Career Management Is Up To You

The focus of career management today is shifting from the employer to the employee. You as an employee are responsible for your career management, whether you agree with it or not and whether you like or it or not. Prior to our current employment market any organization worth its weight in gold provided career management resources to their employees. In an employee’s market, organizations, good organizations provided leadership development in a variety of forms including tuition assistance, leadership/management tracks within the organization that would help new leaders develop their skills. Annual appraisals are also a form of career management. Feedback was part of the process. Whether you received feedback weekly, monthly or annually. Employees were given feedback for performance and if you were good, and you the organization valued you, there were opportunities available.

However, today, career management is up to you. Not to say that organizations will not continue to provide some resources for employees, however assuming that organizations will assist you with your career management would be a mistake today. What can you do to strengthen your skills and abilities? How can you develop new skills to make career changes or promote within your current organization?

1. Take advantage of whatever resources are available within your organization. If they offer classes, find out how to get in them and do the work.

2. Go back to school if necessary. College degrees are still good options to help you get a promotion or make a career change.

3. Lateral moves are a great way to learn new skills

4. Get a coach, either within the organization or external to the organization

5. Decide what you your career goals are – don’t operate from ambuguity. Be specific about what you want to do and than set goals, intermediate steps to accomplish those goals.

If you are a job seeker attempting to get back to working, understand that the game has changed since you were last employed. When you get that job, don’t go into it with an old mindset – thinking the organization will help you build your career. Things have changed. Don’t expect your manager to sit down with you to have conversations about your career. Not that they won’t talk to you, but the playing field has changed and you must take initiative. If you want a career in a specific field/vocation/industry, decide what you want and do the work to determine what it will take to get where you want to get. It is on you. Take advantage of all resources within your new organization, but take ownership of your career path.