Visionary Career Mapping

If you’re feeling stuck mapping out your career, try this approach. It’s simple, but incredibly effective. Here’s a practical way to map your growth, build a career growth tree (I made this up). Start at the very top. What is the most senior position in your field you aspire to hold one day? The role you’d want to retire from, if all goes well. Then work backwards. What position comes right before that? And before that? Keep going until you arrive at your current role. Next to each of those positions, search for real-life job listings on Google or LinkedIn, across multiple companies. Look closely at what each role requires, how many years of experience, which certifications, which skills or areas of expertise. The more sources you use, the more accurate your picture becomes. Suddenly, what you have is not just a vision, but a strategy. A long-term plan rooted in reality. You’ve taken the guesswork out of career planning, and created a detailed, progressive map of where you’re going and what it will take to get there. And because each role typically lists required years of experience, you can start setting timelines for your goals, not arbitrarily, but based on what the industry actually expects. It’s a simple exercise, but it makes a powerful difference. You’re no longer just hoping to grow, you’re building a clear and intentional path to get there.

The truth is simple: if you don’t take charge of your career, no one else will. Many of us spend so much time managing other people’s priorities - whether they’re our executives, our teams, or even our families - that we often forget to invest in the one person who can drive our professional future: ourselves. And here’s another truth: if you don’t know where you want to get to, how will you ever get there? A successful career doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clarity, intentionality, and action. Without a clear destination, you’ll drift, hoping for opportunities to come your way instead of creating them. So how do you take control of your career? You create a career roadmap. Think of it as your map and compass - a tool to guide you toward your professional goals, no matter where you are right now. Here are 5 Steps to Create Your Career Roadmap 1. Start by identifying where you want to go. What does success look like for you in 1, 5, or 10 years? Be specific. For example, ‘I want to move into a Senior EA role’ or ‘I want to master AI tools to become the ‘go to person’ for that in my organisation.’ Your destination should excite and inspire you. 2. Take a realistic look at where you are now. What skills, strengths, and experiences do you already have? What gaps need to be filled to reach your destination? This self-assessment will serve as the foundation for your roadmap. 3. Break your journey into smaller, actionable steps. If your goal is to move into a leadership position, for example, your milestones might include: • Gaining advanced training or certifications. • Taking on more strategic projects. • Building relationships with senior stakeholders. • Developing skills like conflict resolution or team management. Set a timeline for each milestone to hold yourself accountable. 4. Career growth requires investment. This could mean: • Taking relevant courses or certifications. • Attending conferences or networking events. • Seeking out a mentor or coach. • Reading books or following thought leaders in your field. Remember: every investment you make in yourself pays dividends in your future. 5. Regularly check in with your roadmap. Are you hitting your milestones? Have your goals evolved? Life is dynamic, and so is your career. Adjust your plan as needed, but keep moving forward. When you create a career roadmap, you’re taking control of your narrative. You’re not waiting for opportunities to fall into your lap; you’re actively creating them. This isn’t just about promotions or titles - it’s about aligning your work with your passions, skills, and values to create a fulfilling career. So, take the time to define your destination, chart your course, and start the journey. Because if you don’t take care of your career, nobody else will. Where do you want to go? It’s time to draw up your map and make it happen.

One-size-fits-all career paths are dead. For decades, companies have clung to rigid career ladders with generic training programs and predictable promotions. But in today's economy, where our workforce spans more generations, backgrounds, and aspirations than ever, why are we still forcing everyone down the same narrow hallway? Personalized career development plans are good for business. Here's why: ➡️ Higher employee engagement (people actually give a damn about their work) ➡️ Lower attrition rates (goodbye expensive turnover) ➡️ Increased productivity (people working in their zone of genius) Yet most organizations still treat career growth like a standardized test instead of the messy, beautiful, individual journey it actually is. In #HumanizingHumanCapital, Dr. Solange Charas and I push for a fundamental mindset shift: careers should bend to fit employees, not the other way around. Here's how to actually build personalized progression that works: 1️⃣ Demolish the time-based barriers. "Put in X years to earn Y title" is dinosaur thinking. Let employees move up, sideways, pause, or create entirely new paths based on skills and interests. The org chart should be a suggestion, not a prison. 2️⃣ Use people analytics to understand what makes each employee tick. Use technology to map potential career paths by matching actual humans with growth opportunities based on their unique skills and aspirations - not just filling boxes on an org chart. 3️⃣ Ditch the annual performance review with vague "growth goals." Replace it with regular conversations centered on three simple questions: Where do you want to go? What do you need to get there? How can we help? Then actually listen to the answers. The hard truth? Today's talent doesn't really want a rigid predefined ladder. They want a general outline where they can build their own path. Companies that recognize this shift will develop agile, engaged workforces while everyone else wonders why they can't keep people. Is your organization still handing out identical career maps to unique individuals? If so - what's really stopping you from changing? #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeExperience

