Career Development

In life, we all want to feel secure and stable. So when you start a new job, it's natural to wonder: is this my career path? How can I build skills in this position so that I can advance within the company? And what skills do I need to pursue my long-term career goals? These are some of the questions that people often ask themselves when they're just starting out on their careers.

To understand their own strengths and weaknesses, employees won't have to look very hard – they already know.

"I don't think I'm a bad employee," says the employee, "but I don't feel like I can make a really big impact at this company."

"I'm not the best designer here," says the employee. "But at least I can manage the team and get things done."

Unfortunately, the numbers tell another story. According to a CompTIA report , most people are underutilized at their jobs. So what's causing this? The answer isn't as simple as it seems:

It's not always the fault of managers or coworkers. The real culprit is often ourselves. Specifically, how we learn new skills and how well we apply them when we do so.

The numbers are clear: we can't really change what we are, but we can learn how to become what we want to be. This is something all managers know, and it's something that many managers struggle with.

When your employees have the skills needed in their current roles, they'll work better and produce more value. But for leaders to encourage this process, they must view everyone as an individual and leverage their strengths in other areas.