Simply put, you must have a plan, and the plan must be personal. It needs to consider both your personal and work goals, as well as your areas of strength, weakness, interest, and disinterest. A career that leverages your strengths and is aligned with your passion gives you the greatest chance of success. Passion and drive will get you through the busy times and ensure that you make your career plan a priority. A plan that leverages your strengths makes the journey easier.
Companies that support you in developing a career plan, align your interests with opportunities, and provide real mentorship can truly accelerate your career. Career growth is very much like learning – a training video or textbook can only do so much. Your success is dependent upon opportunities to apply newfound knowledge and skills, as well as having a mentor that pushes you towards these opportunities, while providing direct open and honest feedback.
Since we need variety in experiences to aid in our learning and career growth, our mentors will and need to change over time. Understanding what you do and do not like, as well as learning how you should and shouldn’t act, are key to accelerating your career and, ultimately, establishing yourself in a leadership role in any organization.
–Nigel Goulding, EHS Support, Chief Technical Officer, Co-Managing Director
