As the professional landscape evolves quickly, we evolve the direction of our careers.
We take on new assignments.
We take new positions – maybe even at a new company.
We complete projects we love and sometimes a few we don’t.
We take classes or spend time online learning about new approaches in our field.
We might even pursue education in a different field.
As time passes, our list of positions, projects, education, and more continue to grow.
My Perspective
I believe that a journey map of our careers can be used to find patterns and insight.
The map could start from a very young age.
We could explore what we remember learning and what we enjoyed doing.
From there, we could note jobs in high school, college, our first professional role, and on and on.
If the moments take the columns, we could use rows to explore topics.
We could consider what we were thinking, feeling, and doing at each stage.
We could add accomplishments and challenges.
We could note what we learned (formally or informally).
We could note our favorite and least favorite aspects of the role.
Once the rows are filled out, we can look for insights and patterns on the map.
There may be things we loved to do no matter what role we had.
This map can hold clues to where our career might go next.
Your Turn
Have you ever mapped your career journey?
Do you know the threads and connections across your roles?
Would this process help achieve clarity on where you want to go next?