Trajectory: The path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces
Your career is about more than your current job. It’s about the direction you are taking over the course of your entire livelihood. Does your story make sense? Do you like where you’re headed? You are not locked in and you can change your story at any time. Just make sure that you don’t overlook the journey for a fantasy destination.
It’s the Journey
Just because you love to cook doesn’t mean you should open a restaurant. Great salespeople shouldn’t just go on to be a sales manager. There are steps in-between that must be taken first. The small wins along the way can hold the greatest significance and a lot of joy
Check your Bearings
To help solidify your career trajectory consider these questions:
- What do you like about your work?
- What skills do you like to use most often?
- How can you do more of what you like and less of what you don’t?
- Look at the day-to-day work of the people who have the job you want – do those tasks feel enticing to you?
- What do you think your next step will be?
Once you have an idea of your trajectory, it’s easier to plan what you want the future of your career to look like. Take some time and think about the direction you are heading and make sure that’s a place you really want to go.
Want more tips and ideas for actions you can take to manage your career? Check out Jennifer Way’s book, Caffeinate Your Career to align your goals in less than 15 minutes a day.