Define Your Career Aspiration
I have become obsessed with learning and teaching how to build a successful career. So, what are the three (3) key steps?
1) Define your career aspiration
2) Determine what career lifecycle stage you are in
3) Develop your action plan
Let’s start with defining your career aspiration:
A career aspiration is more than a question of “what are you going to do when you grow up?”
First of all, your career aspiration is yours. It is unique to you and you own it. Don’t rely on others to define your ambitions. It is natural to see others in their careers and think, “If only I could do as well as they are doing”. Don’t be tempted. You should learn from other’s experiences, but be careful to craft the career aspiration that best fits you. You also will be the only one who determines if your career ambition has been achieved.
Second, I feel strongly that your career ambition should not be just a title. Rarely do titles define your challenges and successes. A colleague of mine confessed that her early ambition was to be a CEO. Indeed, she accomplished this by owning her own consulting firm. But that wasn’t enough. Upon reflection, she told me that her true ambition was to be a leader in her profession, be recognized for her successes, have a meaningful impact within the not-for-profit community, and be fairly compensated for her results. Her career included numerous roles with several companies, and she met her aspirations, but it wasn’t because of her title.
Third, try to visualize the end of your career and your desired accomplishments. Is your ambition ultimately to own your own business? Maybe you want to make a lot of money and retire early. But this visualization isn’t a one-time snapshot. It is ongoing.
Forth, write your career ambition down and look at it once a year. Are you on track? If so, great. But does that ambition even still fit? Your career goal may change, and that is perfectly OK. The point is that you want to remind yourself of the journey you are on and reconfirm that you are on the right path.
Building your career on your own can be scary, but it can also be rewarding. You will own your career, craft it the way you want it, and be proud of your accomplishments when you look back. No regrets, no do-overs, just a life and a career well-lived.
Our next blog will be: Determine what career lifecycle stage you are in.