Tyler Woods,
If you’re feeling stuck, you have the ability to make a change.If there is one common concern I hear from professionals, it’s fear of complacency. Especially for those who have been pushed their entire lives to do more, be more, and achieve more (aspirations that deserve their own deconstruction), it can be both scary and irritating when it feels like there are no direct paths to move forward, and when you are surrounded by people who seem less inclined to help you do, be, and achieve. At worst, these situations can turn into real stumbling blocks that can harm your career over the long run. Instead, today’s successful professional must engage in an ongoing process of learning, evaluation, action, reflection, and navigation to move forward with intention.
Why Do You Feel Stuck?There is a particular professional experience that happens to everyone, at some point: feeling stuck. This might look like professional paralysis due to uncertainty about next steps. It might feel like you have maxed out in your ability to grow where you are. It could be due to external factors, like family responsibilities or financial needs.
While a global health crisis certainly put a spotlight on many parts of our society that need fixing, people adopting a “take this job and shove it” attitude certainly isn’t new (after all, the song that made that phrase popular was released nearly 50 years ago). According to Pew Research, low pay (63 percent), no opportunities for advancement (63% percent), and feeling disrespected at work (57 percent) were the top reasons people quit their jobs in 2021 (Parker & Horowitz 2022). Each of these factors can contribute to feeling stuck where you are. But feeling stuck and actually creating a plan to change can be very different things.
Creating an Intelligent Career PlanOne of my favorite career development models comes out of research on intelligent careers (DeFillippi & Arthur, 1994). Using this framework as a guide, you are encouraged to reflect on three core “career competencies”: knowing why, knowing how, and knowing whom. Knowing why describes an assessment of your core values and your motivation to work, and how well-aligned your current role or organization is to these items. Knowing how is defined by the skills, knowledge, and abilities you need to do your current role successfully, as well as what you will need to move into a future role. And knowing whom describes the relationships you must build with the people who are willing and able to help you. The reason I like this model is because first, it is something you can do on your own. Certainly, it would be better deployed in concert with a mentor or a coach. But it doesn’t require it. Second, it’s about making an intentional, personal investment in one’s own career path (Parker, Khapova, & Arthur, 2009). And third, it speaks to the active, ongoing nature of today’s career journeys. Discovering your why is a lifelong exercise; what motivates you as a 22-year-old won’t be the same as what motivates you when you’re 50. Knowing how will change with each new experience. The skills you need for your current job won’t be the same as what you will need for the next one, and the one after that. And knowing whom is a lifelong process. Your network is a living, breathing, community of people that must be maintained and updated over time.
Five Steps to Build Your PlanThere is nothing wrong with seeking out additional, external guidance as you create and move through your plan, whether that’s with a professional career coach, trusted mentors and sponsors, your manager, or others. And, while I firmly believe that none of us can be successful alone, it is possible to create and pursue a career development plan from where you sit and without that additional guidance. Here are the five steps that I, and my team, advise.
Learn: About the role, about your organization, about yourself. When you first enter into an organization or a new role, put a high priority on learning. Who are the important people? How is the organization structured? How does your role fit into the structure? What are your expectations for success? How does this role align with your strengths, interests, values, and possible next steps? In the Intelligent Careers framework, this is where you reflect on your why: why do you show up to work each day, why this role and not another, how does this role align with your why?
Evaluate: Skills and gaps. This step and the next one correspond with the “Knowing How” part of the Intelligent Careers framework. What do you need to know, be able to do, and learn to be successful in your current role? What skills or knowledge areas are you missing, and what could you do to fill those gaps? As you start to think about what comes next, what are you missing in terms of skills, knowledge, and abilities to make that move? Create an ongoing practice of reviewing job descriptions and taking note of the roles, organizations, and industries you find interesting, and assess what they are looking for and where your gaps are.
Act: To fill your gaps. This might look like taking a class or getting a certification through your organization, professional association, a local university, or online resources. It could mean gaining knowledge of different parts of your industry or organization through curiosity conversations and self-study. It could mean seeking out intentional experiences to grow your skills, either within your organization or through professional and civic associations. There is no shortage of opportunities for you to build your skills and develop the knowledge areas you need to move forward; the key is being intentional about it.
Reflect: On what you’ve learned. Seek out feedback from mentors, sponsors, and wise counselors to effectively process what you are learning, and how you will use that knowledge in the future. This is where the “Knowing Whom” part of the Intelligent Careers framework is so important. Who is in your network that can help you to make sense of where you are and what comes next?
Navigate: What’s next. Finally, there comes a point where you must decide what comes next. Are there opportunities to progress where you are? If you’re ready to make a move, how do you use the data you have collected to make an informed decision? What story are your personal marketing documents (resume, LinkedIn, other portfolio) telling about your skills, knowledge, and abilities?
Developing a personal career development plan is ongoing work. You must recognize that your career path is yours, alone, and no one is ever going to care about it quite as much as you do (nor should they). Gather the data that you need, take intentional steps to fill your gaps, reflect on your why, invite others into your journey, and move forward with confidence and clarity.
Source: DeFillippi, R.J., & Arthur, M.B. (1994). The boundaryless career: A competency-based perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 307-324.
Parker, K., & Horowitz, J.M. (March 9, 2022). Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-…
Parker, P., Khapova, S.N., & Arthur, M.B. (2009). The intelligent career framework as a basis for interdisciplinary inquiry. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75(3), 291-302.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.04.001Original Content:
https://shorturl.at/gnOYZ
