What do you want to be when you grow up?
It’s a question you may have heard a lot in your youth, maybe when you were as young as 5 years old.
Yes, at an early age some folks actually do know the answer to this question and they pursue that dream as time marches on. For others, the answer is likely to change throughout their childhood and into their years as young adults.
No matter where you are in your career – either just getting started or transitioning from one direction to another – the question becomes, “How do I achieve my career goal?” One of the best ways to proceed is to create a clear path that leads you down the road to your success.
Here are five steps to consider when mapping out your career path:
1. What are your values?
What’s important to you about the position you want, the people you want to work with, and the environment you want to be in on a daily basis? Knowing this helps you make choices that align with your values and those of the companies you work for. (NOTE: It is likely that, as you travel down the career path, you’ll move either from one position to another internally or from one company to another until you’ve reached your final destination.)
2. Write down your strengths
Having a clear understanding of where you shine when it comes to your skills, talents and abilities, helps guide you down that career path. If you’re a connector, someone who enjoys social interaction, then starting with a front desk or a sales position could be up your alley. However, if face-to-face interaction is not your strength, but you enjoy working with numbers, then you may be better suited for a back-office position in accounting.
3. What do you want to achieve
As you head down that path, what’s your final goal? Do you want to climb the corporate ladder, start your own business, etc.? A clear sense of direction helps you stay focused so that you recognize, and are open to, opportunities that appear along the way. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked into another direction if it isn’t a stepping stone toward your ultimate goal. That said, this doesn’t mean you can’t shift if something feels out of alignment for you. Listen to your gut intuition.
4. Create a list of resources
These include networks of people in your life – from mentors, professors or coaches to alumni, co-workers and/or colleagues. Think about professional associations that you’ve been a member of or organizations where you’ve volunteered in the past. Then take advantage of those connections by scheduling information interviews (not job interviews) to gather details about certain professions, the paths these professionals took to get where they are, the plusses and minuses, etc. This should help you gain clarity about whether or not the career path you’re taking is leading you where you want to go.
5. Outline the possible progression of your career
While your career may or may not progress in the exact way you’ve outlined, you’ll, at the very least, have a clear view of the target. For instance, if your goal is to obtain a position as the Director of Human Resources for a hotel chain, it may mean you start out working at the front desk. It will be a first step, then you may continue with professional development or training to gain new skills needed to take the next step up the ladder. It may also mean lateral or forward moves within the company (or at a new company) to ultimately reach the position you’ve been dreaming of.
Dr. Seuss said, “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” Map out your career path with the five steps highlighted above and start steering yourself in the direction you choose.