Developing your career is a journey where you travel from one place,
position, or project, to another. Where you go and how you get there depends on
what you know.
The current career landscape is complex. Your success depends upon
your strategy. You need to know five things:
1. Know yourself. How much do you know about yourself—your
desires, talents, and skills? Knowing yourself allows you to envision the perfect
job, one that fits your skill set. You discover what makes you unique, and you
know how the success it brings feels, sounds, and smells.
Ask yourself: What strengths and skills am I using competently? Are
there skills or talents yet to surface that could renew my motivation? When I
journey into who I am, what do I find that’s unfulfilled or unheard? What
do I need to do to let these core competencies emerge?
2. Know how others see you. Does your self-image match how others
see you? When you know how others see you, you look for gaps between your self-image
and feedback about how others see you. You pay attention to the alignment between
the intent of your behavior and its impact. You receive feedback about how you’re
perceived. You respond by experimenting with new behaviors.
Ask yourself: If I were to ask colleagues for their impression of
me, what would they say?
3. Know what’s changing. If you know what’s changing,
you notice shifts that relate to your work. You read avidly in search of changing
patterns in your career path. You delight in finding indicators that you’re
either headed in the right direction or need to change course.
Ask yourself: What trends are likely to affect my career plan? Which
doors may open (or close) to me in five years? What actions do I need to take
to be ready?
4. Know your options. What opportunities do those shifts create for
you? Knowing your options helps you to see all possibilities and stretch beyond
your comfort zone. You delight in reinventing yourself. You seek to achieve balance
between your professional life, personal life, and emotional and physical health.
When considering a career move, you have several options: With promotion,
you can go up. You can apply your skills in a lateral function. You can stay in
your position and perform a development task to enrich your skills. You can make
a calculated downward move. You can find mentors and learn new skills. You can
expand your network. You can seek work elsewhere. Ask yourself: Which of these
options attracts me the most?
5. Know what you need to learn. How can you prepare for future possibilities? After you know what you need to learn and discuss your plan with mentors, you
feel ready to take responsible risks. You’re prepared to take action because
you take risks elegantly, experience anxiety appreciatively, and notice attentively
things around you and within you. As opportunities emerge, you seize them with
gusto and gratitude.
Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in five years? What do I need
to do to get there? What have I learned? Can I use my discoveries to create a
plan into the next phase of my career?
Each step of the journey requires that you stop to reflect. You might
even keep a journal of your responses. Make your opportunities work for you. PE
