Career Pathways

A career path gives you a sense of direction, a way to assess career progress, and an opportunity to
achieve career goals and milestones along the way. Developing a career path is easier, and more
supported, in an organization that has a PDP process, or an effective performance appraisal or career
planning process.

Organizational career path

An organizational career path (also known as a career ladder or vertical career plan)
is a career path that you create with your direct manager. The goal is to climb a
career ladder within a company. 

While many career paths lead to management positions, there are several for those
who don't aspire to management.

Many organizations have already developed a career path framework for their
employees. Here's what the process may look like: You create a career path with
your manager. Together, you will establish career goals for you to meet. These
goals will prepare you for the next step in your career path, including:

 Helping with special projects

 Taking an online course
 Earning a certification
 Mentoring colleagues
 Shadowing a colleague for a day 

To stay on track with your career path, you should review your milestones and goals
often. You also need to review your career path with your direct manager at least
quarterly. Work with your manager to schedule times to check your progress
together. 

Personal career path

A personal career path is one that you create for yourself. It's based on a self-assessment of your skills,
interests, hobbies, values, and passions. A personal career path can lay the foundation of your career
without being restricted to one organization. 

If you’re ready to create your career path, start by making a list of the skills you’re good at, followed by
your interests and hobbies. Then write down the things that matter most to you. 

Look at everything on your list and think about the industries that could benefit from your talent. For
example, if you’re great with children, consider a career path in education. If you prefer healthcare more
than teaching, look into a career path for pediatric nurses or doctors.

You can also take a career path quiz or a personality assessment to find out the best careers for you.
With a personal career path, you have complete control of your career development. A personal career
path may require more work, but it can be very rewarding. You have to take the initiative to find
resources that help with your career development. Research the things that will prepare you for the
next job. Network with others in your industry even if they work for a different company.

4 types of career paths

There are four types of career paths—knowledge-based, skill-based, entrepreneur-
based, and freelance. Every kind of career path caters to a specific set of
qualifications that help you perform your job.

Knowledge

Knowledge-based career paths allow you to use the knowledge you acquired over
time to do your job. Employees in human resources, marketing, and accounting all
follow a knowledge-based career path. Other examples include IT professionals and
engineers.

Skills

Skill-based professions need an understanding of how a specific job function

operates. These are often physical, hands-on, or service skills. Many of these roles
fall in the construction industry, as well as performers, artists, and restaurant chefs.

You may notice that many positions are cross-functional. Your job may need a
combination of knowledge-based and skills-based work. This is the case with
lawyers, doctors, and administrative personnel.

Entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur solves a problem or a specific need by selling their own product or

service. An entrepreneur can work independently or start a company and hire
employees. Many startups, including BetterUp, began with an entrepreneur solving
a problem for consumers.

Freelance 

People hire independent contractors (or freelancers) to perform a specific job or

project. Freelancers offer many services, including graphic design, consulting, home
repair, and photography.
16 examples of career paths

The key to having a solid career path is identifying the skills and experience needed for the positions in
your career path. You won’t be guaranteed a senior manager role just because you’ve been a manager
for two years. You have to demonstrate specific skills that show that you’re ready for the next step in
your career.

Knowing what lies ahead in your career path can help you focus on the right skills. 

Job responsibilities, qualifications, and a company's needs change so much in today's workforce. You
can't set a career path and expect your career to just run on autopilot. Keep an open mind and adapt to
changes where necessary. 

The current work climate requires employees to be flexible in their roles. An Executive Assistant may
need the skills of a project manager to do their job. Upper management across industries needs to have
a basic understanding of Human Resources. 

It's important to stay on top of your industry trends and adapt to these changes. Stay proactive. Talk to
others in your field to learn about how your career path is evolving. 

Here are some examples of career paths that you can explore.

