(WHAT IS CAREER PATH?

)
(Career Path)
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.

(CAREER V.S. JOB)

(Career)
A field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional,
or business life.

(Job)
It is a regular activity in exchange of payment.

(IMPORTANCE OF CAREER PATH)

(Importance of Career Path)
• A career path gives you clear next steps.
• Your productivity and motivation increase.
• You can determine if your current employer supports your career path.

(THE FOUR CAREER CONCEPTS)

(Linear)
While prevalent in the United States, this proves to be a difficult concept to yield continuing
success. Movement up the organizational pyramid provides fewer positions into which to
advance. Many who carry the linear concept are frustrated. Many leave positions of influence
when they become “topped out.” The “de-layering” of organizational levels of the 1990s left
many linears disillusioned. For many, it is an emotionally brutal concept.

(Steady State Expert (SSE) / Expert)

This includes the craft worker who yearns to be the best welder at Amalgamated Inc. It is also
the trial lawyer garnering community recognition for a high-profile case, the surgeon with
national recognition for an innovative procedure, or the accountant with the most knowledge in
the department of accounting rules. Those who carry the expert concept may have been told in
their youth to “grow up to be good at something.” Their parents or grandparents may have been
influenced by the Great Depression, during which the employees who kept their jobs often had
the best skills.

This type of career path is suited to those who don’t value power and status as much as linear
types and are more focused on developing their skills to become experts in their field, being
high-skilled, mobile, and adaptable.

(Spiral)
A spiral’s parents may have taught him to be “well rounded.” New positions are a natural
extension of the prior work. This is the engineer who migrates into project management and
then to capital budgeting and eventually to corporate budgeting functions. Spirals amass a vast
amount of knowledge and experience. Many spirals in mid-career feel a strong desire to share
their massive knowledge with others. This leads some spirals to leave large companies to
become consultants or teachers.

Learning is the key source of motivation for spiral types. Even if they’ve reached 80% of the way
up the corporate ladder, they would sacrifice power and status for better opportunities of
learning as they tend to get bored once they’ve learned as much as they can in one career.

(Transitory)
Example: Working as a nurse in another country for half a year and spending the other half
travelling.

(Roamer)
A roamer may move from funeral director to draftsman. These are often people from the
extremes of economic backgrounds who don’t value security. They either were raised in an
upper-economic stratum and presume money will always be there or were in a poorer economic
environment and know they can survive on very little.
(KINDS OF CAREER PATHS)

(Organizational Career Path)

A career path that you create with your direct manager. The goal is to climb a career ladder
within a company.

(Personal Career Path)

A career path 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.

(TYPES OF CAREER PATHS)

(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.

(Skill)
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.

(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.

(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.
(EXAMPLES OF CAREER PATHS)

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

(SKILLS TO CULTIVATE YOUR CAREER PATH)

(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. 

(END OF PRESENTATION)