You’re thinking about career development. Are you aware of these common misconceptions?

It is indeed good news that one’s career advancement is not restricted to traditional, linear career paths! You now have the flexibility to follow a very different journey to get to a destination. It is important to take risks to seek a breadth of new career experiences- they give you an excellent opportunity to learn and hone a wide range of skills and capabilities that are needed in today’s work place. At the same time, you get to demonstrate your potential to perform in each new experience/role, learn from mistakes, connect dots better, and this pitches and prepares you to succeed in more complex roles.

With AI revolution we have entered into a non-linear world, and with that expecting your career to be linear is at the least like expecting to navigate uncharted waters with a old compass. Career now a days are a lot like rockclimbing, there are many possibilities and path, to reaching the heights that maxmise your potential. The question is how willing are you to try the unconventional , because if you have the ability to take at the least calculated risks, the rewards will definetly follow.

It is often helpful to remember that life is made up of seasons. Each season does not immediately flip on and off like a light switch, nor does it turn from one to the next in one day with no transition. So it is with careers and even roles and jobs within a career. Look for ways to take the skills and abilities you have obtained in the current and previous seasons and transition them into a new season, either within your current career or a new career. Recognize that shifting from one career, role or job does not mean you are committed to that for all time forward, but only for the next season. Additional opportunities to transition to a new role, project, job, or career will come again as sure as the seasons of nature take their turn.

Development of any sort has to be organic. The choices you make, the chances you take, and the mistakes and successes you encounter all that journey contribute to a professional's development. Follow your instinct, give it your best shot and be honest and sincere with your efforts. Everyone is unique, and so is your journey. If I have to give an example here, I would like to quote an instance from Mahabharata when Arjun and Karna come face to face in the battlefield and Karna says I am the Best Archer in the world and Arjuna replies, you may enjoy being the best I am happy being "Better". Arjuna is enduring the journey while Karna is investing all his strength in a Title.

First let's define linear, if its vertical, then nope, career development or we call career fulfilment can go horizontal. I'm one of an example, an engineer by training, switch to mgt consultant, then to career educator n now switching to trade assoc. My industries across my 4 career paths, industry, roles are never same, never cross but I find fulfilment n meaning in wat I do n am happy. So career development is NOT LINEAR, it goes not only horizontal, but sometimes, in "X" shape, where you are at the centre of the cross, and your path can go any direction as long as you are able to find the TRUE NORTH.

It's essential to differentiate between career development and career growth. Career growth often refers to climbing the hierarchical ladder, acquiring promotions, and achieving higher positions. On the other hand, career development encompasses a broader spectrum, including skill enhancement, building a personal brand, and aligning your work with your passion and values. While promotions and raises are desirable, genuine career development transcends these markers. Create a career roadmap that integrates personal fulfillment with professional success. Self reflection can help differentiate between career growth and development, understanding that the latter is a holistic journey encompassing both personal and professional dimensions.

Career development guides you in selecting the optimal career path that will lead to your professional growth and careeradvancement, and assists you in strategizing for it.

You can balance career development with career advancement when you're crystal clear on three things: 1. Your net worth is not your self-worth. The money you make could never replace the sense of worthiness and belonging you create for yourself. You become more willing to ask for promotions and raises. 2. You have a good idea of how you can leverage your skills and strengths to make a positive impact through your work. You desire to be of service in the world and have the capacity to take risks to do so. 3. You believe in developing the people who work with you. You set your eyes on the big picture, and strategic thinking at the next level, while entrusting those around you to step up and take the lead.

Career development is definitely not linear, and there is no “cookie cutter template”. In the past decade, the job market has shifted to accommodate employee concerns. Issues like organization mission, work-life balance, and personal satisfaction from work have become forefront concerns. Due to this, position longevity and loyalty to company have become challenged. My office is frequented with clients that are experiencing “career shifts” to pursue their personal interests. Personally I have also undergone shifts between law, nonprofit, and education. Rather than viewing progression in terms of position title and salary, lateral movement into a field or role that aligns with personal values is becoming increasingly important.

Even in today’s competitive and results-driven marketplace, I also believe that most professionals would switch careers for more meaningful work. Even more astonishing, many would take a pay cut to work for a company that aligns with their values. This shows how important career development truly is.

You have sole responsibility for steering your career. The misconception that others can shape your professional path often stems from a conflation of career development with career growth. While climbing the organizational ladder signifies career growth, genuine career development involves discerning the right choices for your individual journey.

