Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
Equating career growth with promotions and financial appraisals can lead to unfulfilled experiences. You may often find yourself bored, stressed, or entirely lost in what's called a rat race. On this path, you will often find yourself in control of your organisation's definition of growth: hours to put in, responsibilities to take, outcomes/impact to have etc.
A better and more fulfilling way to grow is to have your own definition of growth and a list of accomplishments that fit (the definition). Think in terms of:
- Skills: Learning ways to do research, improve my articulation etc.
- Situations/experiences: leading a team without prior experience or improving broken relationships with client
- Getting over your fear: Presenting the work in front of the entire internal team, Giving a talk at the conference in front of a large audience
- Impact on the culture: Improving how well the team bonds together, Evangelising the best practices for [anything you mastered]
- Promotion/Money: Getting an official promotion for the roles I already perform, Reaching 'x' salary within two years
Having your own short–term or long–term goals lets you stay in control of your growth. It will help you carve out a unique path to a successful and fulfilled career.
Originally posted on LinkedIn.