|
“Career mapping” is to individuals what a business plan is to organizations. It is the tangible tool and mechanism for achieving required results in a logical and cost-effective way. To maximize the potential for achieving your professional goals, it is essential that you stop on an annual basis and assess where you are and where you want to ultimately end up. And, in today’s environment, it is a critical element to retain control of your career during uncertain employment times.
For those of you whom have been part of an annual business planning session, you will find the task of doing a written career plan somewhat easier. You have total control over how the plan comes together and how to set the priorities contained in the document. It doesn’t need to be lengthy but it does need to be written down on paper so that you can visually remind yourself of objectives, timeframes and achievement of results.
Where to begin? Try these questions as a starting point, using the diagram. Sample answers have been included but you should be as thorough as possible about your own situation.
1. In your current position, what do you enjoy and where do you excel? (Present Positive)
2. Where would you like to be in your career in the next 12 months, 3-5 years? (Future Positive)
3. In your current position, what do you dislike and where could you improve? (Present Improvement)
4. What possible events could occur outside your control that would impact your goal? (Future Variable)
|
PRESENT POSITIVE (1)
List strengths
· Trial/advocacy skills
· Mentoring staff
· Client/claim contact
|
FUTURE POSITIVE (2)
Specify career goals
· Management role
· Warmer climate
· Compensation package of $
|
|
PRESENT IMPROVEMENT (3)
List areas to improve
· File handling / process vs result
· Networking
· Existing management structure
|
FUTURE VARIABLE (4)
Recognize uncontrollable variables
· Corporate restructuring
· Economic impact on jobs
· Health
|
The answers to your questions and the four boxes will provide the map that you need to focus on what you need to do to achieve your professional goals.
PRESENT POSITIVE – Your strengths and the things that you enjoy in your current role are indicative of your motivating factors for employment. Keep those strongly in mind when determining where you want to go professionally. You tend to excel at your strengths and what you enjoy!
FUTURE POSITIVE – This is where you stop, take a deep breath and visualize the career that you want in the future. Be specific about the type of role, location, compensation package, structure, corporate culture, etc. If you’re hoping to retire from your current employer, then look at what role you would like within the existing organization.
PRESENT IMPROVEMENT – Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have areas where we can improve. In those areas that we dislike, they tend to fall into 2 categories. First, those we dislike because of our behavior or personality (eg. file handling). Second, those that are “structural” and seem outside of our control such as corporate or management styles.
For the behavioral aspects, it helps to acknowledge that they are an impediment to our success. If you look at the end goal, it’s easier to identify positive actions to improve those areas. Identify specifics of what you need to do to improve and give yourself a timeframe for achieving those activities.
For the structural elements, identify ways that you can try and be more effective in those situations. You may need to keep looking for better methods but your focus will shift from “seeing a problem” to “finding a solution” which is the essence of career mapping.
FUTURE VARIABLE – Whether we like it or not, there are those variables that we simply cannot control. Mergers, restructuring, downsizing, health problems are simply a part of today’s life. However, if you identify what potential obstacles may occur in achieving your career goals, you can at least make contingent plans for those surprises. If you wait for the surprises and then try to make contingent plans, you may have to accept whatever job you can find as a result of being reactive rather than pro-active.
In this area, identify now what the variables may be in the future and how you will address them. What specifics should you do now to be prepared and what things will you need to do in the future?
Finally, having determined where you want to go professionally, keep looking at how you can actively improve your skill set to get there. The more you focus on the strength of your existing or improved skills, the better chances of achieving success regardless of the variable employment conditions that exist in today’s market.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
| 
