Career development - the early years

Very few people I meet today are still following the same career path they started on when they left full-time education.

It used to be said that we each had three careers in us. Nowadays, it's probably closer to five. A career for life has become increasingly rare—and that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be quite exciting.

Stage 1 – Exploration and self-discovery

(Pre-35)

It makes sense that our career journey evolves as we do. From my own experience, I am very different from my younger self in many ways. Of course, some ingrained personality traits, interests and habits remain with us throughout our lives, and the first step in this stage is recognising those patterns.

Formative years

Looking back at my formative years, the following themes had already begun to emerge:

• A love of reading.
• A love of learning – I was always the first to volunteer for corporate training programmes.
• I developed a reputation for being highly organised and a good planner.
• I always needed a challenge. I moved roles within an organisation every 18 months, either into a more senior position or into a different department to broaden my experience and perspective.
• Some career moves weren't right for me because I didn't enjoy the work itself. However, discovering what you don't enjoy is just as valuable as discovering what you do.
• I loved working with high-energy, inspiring people, particularly strong leaders.
• I enjoyed training others and facilitating meetings and project teams.
• I found process management and continuous improvement genuinely rewarding.

Hopefully, this list gives you some ideas for creating your own, regardless of what stage you are at in your career. Taking time to identify what matters to you can provide valuable guidance for future career decisions.

Self-awareness for proactive career management

Understanding yourself is the foundation of proactive career management.

Now expand your list by asking yourself the following questions:

• What gives me energy and makes me feel good? This could be activities, people, environments, situations or topics. Some of these may overlap with your earlier list, and that's perfectly fine.
• What drains my energy and leaves me feeling demotivated?
  Here are a few personal examples to help get you thinking.

Energy enhancers

• People who share interesting stories about achieving goals, building businesses, embarking on adventures or overcoming challenges.
• Process improvement projects and seeing teams make significant gains in efficiency or customer experience.
• Vibrant, modern cafés and co-working spaces, where I tend to be at my most productive.
• Energy zappers
• Large amounts of data, lengthy documents and complex spreadsheets, which is one of the reasons I moved away from accountancy and analytical roles.
• People who constantly blame others or their circumstances.
• Drab or neglected working environments.
• Bringing it all together

This stage of career development is all about understanding yourself in greater detail so you can make career decisions that genuinely suit your strengths, interests and motivations.

Even if you're beyond this stage of your career, it's never too late to begin this self-exploration. In fact, it's something worth revisiting regularly. The role I wanted in my thirties is very different from the type of work I enjoy now, and that's perfectly natural. As we grow and our priorities change, our careers should evolve with us.

Taking the time to understand what motivates and energises you can help you make more confident career decisions, whether you're just starting, considering a change or planning your next step.