6 Steps to Intentional Skill Path Development

Read this article if you are:

-  A job seeker

-  Transitioning careers

-  Looking to shift perspectives on what career path means

When working with career coaching clients, my questioning has shifted from what type of job are you looking for to what skills would you like to develop. Sticking with a specific job title can limit your opportunities. For example, an English teacher is looking for new positions in a public high school. This search would include terms, such as, English teacher, public schools, and high schools. Now, through coaching, this teacher has segued from a career path mindset to a skill path mindset and determined the next two skills to be developed are curriculum development and content delivery. On a job search engine, I used English teacher and receive 687 positions. I changed the search criteria to curriculum and received 3779 positions. In this scenario, the teacher’s focus on skill development could lead to a career she would have never imagined. 

Intentionally developing your skill path is a commitment. This commitment is different from the one we set in January and forget by February. In skill path development, you map the next six months to a year, setting aside time for intentional skill development.

Here are 6 steps to intentionally develop your skill path:

1. Choosing a Skill: What are the skills you would like to develop over the next six months to a year?
2. Set a Goal: What does successful development of the skills look like?
3. Brainstorm: What are all the ways you can potentially develop these skills? (In this phase feel free to incorporate research and others’ ideas into your list.) 
4. Map it: Begin placing opportunities, milestones, and goals throughout your calendar. 
5. Action: Act on the mapped-out plan on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. 
6. Integrity Check: What will you do to monitor and track progress along the way?

Intentionally developing your skill path can be fun. Remember to give yourself rewards along the way, create challenges to include others, create visual reminders and make it your own. My version of skill path development might look completely different from yours. Skill path mindset allows you to distinctively design your career. 

To develop your skill path muscles, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do I want to be known for?
2. What are the next three skills I need to develop?
3. Does my current location (country/state/city/town) offer ample opportunities to develop my next skill set?

I want to hear your voice. Comment below to share your experience, offer suggestions or ask questions.

"Not where we use to be, not where we want to be, but on the path to where we are meant to be."

Until next time,

Shavon T. Camper