What do you do if your career goals in application development aren't being understood by your boss?

1 Assess your situation

Before you approach your boss, take some time to evaluate your current role and performance. Are you meeting your deadlines and delivering quality work? Are you contributing to your team and the company's goals? Are you receiving regular feedback and recognition? If you can answer yes to these questions, you have a strong case to discuss your career goals with your boss. If not, you may need to focus on improving your skills and reputation first.

2 Define your goals

Next, you need to clearly define what you want to achieve in your career as an application developer. Do you want to learn a new programming language or framework? Do you want to work on a different type of application or platform? Do you want to take on more responsibility or leadership? Do you want to pursue a certification or a degree? Whatever your goals are, make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help you communicate them effectively and track your progress.

4 Negotiate and compromise

Depending on your boss's response, you may need to negotiate and compromise to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Your boss may have some valid concerns or limitations that prevent them from fulfilling all your requests, such as budget constraints, project priorities, or team dynamics. You should be respectful and empathetic, and try to understand their point of view. You should also be flexible and willing to adjust your goals or timeline if necessary. However, you should not give up on your goals entirely, or settle for less than you deserve. You should aim for a win-win outcome that satisfies both your and your boss's needs and expectations.

5 Follow up and follow through

After you have reached an agreement with your boss, you need to follow up and follow through on your commitments. You should document your goals and action plan, and share them with your boss and other relevant stakeholders. You should also set up regular check-ins with your boss to update them on your progress, achievements, and challenges. You should also seek feedback and guidance from your boss and other sources, such as peers, mentors, or coaches. Most importantly, you should deliver on your promises, and demonstrate your skills, results, and value. This will help you build trust and credibility with your boss, and increase your chances of reaching your career goals in application development.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?