Building Your Career Roadmap: A Personal Journey

Taking Ownership of Your Career

Many people walk around believing that others—managers, mentors, family members—are responsible for building their careers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You are responsible for crafting your career plan and strategy. You own 90% of the plan; others own the remaining 10%. While you might need support along the way, you are the one who sets the direction, milestones, and motivation to keep things moving forward.

The Importance of Adaptability

Keep in mind that plans are just that—plans. Life happens, and circumstances change. Any plan needs to be adaptable. Holding on to a dream or a plan that is no longer realistic can lead to disappointment.

Very early in my career, I received invaluable advice from a peer named Rose. She was a high-potential colleague, next in line for a third-level manager position at the telecom where we both worked. Rose suggested that she always had a five-year plan but allowed herself the flexibility to adjust it as circumstances warranted.

It sounded like good advice, so I adopted it as my own mode of operation. I modified it along the way and shared it with my direct reports and those I mentored over the years.

Crafting Your Five-Year Plan

Essentially, the strategy was to set a five-year plan but give myself a maximum of seven years to achieve it. The plan had to be realistic. Here are some important questions I had to ask myself:

• Where did I see myself at the end of my career journey?

• What type of position did I envision? A title? A role?

• Does my current trajectory align with where I want to end up?

• Do I need to change direction mid-course?

• More immediately, where do I see myself in the next five years? Will it be a promotion?

  
  

As an IT professional, I had the option to stay on a technical path or transition to a managerial position. In my career journey, I made that transition twice. I often wondered if I needed to switch between technical and managerial paths to meet my five-year or long-term goals.

The Threefold Reason for a Seven-Year Timeline

The reason for the seven-year timeline was threefold:

1. As I progressed in my career, the number of available slots for promotions decreased. With constant reorganizations and downsizing, those slots kept dwindling.

2. Sometimes, that next promotion requires a setup job to get there.

3. I firmly believed that when you start a new position, you need to stay in that role for 18 to 24 months. I always gave myself six months to learn the new job before demonstrating the skills I was building and becoming competitive with my new peers.

   
   

With two positions to navigate—a new job and a setup job—it becomes challenging to accomplish everything in five years.

Learning from Early Experiences

One of my early bosses, Jim, gave me sage advice that I’ve used many times and shared with my direct reports and mentees. After I was promoted to a first-level system analyst role, I excelled immediately. I accomplished incredible things for the CFO organization during a major reorganization.

During my annual review, I expressed my eagerness for a second-level position on the technical track. Jim agreed I could excel in that role but advised me to consider the implications. He pointed out that I was a big fish in a little pond, and in the next position, I would be a little fish in a big pond.

While he believed I could handle the technical aspects, he was concerned about my readiness for the political skills required in that role. He emphasized that first impressions in a new organization are critical. You need to hit the ground running.

The Value of Patience

Jim suggested I stay in my current position for another year to develop the necessary political skills. It was tough advice to hear. I wasn’t happy, but I understood it was solid guidance. The following year, I received another outstanding rating, a significant salary increase, and a big bonus, making the extra time spent in my position worthwhile.

A year later, I was promoted to one of the best jobs of my career in the HR organization. I became the personal programmer for a Senior Vice President responsible for wage and salary administration. Bill became a mentor, investing time in teaching me about HR, union wage/benefit compensation, and executive compensation.

We accomplished miraculous things together. Once again, I found myself as the big fish in a little pond, but this time in a new organization. Hitting the ground running set me up for future opportunities.

Navigating Promotions and Set-Up Jobs

A few years later, I found myself on the promotable list for a third-level position. I was in a setup job in the Labs, interacting daily with third and fourth-level managers. I made them treat me like a third-level manager, and they perceived me in that role, even though I was still technically a second-level manager.

I was getting antsy for another promotion. Jim, still a mentor, suggested I needed a different setup position. He recommended relocating to NJ to join his team in the CIO organization. It sounded good, but it wasn’t what I wanted.

Weighing the Options

I pushed back, explaining that I was happy in Atlanta. My bosses there recognized my capabilities as a third-level manager. Moving to NJ on a second-level salary would be tough due to the cost-of-living differences. I had relocated to NJ before, and it was challenging. I was willing to move again, but only for the right job.

Simultaneously, I had two third-level position opportunities. My fifth-level VP in the Labs was working on a promotion for a position in Atlanta, but it would be politically challenging. Promotions in the Labs were temporarily frozen, so he suggested I take a second-level position with a promise of promotion when the freeze ended. However, I knew that would be difficult without the political tools and leverage needed to succeed.

Another fourth-level manager in the Labs, who had previously blackballed me, had become a mentor. He was working on a promotion for me as a third-level manager in another part of the Labs. This opportunity aligned best with my skills, even though it required another relocation to NJ. I was good with that since it was a solid job.

Key Takeaways for Your Career Journey

Throughout my journey, I gathered valuable insights that shaped my career roadmap:

1. Have a five-year plan but give yourself seven years to achieve it!

2. Some five-year objectives require an intermediate setup job.

3. Plan to stay in any new position for 18 to 24 months.

4. Give yourself six months to learn a new job and refine your skills to be competitive.

5. Sometimes being a big fish in a little pond is necessary to develop the skills needed for your next position.

6. Life happens, and circumstances change. Don’t be afraid to modify your plan as needed.

7. Mentors are crucial. Choose wisely, preferably not your current boss, and maintain those relationships over time.

8. Don’t hesitate to push back against mentor advice if you have valid reasons.

9. You own your career plan. Assume you own 90%, and others own 10%. Ultimately, it’s your responsibility.

10. Don’t fear transitioning between tracks. I navigated both technical and managerial paths, which made me a better manager and kept my skills relevant.

11. Regularly assess your market value. Ensure your skills are current, your compensation is fair, and make necessary adjustments.

12. Align your five-to-seven-year plan with your end-of-career goals. Adjust as needed to reach your desired destination.

13. Be willing to fail fast. If you find yourself in a position that doesn’t suit you, don’t hesitate to change. Staying in a mismatched role can cause more harm than good.

Conclusion: Own Your Career Roadmap

The bottom line is that we own our career roadmap. Knowing where you want to go and how to get there is the first step. Building a career plan and strategy allows you to identify steps or milestones for your journey—adjusted as necessary—that are critical to ensuring your destination aligns with your intentions.

Remember, your career is your responsibility. Embrace it, and don’t be afraid to navigate the twists and turns along the way.