7 Consider all your options
Continuously scan your environment for development opportunities. Keeping your end goal in mind makes it easier to spot exciting opportunities that come your way both inside and outside of your organisation. Knowing your options prevents you feeling trapped in a particular role and helps you to stay positive and focussed. There’s plenty to keep a look out for too – secondments, special projects, mentoring, coaching, having a great role model, work shadowing, technical training, soft skills training, conferences, seminars and networking events. Exhaust all these options before you consider a career move.
Gordon McCulloch, Deputy CEO at Renaissance Capital in Moscow adds, “There’s plenty of time early in your career to consider what you want to do. But get involved, stick with things for as long as you’re learning and gaining experience. Keep a list of your accomplishments, keep your CV up to date and stay abreast of market trends.”
8 How mobile do you need to be to reach your goal?
As globalisation continues at pace, international exposure will only become more desirable. Your career progression may require you to develop an appreciation of different markets, either domestically or worldwide. If international exposure is your ticket to the top, how far, frequently and for how long are you prepared to travel? If travel, secondments or relocation don’t fit in with your lifestyle or circumstances, investigate your options. Speak to your boss about how that exposure might be gained in another way; consider what other routes you could take to attain your ultimate career goal. If mobility does appeal to you, find out what it’ll take to be granted envoy status.
9 Know what your employer wants to see first
In order for you to progress along your chosen career path, you need to be aware of what it’s going to take to get there. Part of achieving your objectives and long-term plans will come from understanding your employer’s expectations of you. If you want to get ahead, it helps to have the support of your manager so that they can give you the tools to get there. They may have concerns or areas for improvement that you have not considered yet. There may also be other wider corporate or department issues that you are not aware of which could get in the way of your progression. Talk to them about your aspirations and plans, so that they can give you a fair assessment on what you need to do in order to achieve them – and what opportunities may be on offer either now or in the future. The more honest feedback you can receive, as well as advice and guidance, the more likely you are to succeed on your path.
Review your plans and chart your progress
Do make sure that the goals you set and the milestones you noted at the beginning are not forgotten. Write them down somewhere and refer to them frequently. No performance review, appraisal or career conversation should go by without direct reference to your career plan. By being aware of where you are going and the timescales you set yourself, you’ll know whether you’re making the appropriate progress. And remember that there’s more than one route to get to where you’re going. Take stock to see if you’ve changed direction and reset your course accordingly. This way, you’ll take advantage of the development opportunities that come along and be able to direct the conversations you have with your boss to plan for an immediate future that achieves both of your objectives.
Now take a look at a practicial guide to tracking your career with our example example career plan
