How to grow in your career and thrive where you are

Are you feeling dissatisfied and unmotivated at work, but are not ready to make the leap with a full career change? With the current political and economic uncertainty, many professionals may want to make a career change or shift but are worried about making a change right now. 

However, there’s no need to feel low or stuck in a job that’s not currently working for you. Instead, you can put your energy into growing a few key areas of your career and your career confidence while you’re in your current role. 

Navigating the career growth journey 

Embarking on a journey of personal and career growth can often feel like navigating choppy or uncertain waters. Conversely, you may feel disempowered and find it hard to see a way forward at all.

The vast array of resources and information available can leave you feeling overwhelmed and uncertain of where to begin.  However, amidst all this uncertainty, a simple and effective tool can offer clarity and direction for your career growth plan- the Career Wheel.  This handy tool can serve as a compass and a first step in discovering where you can move the needle at work to have more job satisfaction and career confidence.  

Whether you are already thinking about engaging with a career coach or you are simply aware that something needs to change, using the Career Wheel can be a transformative first step towards making positive changes in your current workplace.

Assess 12 factors of your career and working life

So how does the Career Wheel work? 

It offers a structured approach to assessing your satisfaction across twelve key areas of your job and working life.  The Career Wheel helps you reflect on your satisfaction with areas such as strengths and skills, energy and impact, values and ethics, organisational culture, salary, CPD and training.

By scoring each segment out of ten, you can get a visual snapshot of your current career satisfaction, identify areas that are going well and that you feel good about, and identify opportunities for growth and greater career confidence. 

So whether you're looking to stretch your skills and experience, work towards a raise or a promotion or want to cultivate a better work-life-family balance, the Career Wheel provides invaluable insights to help you shape that journey.

How to use the career wheel 

Using the Career Wheel is simple. What’s important is that you take a moment to step away from your desk or workspace to complete it. 

Print a copy to write on or download it to your tablet with a digital pencil. Take a walk at lunchtime or after work to a cafe or a park to get some fresh thinking, be away from your work environment, and connect to your head, heart, and gut feelings. 

Identify key insights and actions

The Career Wheel is designed to help you uncover valuable insights into how you can grow and evolve within your current role or organisation. 

Once you’ve scored your career factors on the wheel, you will see which areas are making the wheel more ‘wonky’ and think about what’s contributing to the lowest-scoring areas.

Take a moment to celebrate what’s going well, too. 

After you have delved into the reasons behind the scores, you can identify actionable steps that you can take now or discuss with your team or manager for longer term or bigger changes to the way that you are working. 

Whether it’s enhancing your skill set, fostering a positive work culture, or achieving a healthier work-life balance, the career wheel empowers you to take charge of your professional journey. 

Navigating career growth and personal development needs a thoughtful approach and a reliable compass. The Career Wheel serves as that compass, guiding individuals towards clarity, insight, and actionable steps for professional growth. 

Embrace the journey of self-discovery and empowerment, knowing that the Career Wheel can help to support your aspirations and pave the way for a fulfilling career path right where you are.