career development pt. 2: If you’re waiting for career development to happen to you, you’re doing it wrong
In part 1, I talked about the terms that get thrown around in lieu of the term career development and defined them. Then I introduced you to the concept that focusing on career development is what will be the most impactful for your career long-term.
So, let’s chat about this.
I often hear from employees that their company “doesn’t offer any career development opportunities.” When I ask them what they personally have done to develop their career, I receive a blank stare or they tell me about how they’re doing their everyday tasks well. It’s clear that many people believe that career development is something they receive. They think it’s something that happens to them and that they have little responsibility in it. This notion can be detrimental to one’s long-term career growth.
It's not to say that organizations and the people managers within do not have a responsibility in your career development journey, because they do. But the main driver is… you.
You are in the driver’s seat. You get to choose where this bus (or Maserati or Ducati) goes. Your organization should be preparing its people managers to support your career development journey. People managers should be able to have productive conversations with you about your career development, help guide you when you’re unsure where to go, and introduce you to opportunities you may not know about because they’re in tune with your goals and interests. And your organization should be open to you using a dedicated amount of time to explore these goals and interests. It’s up to the organization to lay the foundation that enables you to be in the driver’s seat. But it’s up to you to determine your goals and interests and go after those opportunities. No one can or will do that for you. But where should you start?
First, it’s important to take time to think about:
What you’re good at
What you’re not good at*
What you like
What you don’t like
Experiences that have had impacts, large or small, and what those impacts have been
When you find yourself really focusing on something, what are you doing? What are you reading about? What are you listening to? How is the information being delivered?
What activities give you energy?
What activities drain your energy?
And more…
*I know a lot of people prefer the term “areas for opportunity” but sometimes you’re just not good at something. And that is OK! It’s OK to not be good at everything and accept this without feeling the pressure to go out and enhance those skills or knowledge gaps. That’s what makes teamwork so great. Where one person lacks, another excels. Team work makes the dream work, right?
I’ve developed a worksheet to help guide you through this thought process. You can download this below.
OK, so now that you know what you like and don’t like, what you’re good at and not good at, how do you turn this into a focused and effective career development journey?
I dive into this in Career Development Part 3.
