When we are "navigating unfamiliar territory, it is natural to feel anxious - especially if there is no map" to guide us (Clarke, 2011, p. 3). So, to guide where we want to go in our work, we build a map: a process which is called - logically - career mapping.
We plot our potential career path, like a mindmap or a flowchart, through self-knowledge, skill development training, qualification, internship, and role hierarchy to reach a particular goal. The goal might be a particular position, function, status or skill set: so a CEO, Human Resources specialist, leader, or creative. Alternatively, we could plot a linear model (Clarke, 2011) such as - for example - taking sciences, maths and technical drawing at secondary school, then doing a first year science at university, going on to train as an electrical engineer, beginning PLC programming work for a commissioning engineering firm before training more in circuit design; leading to a role with an electric vehicle manufacturer. We can plot in detours. We can build bridges. We can collect skills. The possibilities are endless.
Career mapping is a tool which allows us to understand and put our "personal values and career goals in an institutional context and [...] perspective" (Tinsley, 1984, p. 20). It allows us to put ourselves into an industrial, functional or organisational context, and consider where that gets us. Creating a map - whether a linear list or a flow chart - helps us to make sense not only of our own mahi, but also our team, our function, and "the institution as a whole, its mission, its values, its context in higher education nationally and locally, its informal agendas, its resources, and its problems" (p. 20). Powerful stuff.
This can take a "written form [..such as an] essay, chart, map with annotations, graphic" which enables our client "to develop an action plan for [their] own career, beginning with present title and salary and a brief description of present responsibilities and projecting title, salary, and responsibilities along the following time line: one year from now, two to three years from now, [...or even through to] retirement" (Tinsley, 1984, p. 21). How the client wishes to present their map is up to them, but putting it in some type of recorded form and monitoring it makes them more likely to achieve their goal (Harkin et al., 2016). While career mapping has been around for at least 40 years, apps now enable us to easily flowchart and visualise the "personal rewards and costs, [and to define] the skills and resources" (Tinsley, 1984, p. 20) for us to make sense of our path through an organisation, a sector, or within the broader world of work.
Also, for a change of direction, we could consider dividing the map a new school leaver client is creating into levels, organising it to address the following ideas (Clarke, 2011, p. 23):
- Entry level: Our entry point into the world of work. "our expectations about the work world will likely have to change. Even though [we] might not think [we] have much leverage or ability to choose, in fact [we] have quite a bit. Use [...]our youthful innocence to [...]our advantage and just go for what [we] want with purpose"
- Mid-level: As we build skills, keep track of progress. Network. Think ahead. "Establish [...]our regimen of building [...]our arsenal of skills, contacts, and other resources. Challenge [...ourselves] to learn something new every day, no matter how seemingly insignificant"
- Mastery: Build self-knowledge. Train for the gaps. Work to our strengths. "By now [we] have probably worked in a few different companies and environments, and [we] know what [we] want and what works best for [...us]. Make informed choices and continually evaluate options - even if [we] don't choose to pursue them"
- Encore: What have we missed? What do we regret not having tried? "It is hoped that [we] have made wise career choices, but perhaps [we] haven't explored more of what turns out to be an infinite set of possibilities. Push the limits on the "what if" to see where it can lead [us]"
- Detour: Use reflection to dig in and consider our values, interests, engagement, energy, passion and excitement. "Introspection is [...]our friend as [we navigate ...]our course. Get in touch with what moves [us] - with what has meaning - and let that inform [...]our choices. Couple that insight with decision, and [we] are off"
While the example above is for a school leaver, the ideas of entry, mid-, mastery, encore and detour are concepts which be considered at any age.
Any tools which give clients an alternative frame to consider their career thoughts are helpful!
Sam
References:
Clarke, G., with Garrett, E. (2011). Career Mapping: Charting your course in the new world of work. Morgan James Publishing/Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
Harkin, B., Webb, T. L, Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., Benn, Y., & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does Monitoring Goal Progress Promote Goal Attainment? A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198-229. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000025
Tinsley, A. (1984). Career mapping and the professional development process. In A. Tinsley, C. Secor, S. Kaplan (Eds.), Women in Higher Education Administration: New directions for higher education (Vol. 45, pp. 17-24). Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishing.
read more "Career mapping"