The Career Road Map - December 2024

This career road map is a comprehensive guide to navigating your career transition in the New Year. Whether you are seeking a new role, a career change, or more flexibility in your current role, this road map is designed to help you pause, reflect, and take actionable steps to achieve your career goal.

The road map has six activities one for each of the remaining six weeks in 2024. Each activity consists of a quote to inspire you, reflective questions, and an action plan.

 All activities focus on key themes essential for career development: Career Growth, Values and Beliefs, Feedback, Networking, Personal Branding, and Work-life Balance.

Let's delve into Week 1, which focuses on Career Growth.

Many people aspire to career growth, yet it can be elusive for some due to various factors, including lack of passion for the role, insufficient support, personal commitment, and employment trends.

If you find that your career growth is stagnant, reflecting on this quote by Steve Jobs might be helpful: Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to do great work is to love what you do If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

Here are some reflective questions to consider

• Reflect on your top three achievements this year. What factors contributed to your success? How can you leverage these factors to achieve greater career fulfillment?

• What learning activities did you engage in over the past year? How did you share your learning experience with others?

• What are the emerging trends in your sector?  Identifying these trends now can help you prepare for new career opportunities.

• What changes would you like to make in your career next year? 

Action to help you achieve career growth

Write down two key competencies you want to develop or enhance for your next role. Create a learning plan to help you focus and gain these competencies. Consider these questions when creating your learning plan:

1. Why are these competencies important for your next career transition?

2. What activities can help you gain these competencies?

3. What is your time scale for gaining these competencies?

4. Who can help you develop or enhance these competencies?

5. What barriers might you experience and how do you plan to address them?

6. How would you monitor your progress?

7. How would you celebrate your achievement?  

Finally

Now that you have completed week 1, how do you feel about the progress you have made in your career? Has this activity inspired you to reignite your passion for growth? I would love to hear your thoughts about this activity.

When I did this exercise many years ago, it made me realise that my career was on the verge of hitting a plateau and this prompted me to take action.

Remember that the insights gained from this activity can help shape your career direction in the coming Year. Embrace these insights, Share them, and build on them. Good Luck.