Let me narrate two recent conversations that I had recently.
The first one was with Virendra, a senior professional with more than eighteen years of experience. He said, “I have been playing the same role for over four years now and I am not sure how long I need to continue without any growth. My boss does not talk about it at all; our HR department is too busy to bother about my career. I don’t know what to do”.
The second one was during an interview with Nidhi, a fresher. She asked, “Sir, can you please tell me what is my role and what will be my career growth after I join your organization as a trainee?”
There is nothing special about these conversations except that both have one underlying question in common. That is, “What will you do to my career?”
Everyone has aspiration to grow and it is natural to seek some clarity or visibility into the future of one’s career. The question is: how to get that visibility? It may be foolhardy to expect others to take as much interest in our career as we do. If Virendra keeps expecting that his boss or the HR department should take interest in his growth, he may be disappointed. Depending upon the maturity level of HR set up, some companies may have some policies for promotion and career advancement of its employees. If you are lucky, your boss may also take keen interest in your career growth and help you in your development. But what if they do not show any interest?
The most pragmatic approach is to own your career and drive it. Your organization, the HR department or your boss can extend a helping hand; it will be an added advantage; but it is essentially YOU who have to take charge of your career.
Keep tracking this space to understand how to get rid of this passive approach and to steer ahead!
Excerpts from the article – Who Owns Your Career
By: Dr.Raj,
Published in HR Mirror, Hans India.
Follow Dr.Raj on Twitter @drraj29.