3 Myths About the Perfect Career Path

3 Myths About the Perfect Career Path

There is only one path

One myth of the path is that there is only one. While the one you are familiar with may be the most followed, it’s one of many. One way to find other ways to get to the same end point is to talk to people who are where you want to be. Most people who are successful enjoy giving back. Identify a few people and ask if they would be interested in mentoring you.

Another possibility is that your path may change because you become interested in something else. The only way to know if you like something is to experience it. You may find that as you are on your path you don’t like what you are doing. Don’t be afraid to alter that path to match your desires. If you aren’t sure which path to take, consider career counseling for experienced professionals to help you with your decision. Forbes has a great article on several career myths, check it out here.

Every step has to be vertical.

Do you think that every new job or opportunity you take needs to be a step up? If your goal is to one day lead an organization, the more experience you have the better leader you will be. When considering if you want to take an opportunity think about the skills you will gain. Will those skills benefit you in the long term?

Over the course of your career, those lateral moves to strengthen your profile will lead to larger increases. Not only will you learn a ton of valuable information, by going into different companies and departments you will increase your network. Think of this as one of the career strategies to improve your employee branding, more people who are familiar with your work means more opportunities in the future.

You Will Enjoy Every Step.

On your journey there are very likely going to be some jobs you don’t like. That doesn’t mean you should question your end goal. By going through different aspects and experiences you will be able to better relate as you take on more complex and higher level work.

If you find yourself in a step that you don’t enjoy, remind yourself what you are gaining. Also plan out your next step so you have something to look forward to. Determine how long you need to remain in this step and once you have gained the skills, move on to something else. Don’t be afraid to try different career strategies! Negative experiences can be just as important as positive ones to help you see where you want to go. Check out this article from Mergers and Acquisitions on some additional myths to consider on the typical career path.

by Erin Moody 16/02/2018