately be a professional reference. Do not burn bridges. Brush up on your social skills.
Take risk along the way
A critical piece is dealing with uncertainty — facing it, accepting it, and managing it. When making a career move, it always feels risky. As you are leaving a culture and relationships that are known to you. Your transition can cause stress and apprehension. Please keep in mind, that opportunity, risk, and rewards are inherently linked.
Career moves are typically a requirement for significant career advancement. To advance your career, you may need to make a move.
The perceived risk is more significant than the actual risk. You may find it hard to leave the security of your current role and organization, but in the end, you will be glad you made a move. Go for it!
Do not be perceived as a job “hopper” or “lifer”
A “hopper” is someone who makes many jumps in his or her career. A “lifer” is you stay in one organization for too long. We want to avoid being a jumper. So, decline the position if you think it will not keep you challenged and engage for at least three years.
If you have multiple job moves of less than three years, it does not look good to future employers. On the other hand, a future employer will question your level of motivation and your ability to deal with change if you stay ten years or longer in one organization. Make some moves – but not too many.
Career Capital gives you the freedom to shape your path
Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years”. - Bill Gates
The more career capital you have, the more freedom you have to follow your passions. A common mistake is to expect instant gratification or to underestimate the ingenuity and perseverance required to make big things happen.
Passion built on commitment, mastery, and pride is the key to a satisfying career. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. Commitment and mastery take grit.
Angela Duckworth masterfully captures the power of passion and perseverance in her New York Times Best Seller “Grit.” There is no domain of expertise that has been studied where world-class performers have put in fewer than ten years of consistent, deliberate practice to get where they are. Find out how gritty you are with her Grit Scale.
Concluding Thoughts
In summing up, here are some key questions to ask yourself when pondering a career change:
- Is the job itself an excellent fit for my interests and abilities?
- How will it look on my resume?
- Are the organization and team I will be in a fit for me?
- To whom will I report?
You should always be keeping an eye on advancement opportunities, but you need to be thoughtful about your decisions to make a move, and you should still do your due diligence.
"Only employees exceptionally suited for what they do, coupled with an intense love of what they do, produce exceptional results." — Larry Cash
We are incredibly passionate about Behavioral DNA and the impact this scientific insight can have on you. Using SuccessFinder, we give you the gift to see your traits as others see them. They see your strengths and challenges. You should know too!
High performers in each role share a common subset of behaviours. Our talent analytics compares your behavioural traits and competencies — with top performers in given positions.
Focus on your strengths and manage your challenges is the secret to achieving career satisfaction and success. You complete the assessment online, we then provide you with a report and personal feedback via video call. We offer the service worldwide. We would love to hear from you!
Challenge — What's Right For You?
Solution = Leverage Your Talent Stack + Build Your Career Capital
Identify your unique behavioural strengths, build your career capital and leverage your unique talent stack for lifetime success.
- Grow your leadership potential by targeting your critical developmental needs
- Determine your crucial career success factors, allowing for more focused efforts
- Discover your best and most successful career direction
- Find out about your strengths and interests in different career areas
Knowing yourself is the first step to being happy. Moreover, staying happy is an ongoing process of regrounding your long-term goals with your current objectives. When those align, you’re on the path to a job you can adore. Know when to find a better job as your best option may be to fall in love with your job (again) We also offer a personal development plan to help you achieve career success and satisfaction.
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