I feel that the first most important step inc areer management is the willingness to obtain new skills. As a Program Director, I have had the opportunity to learn many new skills and obtain different certifications. This has given me some career stability and the ability to teach in a wide variety of classes and courses. I tell my students if you are willing to learn new skills that makes you a more valuable employee and if you move on then you have more skills to take to a new employer.
I also go out of my way to assist my colleagues and my boss in projects, etc.
Ruth Ann,
yes, so true & so key that we be willing to learn, grow, and adapt.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics--your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. Once you have determined your skills, strengths, and interests, you can use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that "fit" your profile.
David,
yes, the self-awareness & personal evaluations are key to success for career goals & advancement.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that the most important step is to look to your "ultimate goal" and draw a path on how to accomplish that goal. Until a person knows what they want to work toward they are floundering. Maybe they'll luck out and find that what they've been doing directly affects their ultimate goal, but often if you don't know what you want you end up spinning your wheels more than is needed.
Ryan,
yes, this echoes Stephen Covey's idea of beginning with the end in mind.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I was in a company that I loved to work for, but there was not a lot of room for advancement. it was a small shop with no where to go. I enjoyed the work so much that I stayed for fifteen years. that is fifteen years I can not get back. As one of the others said "If you work at something you love, it does not feel like work". I realized one day that I was still doing the same work that I was doing fifteen years earlier. I needed a change but it took something to push me. I came back from a two week vacation to a shop with no work. My boss was telling me that he was going to layoff a couple of workers because of no work. I decided that I wanted out. and asked him if I could leave instead, and he could keep the younger workers employed. He thought I was nuts. Two weeks later I was working for a large technical school teaching what I loved. ten years later I have a wonderful career still doing what I love. P.S. Better pay too!
Michael,
this is a great example & sometimes as you point out we need that kick in the pants to get moving.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree.Knowing yourself and what is is you enjoy doing is most important. Then you need to set goals in order to acheive the developemental plan your seeking.
Valerie ,
and then the next step I would suggest is developing an action plan for achieving those goals.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first step is not to be complacent. If you accept the status quo of the job you are in and it is not rewarding, you lose effectiveness as an employee in that position. Striving to learn new things and search for new opportunities within your organization may give you that "bonus" job or move you up the ladder or across the lattice.
Vicki,
This is great advice & if you do accept the status quo you will become disengaged in your work.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
discover what motivates you so that your carrer choice is something you enjoy doing and not a job.
Michael,
yes, this is one of the best pieces of advice that we can cling to in these situations.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think the first most important step in personal career management is determining what interests you. Spending about 40 hours per week doing your job can be very tedious and draining especially if you dislike what you're doing. Feeling drained will also prevent you from performing well, which can lead to unpleasant outcomes for you and your employer.
But if you do something that interests/excites you, then 'working' won't have a negative connotation to it. It will make 'working' a lot easier and pleasant for both parties. And I think that once you have that positive attitude, the other aspects will fall into place.
Jenny,
so true & while there will always be parts of any job that aren't the most exciting, I should be doing something that I truly love.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I would say is find what you like to do. If you are miserable at your job and don't like what you are passionate about then find something that you are passionate about and go after that profession.
Jayson,
this is an excellent point, yet make sure you are confident in a new position before jumping ship.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think the first step is to weigh the pros and cons of your career. Once you have identified those you can then start to assess the direction you want to move toward. You can also assess the cons and look for ways to alleviate some of the uncertainty that comes with dislike of a career. Reach out to mentors who have the same uncertainty and seek advise.
My opinion the very first step in any career development move is to find out what motivates you, what inspires you, and what your passion is in life. From that point you can decide on different avenues to take and ask lots of questions along the way, network, and be open to change. What's important to me at age 20 would be very different at age 30 and 40 and so therefore it is extremely important to include flexibility and creativity in the lifelong development plan.
