By Priscilla Poirier, Toronto Technology Recruiter
Do you track your career progression? Many professionals don’t. Or they loosely have an idea in their head of where they want to see their career and what they want to achieve. But to effectively track your career progression and make sure you are moving closer to your goals and objectives each year, you need a structured plan.
Why Tracking Career Progression Is Important
Tracking your career progression is important for many reasons. It helps you develop a clear focus for your career, can give you an advantage over other professionals vying for the same jobs, and it can help you make key decisions about jobs, promotions, professional development and all other aspects of your career.
How to Track Your Career Progression
There are many ways you can track or document your career progression. Here are 5 steps to include in a successful career progression plan:
Define Your Professional Self
You need to know who you are professionally to set a baseline for your career:
- What is your passion?
- Who are you professionally?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What have you achieved? What do you want to achieve?
- What makes you different from other professionals in your field?
Set Career Goals and Objectives
Know your end career goal to begin to work backwards:
- What does your dream job look like?
- What do you want to achieve in your career?
- Which types of jobs and roles do you not want to do?
- What career accomplishments do you want to achieve?
Professional Self vs. Career Goals
Compare your professional self with your career goals:
- How close are you to achieving your career goals?
- What skill and experience gaps exist?
- What education and job experience do you need to attain?
- Do you need additional training?
- What steps do you need to take to achieve your career goals?
Define Ideal Companies and Job Titles
Knowing where you want to work and the types of jobs you want during your career help you shape your career path:
- Which companies are appealing to you? Why?
- Which job titles interest you?
- Would you be willing to move for a job? Is location important?
Start Filling in the Gaps
Once you have an idea of who you are, where you are in your career, and the types of jobs you want, you can start to fill in the gaps to achieve your desired career.
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IQ PARTNERS is an Executive Search & Recruitment firm supporting clients across the country. We help companies hire better, hire less & retain more. We have specialist teams of recruiters in Technology (IT), Accounting and Finance, Consumer Goods, eCommerce and Retail, Financial Services and Insurance, Startup, Cannabis, Big Data, B2B and Industrial, Operations and HR, Professional Services and Legal, Media, Digital and Marketing, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, Emerging Technology and Telecom, and Sales. IQ PARTNERS has its head office in Toronto and operates internationally via Aravati Global Search Network. Click here to view current job openings and to register with us.