Career development is also known as ‘internal mobility’; a statement that is unknown perhaps to those outside of talent acquisition & people and culture. I believe accountability for one’s career starts with each individual themselves. A Career plan , mentor and a coach is advisable. No one should be expected to get the shoulder tap from a leader in the business saying ‘you are ready to make a career move’. Each employee should be working on self development, know their skills & what they require to go to the next stage. HR or leaders can guide, support, encourage, suggest tools, coaching, provide an indication of possibilities now and in future. Then it’s all about : Timing, role opportunity vs business posture vs state of the market.

My career can't be separate from 'me'. Like 'employees' are a resource for an organization, the 'organization' may become one resource for the employee in career development and advancement. But it is the sole responsibility, commitment and effort of an individual employee to develop one's own career. There are many ways an individual employee can develop the career like self-learning, taking initiatives in projects/assignments other than one's key role.

While the employer is tasked with fostering the skills that enable you to excel in your role, it is your own responsibility to steer your career development and manage your professional path.

Typically the career development you receive from an employer is built with them in mind. However you are more than what you do in one place, and what's offered as progression may not be the right progression for you. Take advantage of what's offered, but keep in mind that you're ultimately responsible for determining what's best for you, and seeking the opportunity to build your skills. Otherwise you may be waiting a long time for your employer to do so.

Finding "your" best career or job fit includes a strong understanding of yourself: what you can do, like to do and gain energy for the work. Your hobbies, volunteer work, interactions with people as well as any work experiences can help refine your direction and help gain experience and develop your skills.

My uncle started working at the age of 24 as Civil Engineer and retired as Chief Engineer (highest position in his department) in State Government. He then became a SME/Consultant for one large organization and handled various projects. Today at 72 years of age, he is running a non-profit organization where he is actively working on sites and guiding the villages to get clean water. Can we then really say the career development is a one-time event?

Career development is an ongoing journey, where you learn new skills and unlearn old habits or belief systems. It’s about doing self- reflection regularly, taking stock of your skills, interests and values, as well as your life stages. It’s a fluid and dynamic process and there’s no one right path. It’s about finding what makes your heart soar with passion and giving meaning to your life.

In my experience, when coaching many strategic leaders, I find that they focus on strategic insight for their industry or role type, however, they neglect strategic career planning. They look for a new role when they need a new role, or get excited when “tapped on the shoulder” for something that seems new or exciting. Genuine career development is not “set and forget” or reactive when things change. It is intentional, goal focussed, and long term while still being open to opportunities that may appear unexpected. Networking and connecting with others widely to make those goals clear is an outstanding way to find different paths forward rather than when there is an element of fear, reactivity or desperation in your search.

You know what else isn't a one-time event? Networking. Just as career development is a continual and purposeful process, so is networking. Engaging on LinkedIn and reaching out to your network to offer help are two great ways to keep nurturing your connections.

When I consider career development, I envision achieving my unique goals. My path won't mirror that of my manager, friends, colleagues, or family members. Creating my own development journey and prioritizing continuous learning are crucial. Equally important is avoiding the comparison of success timelines with others. Doing so might erode trust in my goals. Embrace your distinctive path and pace, steering clear of comparisons.

There's no one-size-fits-all in career development. It's highly personal, shaped by individual traits and circumstances. Personal Traits: Your skills and interests uniquely define your career journey. Life Circumstances: Your location and responsibilities impact your career choices. Avoid Imitation: Copying others' paths can lead to misalignment with your true self. Custom Strategy: Tailor your career plan to your unique profile. Action Points: Self-Discovery: Understand and leverage your unique strengths. Personalized Tactics: Adapt strategies to fit your individual needs and Be open to changing your plan as you grow. Essence: Your career path is yours alone. Chart a course that's true to you, not a replica of someone else's.

My favorite as a manager was to ask my employees, "what's your end goal?" As manager for an IT Service Desk I fully understand that there's no way these folks know what their end game is (I had a few who surprised me with very detailed plans!) The purpose was to get them thinking about next steps. Once I have an idea about mid-to-long term career goals i can apply my knowledge of the organization and environment and guide them to it. I'd start with finding a position that matches their desired state. We'd go over this posting in a 1:1, go line by line through requirements and compare to their resume. We'd talk about certifications that could be applied to work done in current and prior roles, any home projects, and look for gaps to fill.

Along these same lines, career development offered to others and not to you is not necessarily a negative. Trust your leaders to offer development opportunities that speak to you and not your peers. A good leader will have several tools for their team to consider in order to diversify the team’s strengths.

