Part 1

In the past, career development plans were outlined for an employee by the employer.  Employees began employment in an entry-level position and, with increased seniority and additional skills, worked their way up through the organization.  How does career development work today?  Unfortunately, many organizations no longer outline it.  Career development is up to each one of us.  So how can we create our own career development plan?

This question reminds me of a job I had in which I was required to travel across the nation setting up city-wide seminars.  I drove a semi-truck to cities throughout the nation loaded with all of the equipment and materials for conducting the seminars.  I set up for the seminars and became the Seminar Assistant Coordinator for the week.  Headquarters sent out a staff of five employees who did this.  We covered 35 states and averaged 3-10,000 people at each seminar. 

It didn’t take long to notice there were holes in the communication between the “field” staff and headquarters.  I was constantly missing information and materials needed.  Because I knew the field process and had developed relationships with the staff, it wasn’t difficult for my boss to say “yes” when I approached him about a new position for myself that would give support to the field staff in conducting these seminars.  I had identified the problems and knew how to change and correct them because I had lived through the process.  Those in the field easily backed my suggested new position because they needed the support and wanted the process to run more smoothly.  They knew I could get the job done.  This new position came about because I saw a need and had a solution. 

I created a new department (Seminar Support Services) and grew the support staff for this Department to 8 employees.  So where is the opportunity for career development in your position or at your organization?  It lies with you and your creative resources.  What are your creative resources?  The most important is what you enjoy doing!

Here are two career development perceptions that may help you stay in charge of your career:

Career Development Perception #1 – Be a resourceful employee.  Find ways to create opportunities but at the same time solve a problem or create value to the organization.  As you develop more challenging work for yourself and succeed, your worth to the organization increases.  This gives you “the right to be heard” when performance and salary increases are discussed.

Career Development Perception #2 – Know how the organization feels about you and your work.  Always be open to communication and initiate it.  If needed, meet with your boss on a monthly basis and talk about your development.  For example, ask if you are still on target in your development plan or what things need more work to keep your development plan on track.  Stay in charge of your career development.  Always ask what you are learning from the position, organization, and experience.  If you don’t feel you’re moving forward, then you’re probably losing ground.

Start observing what’s around you today!

 

Career Development (Part 2)

Do you remember when you first started your current position?  The excitement, the learning, the new challenges, the people?  After several months or years the reality set in.  You know everything there is to know about this job.  It’s comfortable and easy.  You’re riding the tide. 

But lately, it seems like the organization is changing and they’re not taking employees into consideration.  You certainly have no say or control.  Organizations are being absorbed by larger companies and deciding the fate of many “comfortable” positions.  It can, and does, happen all the time and when we least expect it.  Don’t be so comfortable that you give control to an organization for your career and successes.  Have or start a plan.

In the last newsletter (Link to last newsletter)we talked about the following career development perceptions:

Career Development Perception #3 – Be a resourceful employee.  Find ways to create opportunities but at the same time solve a problem or create value to the organization. 

Career Development Perception #4 – Know how the organization feels about you and your work.  Always be open to communication and initiate it.  If needed, meet with your boss on a monthly basis and talk about your development. 

Here are two additional career development perceptions that will help identify how to jump start your career:

Career Development Perception #5 – Don’t get too comfortable.  Even when a position is easy and comfortable for you, if it is not a good fit for your success patterns, you’re settling for less.  Don’t settle for less than you can do or accomplish.  I have a friend who says that if she’s not in an uncomfortable situation, then she’s not growing or learning.  So she constantly puts herself in uncomfortable situations.  If you get complacent about your work, the organization will do that too.  Find a culture that energizes and challenges you.

Career Development Perception #6 – You’ve been in the position so long now that you don’t care about it or about how you look when you show up for work.  In fact, winning the lottery is your way out of this dead end job.  BEGIN TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR CAREER AND LIFE!  (Yes, I meant that to be in all caps!)  If you’re in this situation, start writing your exit plan and start exploring other ideas and opportunities. 

Bottom line – don’t settle for less in your career.  Our work involves too much of our time and lives to settle for a complacent, boring or non-challenging position.  Create an action plan to move forward.  Have more than one plan of action.  If Plan A is to create your own position at the company, as I did in the last newsletter, then go for it.  If that plan goes belly up, try Plan B which might be to move into another area that can increase your experience for that next step up.