Careers are interesting. There are no roadmaps out there to help you navigate. The process is extremely personal and no one else can define what is best for you in your career journey.
Personal branding is an area I’ve spent time learning and thinking about. However, until recently, I had not heard the concept of “career capital”.
Career capital is defined as attributes that put you in a better position to obtain greater influence and economic value in the future. The dimensions of career capital can include skills, experience, credentials, financial resources, connections, and personality traits.
My Perspective
I wonder if we could keep track of our career capital and then strategically plan activities to build that capital over time. The foundation would need to be based on personal goals and aspirations. With that foundation, we could identify gaps and come up with plans to fill them.
Questions could be considered involving both influence and economic value. What do you really want? More influence and value also come with downsides. Determining the right balance for ourselves and the life we aspire to live will help us get to the bottom of what really matters.
My Story
I have thought a lot about skills, experience, personality traits. However, my lens has been looking back and focusing on a resume or list of accomplishments. I wonder how my perspective would shift if I looked at the list through the lens of where I wish to go.
The career capital dimension of connections is one I have focused less intentionally on. Putting some focus here would likely make sense with an eye to the future.
Your Turn
Have you ever considered career capital?
When you think about your aspirations for influence and economic value in the future what do you see?
Would you plan different things for the year ahead if you considered your career capital?
A class to take.
A connection to make.
A personality trait to accentuate. The future is full of possibility – embrace it!