Creating a Career Roadmap™ to get on the path to meeting your professional goals
Most of us have abandoned the classic roadmap in favor of a shiny GPS system, but at the root of whatever fancy technology you use to get from one place to another, there’s still some version of that old school map. We’ll never get fully away from them… and it’s because they work. A Career Roadmap™ is just as foundational to your professional trajectory.
Creating a Career Roadmap™ is all about building a mental bridge from where you are now in your career to where you’d like to be. When I prompt my clients in the Career Strategy Lab™ with this exercise, I also ask them to consider what’s stopping them from reaching their desired career position. That helps them hone in on their aims so they can ensure that their next steps will get them closer.
Here are six reasons that creating a Career Roadmap™ will help you on the path to your professional goals.
1. It will get you hired and promoted.
When you understand the steps necessary to take you from where you are right now to your ultimate objectives, you’ll have more confidence when opportunities for career shifts present themselves.
Beyond just guiding you to choose the best possible new roles, having an intentional Career Roadmap™ will help you develop language to impress supervisors and hiring managers. With your Roadmap on hand as you prepare for interviews, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the path you’ve already traveled in your career and where you can go next.
2. You’ll avoid the professional plateau.
For ambitious professionals with a clear vision for their future, there are few things more frustrating than a plateau phase. No one wants to feel stuck.
Developing and staying focused on a Career Roadmap™ can keep you out of those ruts. Knowing that you’ve mapped out your next steps, you’ll be less likely to linger in a single role for an extended period of time. You’ve got places to go and no time to waste — it says so on the map!
3. It serves as a decision filter.
When a new job opportunity comes across your desk or your supervisor asks if you’d be interested in taking on a new set of responsibilities, it’s not always clear what to do. You might feel like you should take on everything… or you might already be so overwhelmed that you’re content to maintain the status quo.
A filter to help you make those calls probably sounds pretty good, right?
Once again, a Career Roadmap™ is your friend. Refer to it any time you’re faced with a decision at work. Consider if the opportunity in question will help you move forward on that map. If it won’t, you should wait for something else.
4. It shows you what you still need to learn.
You can also use your Career Roadmap™ to guide more proactivity on your end. Assess the path you’ve laid out and ask yourself what you need to learn to follow it. Are there skills missing from your wheelhouse? Are there classes you can take to get more qualified? Is there additional research you can do on your own time to show that you know your stuff? Be honest about what’s missing, then be an active participant in your professional growth.
5. It lets you measure your progress.
Visual processors, in particular, will find that a Career Roadmap™ is a helpful resource, since it allows you to really see where you are.
Next time you’re feeling frustrated about where you are, check your map. As long as you’re using it to take action, it should serve as a reminder that you’re moving forward toward your biggest professional goals, even if the progress is slow.
6. It allows you to keep your vision in focus.
The beauty of any kind of map is that it reminds you of your destination! A Career Roadmap™ is no exception.
