Career Development

“Our greatest vulnerability is the very door through which we must pass in order to open the next horizon of our lives” (unknown)

I have observed in managing a Coaching Pool over the last few years where trained Coaches are working with clients inside organisations, career development is by far the most popular area that clients want to work on. Career development may not be about a clear path, more money, new title, or the boss’s job. It may be new challenges, flexibility, or skill development. Many people don’t take the time out to really think about their work, until there is a crisis like redundancy or a re-structure, or they just bob along in their current roles, not thinking about whether there is anything out there they might really love doing.

Reviewing your career to date is important for the reflection it brings, and the emphasis for career planning these days is much more on individuals than Employers doing it for them. In a major career survey a few years back with hundreds of interviews across Executives and professionals from over 30 countries, most employees understand that they, not their employers, need to control their careers. 57% of respondents overall don’t expect their employer to provide a clear career path, and that sentiment increases with age. Immediate career plans are up in the air. Less than half of respondents in the survey indicated that they knew what they want their next job to be, and only 23% knew what their employer wants their next job to be. Opportunities with current employers aren’t promising, as only one in two respondents believed they have decent career opportunities with their current employer. Over a third expect their next career move will take them elsewhere; this is especially true in the pandemic over the last 2 years, where people are increasingly asking questions about their work life.

This section looks at areas such as why people do what they do, approaches to thinking about what your key strengths and values underpinning your career choices are, along with more practical aspects like CVs and interview skills

 

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