Career progression
Careers do not stand still!
They either progress or wither. Life never stays the same and so it is with your career (even if you do not like the concept).
Nature never stands still, the life force is ever-present, changing, growing and adapting…this is an underlying truth.
“But I like my job and social environment, and just want it to stay that way”. In ten years time, many things will have changed in your life, and if you do not manage that change along the way, you will be disillusioned and left behind.
Career management and planning should be invigorating and inspiring; otherwise, you are probably in the wrong job and should consider a career change NOW.
“If I change my career and take a risk then, my partner will be upset, and my parents may feel that they wasted all that energy on my education”. Another truth is that to advance in life, you will always upset someone.
Really? Think about you and a fellow worker competing for a promotion. There is only one position vacant so if you get the appointment then the other person is going to be upset, and the reverse applies if you don’t.
Be ever vigilant and restless…
Therefore, you will need to take the following steps:
• Assess your career fitness
-Could you leave your job tomorrow and be quickly “snapped up” by a major competitor. In other words, are you attractive to another employer?
• Evaluate your skillset with a market-ready focus
-Develop a list of your skills and match them to job advertisements. Do they match at least 90% of job specifications?
• Reflect on your suitability to your current sector and employer
-Do you like working in your current sector and does it match your values?
-Is your employer a supportive and progressive organisation or simply a plodder?
• If you had the choice of any job etc. what would it be…think about your interests
-Perhaps you like photography, fitness or any other activity.
• Identify the deficiencies that you have discovered and explore options to address and/or improve them
-Congratulations, you are now on the way to developing a career management strategy.
A detailed career management evaluation should be an annual task that represents an honest assessment of your career position and how to drive it to the next level.
The point is that nobody will do this for you. You have a personal responsibility to develop your career via constant reflection, planning and action.
Effective career development is both complex and vital to stay relevant in this ever-changing workforce. Obtain professional assistance and develop a close relationship with a qualified career counsellor/coach if you cannot manage these tasks yourself.
There has been extensive publicity on the changing nature of the workplace due to robots, drones and driverless vehicles. It’s happening now, and all any person can do is to keep relevant and nimble to capitalise on these new opportunities (and not get left behind).
Accept the fact that career progression and growth does not happen overnight. What you do today will directly contribute to your career health over the next ten years, and beyond.
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything". - George Bernard Shaw
ACMA creates successful career paths through detailed individual assessment, research and job market analysis, combined with expert personalised coaching.
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred that the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
