Six steps to map complex roles

Recently we looked at what career path mapping was, and looked at a pretty straight-forward role (teaching, here). In that post I flagged that mapping more complex roles took a bit more effort. There are six steps that Tallo (2020) propose, as follows:

Step 1: Create A Detailed Career Map. "The first step to mapping out your career is to create a career roadmap for yourself. Like the examples above, you should start from the top down with your dream job. Make a list of the sequential positions you’ll need to get there, keeping in mind that opportunities may arise where you can move sideways to expand your expertise" (Tallo, 2020).

Step 2. Fill In Position Profiles. "After you’ve mapped out the job positions you need to reach your dream job, fill out the necessary skills, experience, training, and certifications you’ll need to achieve each step in your career. If you’re in a competitive field, you may want to consider listing a few additional skills that may increase your chances of advancing quickly" (Tallo, 2020). See the example on the Tallo (2020) site for an Assistant Director of HR at https://tallo.com/blog/career-path/.

Step 3. Do Your Research. "Once you have a career map, start doing in-depth research for different positions, with a heavy focus on your dream career. Carve out time each day to read news related to your industry and read blogs written by those in your field. To get a clearer picture of your dream job, try finding a job shadowing opportunity that will give you a behind-the-scenes look at your future career" (Tallo, 2020).

Step 4. Expand Your Knowledge And Skills. "Now comes the tricky part: gaining the skills and knowledge you need to progress in your career. Read books, take online courses, and use whatever resources you have available to you at work to expand your skillset. Don’t forget to ask for performance reviews at work to see if there is anything that could stand to be improved. If you want to speed the process up considerably, look into getting a mentor. A good mentor can be a huge asset to your career by teaching you valuable skills and being a source of support" (Tallo, 2020).

Step 5. Set Small Goals For Yourself. "While big career goals may be admirable, they can be unrealistic or difficult to achieve. To keep yourself motivated and on track, be sure to set small, attainable goals that keep you moving towards your big goal. For instance, maybe your smaller goal is to learn Ruby programming in three months to help you reach your big goal of becoming a developer for a tech startup. Once you reach your milestone, continue setting small goals while keeping the bigger picture in mind" (Tallo, 2020).

Step 6. Network To Gain Visibility. "Never stop networking! It’s seriously one of the single-best things you can do for your career. Not only can networking broaden your job opportunities outside of your company, it can help you make a powerful lateral move to a different department. By networking with people outside of your department, you can learn about different positions within the company and get first-hand knowledge of what those positions entail. And if you make a good impression, you could give yourself a big advantage if/when you decide to apply for the position" (Tallo, 2020).

This is a pretty helpful list. 

Sam

References:

AIHR. (2023). Create Your HR Career Path. Academy to Innovate HR. https://www.aihr.com/hr-career-paths/

Tallo. (2 July 2020). How to Map Out Your Career Path – With Examples. https://tallo.com/blog/career-path/