Invest in your career

Determine your resources and needs.

Once you know what you’ll need to do in order to achieve the next step on your target list, take stock of the resources you have at your disposal, as well as your needs. Does your employer offer any options for career development? Anything from mentoring opportunities to shadowing or tuition reimbursement programs can help you develop the skills and experience needed to reach the next rung on your career ladder.

Chart your target career path.

In order to plan for career success and achieve your professional goals, you first need to know what they are, which will help determine what steps you’ll need to take and the skills you’ll need to acquire along the way. Try charting out the next 5 to 10 years of your career journey, starting from where you are now and finishing at where you’d ultimately like to be if the stars align and everything works out as planned. Make sure to list each promotion or assumption of new job responsibilities individually, and for each do your best to include the skills or development you’ll need under your belt.

If feasible, ask for help from a mentor or colleague. Be sure to use available online research tools as needed to figure things out. Once you have things mapped out, you’ll have a good idea of what you’ll need to do over the next several years to achieve your goals — whether it’s with the help of your company or on your own.

Set target milestones.

Equipped with your list from the previous step, set milestones for yourself to ensure that you stay on track. Does your list indicate a possible promotion a year from now? Take stock of the skills you’ll need to build right now in order to set yourself up to make that promotion a reality, and use the next 12 months to figure out the best way to acquire them. Do you have a plan that includes asking for greater responsibility at work? Always think ahead about the smaller steps you’ll need to take.