You are the boss of your career

Posted on August 03, 2023 by Alison Dixon, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

In the not too distant past, a company hired you and set you on a fairly predictable career path with raises and promotions built in. If you were lucky, your tenure ended with a pension for your retirement. Today, the landscape of work has changed, and the average time spent in one job is about 4 years. That doesn’t give a company much time nor incentive to plan out your career or anyone else’s career. In spite of that, our expectations haven’t kept up with reality, and many of us still expect the companies we work for to actively participate in our career development.

Today, your career is your business and your product is you. Make improving and marketing you a priority. Take the time to consider your values, your strengths and weaknesses, and how these will impact your personal career path. Think strategically about where you want to go, and how to get there.

Create short and long term goals that are specific and measurable in order to avoid false starts and getting too comfortable at a place short of your target. Once you have determined your goals, set aside time to strategize on how to meet them.

Every six months or so, check in with yourself on how things are going. Re-evaluate your short and long term professional goals, using metrics that make sense to you. Make sure that people you work with and for know about your career plans. Speak with your manager on a regular basis. Ask for assignments that will give you the experience you need to be more valuable to the team.
Take care to keep your skills and knowledge current in your field. Be proactive about seeking out development opportunities within your company. Talk with others who are doing the job you aspire to. Find out what skills are key to being effective and what education is required to do the job well. Then take it upon yourself to go get the skills, training and education that you need. Don’t overlook developing your soft skills. Be a team player. Work on leadership and problem solving skills. These are transferable to many positions and career paths.
Have professional mentors that are not your bosses and check in periodically with them. Listen carefully to what they share and apply the advice that makes sense for your career plans.
Build your brand. No one will know about your valuable contributions to your company or team unless you tell them. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, and highlight your measurable achievements. Don’t be shy about promoting yourself on social media. Position yourself as a subject matter expert and make sure your accomplishments are out there to find. Look for opportunities to share your expertise through writing or speaking engagements to increase the number of people who know about your value and expertise.
If your current position doesn’t provide opportunities to advance your career goals, move on to a company that will value your skills and give you room to grow.
Some companies embrace the shorter tenure expected of today’s workforce by creating alliances with employees. Known as a Tour of Duty, employment is negotiated for a fixed time frame and aligned with a specific project or outcome. LinkedIn initially sets their employment agreements at 4 years with a discussion at 2 years. The company promises to make the candidate more employable if the candidate promises excellent, innovative work. At the end of the time frame, there may or may not be a 4 year extension, but either way, LinkedIn keeps in contact with former employees and at times hires them again later.

In the current, fast paced, quickly changing business world, professional development no longer follows a fixed path. Today, you are in charge, and the idea can be liberating or terrifying. HBR suggests creating a mastermind group of like-minded professionals who will hold one another accountable for meeting goals. Having trusted colleagues who will challenge you can open up new ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise thought about. However you go about it, there is no one else. You are your own CEO.