Accounting: Staff Accountant > Senior Accountant > Accounting Manager > Senior Accounting Manager
> Firm Partner

Administrative: Administrative Assistant > Executive Assistant > Office Manager > Event and Conference
Planner > Event Manager > Director of Events

Advertising: Advertising Sales Agent > Advertising Sales Manager > Account Manager  > Account
Executive > VP of Advertising

Construction: Constructive Services Associate > Site Manager > Construction Manager > Facilities
Manager > Project Manager 

Customer Service: Associate > Team Lead > Manager > Senior Manager > Director > Chief Operating
Officer

Writer/Editor: Staff Writer or Journalist > Associate Editor > Editor > Senior Editor > Editor-in-Chief

Education: Para-professional > Classroom Teacher > Curriculum Administrator > Assistant Principal >
Principal > District Superintendent

Engineering: Junior Engineer > Senior Engineer > Project Manager > Senior Project Manager >
Engineering Consultant

Human Resources: HR Coordinator > HR Manager > HR Director > VP of HR > Chief of HR  

Lawyer: Summer Associate > Junior Associate > Senior Associate > Partner > Managing Partner

Marketing: Marketing Coordinator or Marketing Specialist > Marketing Manager > Director of Marketing
> VP of Marketing > Chief Marketing Officer
Nursing: CNA > IPN > ADN-RN > BSN-RN > MSN > DNP

Restaurant: Host/Hostess, Prep Cook, Server > Service Manager > Assistant General Manager > General
Manager

Retail: Sales Associate > Team Lead > Assistant Manager > Store Manager > District Manager > Regional
Manager 

Salesperson: Sales Rep > Territory Manager > District Manager > Regional Manager 

Alternative path: Sales Rep > Account Manager > Key Account Manager > Director of Business
Development > VP of Sales or Client Success

Technology: IT Help Desk > Help Desk Manager > Network, Cloud, or Systems Administrator > Network
or Systems Engineer > Security and Compliance Director > Chief Technical Officer

You'll notice some similarities in these career paths. Some industries share the same career path, only
with different titles. 

As you climb up your career ladder, you'll see a progression of responsibilities. You'll transition from
completing defined tasks to delegating tasks to others. You will also be responsible for more decision-
making and leadership. 

Sometimes, your career path will require flexibility. Don’t shy away from a lateral move in your career,
especially if it gets you one step closer to your next vertical move. This is especially true if you change
industries or career paths.

5 skills to cultivate your career path 

As you progress through your career path, you will develop specific skills that prepare you for the next
role. Some skills will be industry-specific, while other skills will be more common across all industries.

The following skills will contribute to the success of your professional development.

Adaptability

As mentioned before, every job during your career path may not be a step up on the career ladder.
Sometimes a lateral move will be just as impactful as a vertical movement will be. It’s vital to remain
adaptive and open to changes in the trajectory of your career.

Communication

Communication is a vital skill for anyone on their career path, no matter the industry. When you grow in
your career, you won’t just communicate with your teammates anymore. You may be communicating
with C-level executives, external clients, potential employees, partners, etc.

Effective communication will prove that you’re not only ready for the next role in your career, but you’re
also able to communicate as a strong leader. Communication as a soft skill 

Leadership
There may come a time in your career where you evolve into a position that requires you to lead a team.
Having strong leadership skills will help you cultivate your career path. Think about the managers and
mentors that you’ve had. What qualities did those leaders have that made the most significant impact
on you? What leadership styles do you want to adopt for the teams that you’ll lead?

Problem Solving

As you will find in most career paths, the work you do will evolve from task-based work into strategy-
based solutions. Problem-solving skills will help you with that transition.

Take the problem of high turnover for example. A Human Resources Coordinator may solve this by
recruiting two new Marketing Associates. The Director of Human Resources will suggest strategies that
the coordinator will execute. Developing strategies that solve problems will be essential through your
career path development. 

Time Management

Time management won’t always be about how much work you can get done in a day or a week.
Employers also evaluate the results that you produce within a given amount of time. The way you
prioritize and delegate tasks will be an example of your time management skills.

There are several online resources that help with time management. You can check out the dozens of
books about time management too.