What constitutes a 'good' career or a career move is highly individual-specific. Hence career development will also be individual-specific. There is also the aspect of learning preferences. Different people might want to learn through different means aligned to their learning objectives, learning preferences and individual context. Since both the what and how of career development can be individual-specific, career development can't be the same for everyone.

One of my favorite coaching questions is: what pain are you willing to sustain in order to achieve this? Sometimes, career development is easy and fun, sometimes is hard and draining…

Career development can be fun as well as challenging and difficult at times. A lot depends upon your attitude towards change, too. Sometimes people will try to copy someone else’s path to career success without understanding the strengths that make them unique. This can lead to frustration and disappointment. Knowing yourself means that you can play to your strengths and chart your own path (and even enjoy the process along the way!)

Career development also involves work. If you are engaging with a career counselor, for example, you will need to set your own expectations and know that it’s a very collaborative effort. There is a lot involved in the process, including self-assessment, research (LOTS of research), and also risk-taking like putting yourself outside your comfort zone to network and explore your career options. Like I always tell my clients, you will get out of the process what you are willing to put in.

A person with a typical mindset "there is nothing to lose, neither nothing to gain, it is worth attempting it" would always go with the flow. At the end of the journey what we would captivate are those experiences. If one wants to keep them cherishing then they would love to make it easy and fun, at the end good memories are the take aways. Many of us would relate when we think of our stupid actions that we performed which could have been better handled. Living the moment is reality and lets make it easy with fun. At the end it would Fun & Exciting!

Make sure you can identify and face different external experiences that will affect your career development: - Job Insecurity: Fear of layoffs or company closures. - Unfulfilling Work: Lack of job satisfaction. -Stagnation: Limited growth opportunities. -Work-Life Imbalance: Struggling to balance work and personal life. -Toxic Work Environment: -Harassment or negative workplace culture. -Financial Strain: Low pay or financial instability. -Lack of Recognition: Not being appreciated for efforts. -Mismatched Expectations: Job differing from expectations. -Limited Opportunities: Barriers to career advancement. -Skill Obsolescence: Risk of becoming outdated in the industry.

How do you increase your professional value ? You need to invest in 3 assets. Knowledge”. Learning is a mindset not a diploma nicely framed somewhere in the attic. To cope with machine learning we need to become learning machines. How? Learning however has to find some concrete application. If I were to say that I know by heart all the recipes of Italian Cuisine but I have never cooked a dish in my life, I will not have any credibility. “Relationships”. I called it the social capital we have, the network we have built over the years. How to develop your network? It is not having whatever # of followers on social media. Is about doing and being at the service of other. Last but not least: protect your reputation And integrity.

There is no road map to career development. We each carve our own path. For instance, mine went from government attorney to executive assistant due to a military move and employment challenges. However, without my experience as an executive assistant I would not have been as prepared for CEO when it came. And it did come. That said, there are a few actions you can take. Accepting mistakes and failures as opportunities to learn, learning from mentors and/or coaches, and reading or listening to books. Your journey awaits - it’s up to you to take the first step.

There are strategies and resources available to help overcome challenges of career development. Seeking guidance from career coaches, attending professional development programs, networking events, and continuously learning and upskilling can greatly support your career development journey. Remember that career development is a lifelong process, and each challenge presents an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Considero que el desarrollo profesional es un ámbito de estudio y ejecución complejo, donde entran en juego muchas variables. Llevar a cabo un buen plan de desarrollo profesional en tu empresa no es tarea sencilla. Además de que supone una revisión constante para evaluarlo correctamente. Sin embargo, me sorprende cómo en muchos casos se habla de #competenciaspersonales y a la hora de la verdad apenas se tienen en cuenta las #competenciastecnicas. ?Qué hay del estudio y evaluación sistemática de las habilidades blandas (#softskills)? Siento que a menudo se menosprecian las #competenciastransversales que se han adquirido precisamente fuera del ambiente laboral (en la vida personal y familiar) y considero que esto es un grave error.

Beyond the Business Card: Cultivating Lasting Connections ?? Effective networking extends beyond collecting business cards; it involves a sincere commitment to nurturing lasting professional relationships. This process is rooted in regular, meaningful engagement, offering value, and a genuine interest in others' success. More than just exchanging contacts, it's about reciprocal support and consistent communication, fostering strong, enduring connections that go beyond initial introductions.