10 Steps to Craft Your Career Roadmap
Figuring out the next steps in your career can be freakin’ hard 😩
Been through it a few times now and it has never been easy
Something that has really given me better clarity in figuring out my career path has been coaching others. I’ve gone through the exercise below with almost a dozen people now and have been able to refine it every time.
"I think you've established a great framework for guiding these conversations. I'm walking away with grounded reflection and positive thoughts"
- Feedback from recent coaching session
The goal of this exercise is to create guidelines in your decision making process
Dig deep to make sure YOU understand what you want out of your career. For each of the steps below, consider what you’re looking for & write down your answers, it’ll be important for the last step
Let’s dive in!
10 Steps to Craft Your Career Roadmap
1. What Do You Want To Do?
Some people know EXACTLY what they want to do in life, if that’s you, awesome. You just need to build a plan of how to get there. I can help you build out that plan, but that’s definitely a separate discussion. The rest of this framework, while a still worthwhile exercise, probably won’t change your mind.
2. What Skills Do You Want To Gain or Grow?
Common misconception: “I need to know everything to go do this job”. The truth, you don’t. There will always be basic requirements, but the right job should also help you grow as an individual.
3. What Level of Visibility Do You Want?
Sit in a cube or be in front of the world? There’s a wide range of how much you’ll be seen by the world. Whatever the answer is, make sure your career goals align with the level of exposure you want.
4. Who is Doing Something You Want To Do?
Your network is your net worth. Reach out to people who are doing things you find interesting. Let them know your intentions and see if they can connect you with others. At some point you’ll strike gold & gain a great connection.
5. What Skills Do You Have That Solve A Problem?
Business is nothing more than a product or service that solve a problem. What are your natural skills? Lean in to them. Be willing to think outside the box & even create your own future.
6. What Do You Enjoy Doing?
If you have a passion for something, find a way to do it for a living. Career happiness will lead you to a much better life in the long run.
7. What Do You NOT Enjoy Doing?
There are things we all hate doing. There will be times where we all have to embrace the suck, but you should make sure that it doesn’t become your entire life. Find a career that makes you happy & avoids the things you hate.
8. What Kind of Balance Do You Want in Life?
Some jobs are more demanding than others. Consider the impact a job/career path would have on your Life Balance. Write down your non-negotiables and stick to them.
9. What Opportunities Do You Want for Future Growth?
A great job isn’t a great job if it becomes a dead end. You don’t need to know EXACTY what you want to do, but it should put you on a favorable growth path. This includes your goals for business, personal, and financial.
10. Build Your Decision Matrix
Your answers are only useful if you can turn it in to a tangible action. Build a table or decision matrix and assess any opportunities that come your way. Your emotions toward a job are REALLY important, but they also can’t cloud your judgement. If it breaks one of your “non-negotiables”, is it still a good fit?
Final Note!
Don’t expect this to be a 1 time exercise, your life will change & so will your goals.
Revisit this often!
Also, as you’re developing your plan, make sure your resume is up to date. I recently have been going through this and working with a good friend of mine over at Future Force Talent to dust off my resume.
Whether you’re looking to stay internal to your company or take a job elsewhere, your resume is your 1 page key to unlock your future
(no this is not a paid advertisement, I just legit have enjoyed working with this company & wanted to recommend!)
That’s it!
As always, thanks for reading.
Send me a message and let me know what you found most helpful this week or if you have any steps I’ve missed!—I’d love to hear from you!
See you next Thursday!
A.J. Zampella ✌️
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Little about who I am and what I’m here to do:
15 years in tech & 20 years as a DJ
Mid-career professional trying to thrive in work and life
I spend 100s of hours figuring it out so you can learn in <5 minutes a week!
Other Interesting Things Around the Web I do:
Free DJ Sets/Mixes on Soundcloud - Yes I still DJ pretty often too
#AJsBookClub - Big Book Guy. We talk about “success focused books”
Grim & Grind - My clothing line, all things Creepy & Caffeinated