What if the right career isn’t a destination at all? What if it’s a journey?
We’ve all felt the expectation to have nailed down exactly what we want to be when we grow up–from early childhood obsessions with being firefighters and pop stars to the “What do you want to do with your life?” question that looms over us after we graduate from college.
There’s often an assumption that choosing a career is a race to the finish line, as though every early adulthood adventure of traveling, further education, and work experience was all leading up to that one moment of clarity in the blazing light of the sun, when, finally, you know.
But what if the right career isn’t a destination at all? What if it’s a journey?
In our culture, we tend to encourage young people to fix their major and career path as soon as possible. Since this is such an important decision for their future, it’s understandable that we want to start on the right path as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this approach misses one of the most basic truths about people: they change.
The notion that careers must proceed along a single, linear track is utterly misguided–after all, you might have committed several years to studying biology, only to find yourself possessed of a vocation for writing. A single academic pipeline cannot predict any one professional journey. Indeed, I majored in human biology and economics; my first real job out of college was working as a purchasing agent, and today I write books for a living. Who knew where I’d end up? I certainly didn’t.
The fear of career entrapment, job insecurity, and being stuck in the wrong job is unwarranted. Learn what draws you, not what you believe will lead to a job. There is no straight line from your first job to your ideal career. Take your time, explore, and let your path build itself.
For firms, this entails cultivating a culture of lifelong learning. Allow people to acquire new skills on the job, sponsor training in areas that employees are interested in, and build a workplace environment where curiosity is embraced. People who are encouraged to learn at work are also more engaged, more adaptable, and more productive–and therefore more valuable to the company.
As a leader, consider these specific strategies for your organization:
- Flexible career paths: Encourage employees to try out different roles and departments within the company to find their passion.
- Mentoring programs: Pair employees with more senior mentors to provide guidance, support, and direction about different career opportunities.
- Ongoing learning opportunities: Provide ongoing training and development programs to keep employees up to date with trends in the industry and to enable them to develop new skills.
- Employee resource groups: Offer support networks for people with common interests or identities, creating a feeling of community.
- Career path transparency: Give employees information about opportunities, progression pathways, and expectations so that they can make legitimate choices about their future.
Career satisfaction is rarely, if ever, an all-or-nothing decision–it’s a set of choices, each made slightly differently and at a different pace, over time, in response to opportunity or challenge. By building a culture of learning and flexibility, you will shape your team, and your company, for the long term.