Rethinking Your Career Direction

Many careers take shape gradually. Opportunities arise, you say yes and over time a pattern develops. This often leads to a strong track record, but not always to a clear sense of direction.

At some stage, it becomes worth asking whether the path you are on is one you would actively choose.

A useful way to think this through is to separate three elements that often become blurred. The first is what you are good at, which reflects your skills and experience. The second is what you are known for, which captures how others tend to describe your contribution. The third is what you would like to do more of, which connects to what you find engaging.

When these three areas are aligned, work tends to feel more coherent. When they are not, it is possible to feel productive but slightly off course.

Rather than trying to create a detailed long-term plan, it can be more effective to define a direction. Consider what you would like to increase or reduce over the next year and what would need to change to support that.

From there, identify a small number of practical moves. This might involve starting a conversation, putting yourself forward for a particular type of work or making your interests more visible.

Clarity tends to build once you start making these moves.

If you found this post useful you can sign up to stay informed with curated strategies on managing change. Delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time. Send me updates