5 years ago, I was stuck in a military security role, wondering how to break into project management. Today, I've built a successful career as a Senior Program Manager and help others do the same. Here's how I created a career vision that actually stuck: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝘆 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄) → My pivot moment came when I realized I loved building systems more than maintaining them → Instead of chasing certifications first, I defined my impact goal → Question: "What problems do I want to solve in 5 years?" 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 → I leveraged my military leadership experience → Identified transferable skills from security operations → Found project components in my current role → Created a skills transition map 3. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 → Volunteered for project-adjacent tasks → Shadowed successful PMs in my network → Tested if the day-to-day reality matched my vision 4. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 → Set quarterly milestone reviews → Created a skills gap checklist → Measured progress through real project impact The result? → Transitioned to PM role within 18 months → Doubled my initial salary within 3 years → Now leading $4B+ strategic programs 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? I didn't just plan my next role. I designed a career trajectory that excited me every morning. What's holding back your PM career vision? Share below. Follow Brian Ables, PMP, for practical tips and strategies to grow your career. ♻️ If this post helped you, repost it so others can benefit too.

Do You Have a Career Path? Here’s How to Build One in Just 30 Days! If you feel stuck or unsure about your next career move, you’re not alone. Many professionals drift through their careers without a clear roadmap. The result? Missed opportunities, frustration, and slower growth. But here’s the good news: you can develop a solid career path in 30 days or less—and it starts with one simple but powerful question: “Where do I want to be in 5 years?” Without a clear career path, your professional life becomes reactive instead of proactive. Research shows that professionals who set clear, actionable career goals are 42% more likely to achieve promotions and experience higher job satisfaction. Knowing your destination helps you make better daily decisions, focus on the right skills, and stand out to employers. How to Develop Your Career Path in 3 Simple Steps: 1. Define Your End Goal (Day 1-5): Be specific. Instead of saying “I want to move up,” write something like, “I want to be a Regional Operations VP by 2027.” This goal becomes your compass. 2. Identify Skills Gaps (Day 6-15): Use LinkedIn job descriptions and feedback from trusted mentors to pinpoint the skills you need but don’t yet have. For example, if you aim to lead regional operations, you might need to sharpen your financial planning or leadership development skills. 3. Create a 30-Day Action Plan (Day 16-30): Break your goal into weekly milestones. Week 1: Reach out to a mentor. Week 2: Enroll in an online course. Week 3: Volunteer for a cross-department project. Small, consistent steps build momentum. Why Most People Fail Most people get overwhelmed by long-term goals or simply don’t know where to start. They stay in their comfort zone and rely on outdated skills, hoping for a promotion. That approach rarely works. Success requires intentionality, self-awareness, and action. Make This Your Year of Growth In 30 days, you can shift from feeling uncertain about your future to having a clear, actionable roadmap that gives you confidence and direction. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking for your next leadership role, building a career path is your key to unlocking your potential. Ready to take the first step? Comment below with your 5-year goal or message me if you want help outlining your action plan. Let’s grow together! Remember: If you don’t design your career, someone else will. #Leadership #Coaching #CareerDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalSuccess #LeadershipSkills #CareerGoals #ExecutiveCoaching #Mentorship #GoalSetting #CareerPath #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessLeadership #ManagerMindset #NextLevelLeadership #LeadershipTips #LeadershipMindset #SkillsForSuccess #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipJourney #CareerAdvice #WorkplaceSuccess #SoftSkills #BusinessCoaching #TeamLeadership