Stuck in a rut?
If you're feeling like your purpose and your work aren’t aligned, or don’t see the career growth in your current position, defining your next career move can be a hard nut to crack.
After all, we continue to grow and change as we progress in our lives and our careers—so it’s only natural that our careers might twist and turn along the way.
If it’s any consolation, research backs up the uncertainty you might be feeling about your career. According to Gartner, just 25% of employees are confident about their career at their current organization.
In this post, you’ll learn how to examine and bring intentionality to your career path. You’ll also gain tangible tactics to use to help define your next career move. We’ve also compiled a list of questions to ask yourself to help you decide where you want to go next.
A 6-step guide to defining your next career move
Step 1: Pause and reflect
It’s hard to know where you want to go without assessing how you currently feel. It’s essential to understand where you are in your current situation and what you can see ahead in your current role.
First, jot some thoughts down on a reflection pad or a career compass guided journal.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
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What do you like about your current role?
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What do I enjoy least about your job?
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What aspects frustrate or drain you?
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Am I learning and growing in your current role?
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Do you see a future for yourself in this company or industry?
Step 2: Identify your purpose and core values
If there’s a misalignment between your work and your purpose, it’s only natural that you’re feeling the strain of that disconnect. Likewise, if you’re looking for something new, you’ll want to properly vet this new role and company aligns with your personal ethos and core values.
Start by thinking about what motivates you:
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What are the core values that guide your decisions? (e.g., creativity, flexibility, impact, stability)
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What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
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What type of work aligns with your passions and interests?
Then, consider what you can foresee in the future:
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Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
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Do you want to move into leadership, switch industries, or perhaps even start your own business?
You can journal or jot these thoughts down in the reflection pad. You might also consider reaching out to folks who have been in similar career journeys for informational interviews and insight to help you better assess things like core values, culture, and personal mission alignment.
Step 3: Understand your skills—and where you want them to grow
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received about my career was this: don’t think about your role in terms of duties and responsibilities. Think about it in terms of skills, strengths, and areas for improvement.
After all, your skills are currency. What you’re able to accomplish in your core competency portfolio can lend itself to the right career path. You might also have areas of opportunity that you’ve always wanted to flex into. For example, if you’re a marketer, you might’ve always wanted to take a stab at sales. Or if you’re a data analyst, you might want to progress into a manager or leadership role.
Consider asking yourself these questions:
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What are my core competencies?
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What skills do I excel at, and where do I need to improve?
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Are there gaps in my current skill set that are holding me back?
Step 4: Conduct research and make networking connections
This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to get knee-deep into market research. Sometimes, conducting research is simply reaching out to an old colleague and setting up time for a coffee to see how their switch into another industry is going.
Regardless, it’s important to better understand the job market landscape, the industries you’re interested in, and the roles and career paths available.
Consider asking yourself these questions:
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Which sectors are growing, and where are new opportunities emerging?
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Job roles: What types of positions are in demand that align with your skills and interests?
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Company culture: Research companies that align with your values and offer the type of work environment you thrive in.
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You can use job search engines, LinkedIn, industry publications, or even reach out to professionals in your network for insights on new opportunities. Researching the market will help you identify which roles and industries align with your aspirations.
Step 5: Scope out your ideal role
Especially if you’ve been in the workforce for some time, you’ve likely figured out what you like, what you don’t like, and things you’d like to do more of.
Try reflecting on these questions:
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What kind of work do I want to do daily?
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What responsibilities excite me?
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How much flexibility or work-life balance do I need?
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What kind of impact do I want to make?
Step 6: Stay agile and open-minded to growth and change
What you set out to do in your career at age 20 might look different at age 35 or 50—and that’s OK. Don’t box yourself into a corner just because you once had a dream about a career that might no longer fit your path.
Stay open to growth and change—and understand that career paths aren’t linear. As you explore new opportunities and reflect on your skills, be open to unexpected roles, industries, or career shifts.
Sometimes the best career moves are the ones you hadn’t initially considered. The best mindset is founded on positivity and curiosity. No matter where your next move takes you, trust that you’ve been intentional about your path to get there. Now, go get ‘em.
Written by Madeline Miles
