An extraordinary career is not something that happens by accident. If you want such a career, you need to plan it because you are responsible for your own success. You need to understand what your highest aspirations are, what makes you happy and what makes you feel good and energised. An article at bmmagazine.co.uk explains how to get started on finding the right path.
Step 1: Understand yourself
You should be able to specify what your strengths are, what you are good – or even exceptional – at. Can you say what your greatest skills are? Then, on the other hand, are you able to state clearly and responsibly your development needs? Even then, you are not guaranteed success. You still need to fit both your strengths and weaknesses in with the company’s plans and strategic objectives. If you can do this, then you are a rare species. The vast majority of us should spend more time thinking about our current and future position. Put simply, we should devote much more effort to planning our careers.
Stop and think about your previous week. What went particularly well? What gave you the most satisfaction and pleasure? What did you enjoy last year or in your previous job? Perhaps there is a theme emerging … Even if you find you are not satisfied with your current job, this in itself is a valuable piece of information because knowing what you dislike is also a piece of the puzzle as a whole.
Step 2: When you have found your direction
So you know what you would like to do and where you would like to be. Good: this is essential at the outset. But how should you establish control over your career in such an unstable, constantly changing business environment as exists today? Don’t waste your energy on things you cannot affect. Instead, focus on the fact that ongoing uncertainty also has its pluses: it gives you opportunities to learn new skills, simply because you have to. If you want to climb the ladder, try to imagine you have swapped places with your boss: what kind of skills and competencies would you want your subordinates to have in order for you to offer them promotion? It may be difficult but once you have a clear vision of what you want, you are on the right track.
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