Everything you need to know about a career

Often, in his labor field, a person tries to take a conscious position of striving for career growth. This is often followed by job changes, salary changes and skill upgrades. Depending on the goals and attitudes, each person can build their own career.

Successful advancement in official, political, social, scientific and other activities is called a career. In the Small Academic Dictionary, issued at the beginning of the twentieth century, the following definition is recorded: career means rapid success in service and in another field.

Currently, the concept is a more extended interpretation. This word can be used to refer to a general occupation, for example, "career as a doctor" or "career as a teacher." The synonymous phrase "social lift" indicates the achievement of fame, popularity, benefit. Career also resembles a ladder, the steps of which climb to the very top.

Many people strive to realize their desires and goals, focused on professional activities. A careerist is a bold, decisive, ambitious and responsible subject. A successful career helps to improve his position in society. Professional advancement includes the development of an employee as a qualified specialist in his industry throughout his career. It can develop in two directions:

• deepening into one specialization chosen at the initial stage of the professional path;
• parallel mastery of different fields of activity.

Some people dream of being the head of a department or a company. Appointment to a leadership position opens up new opportunities for a person. Along with the increased level of responsibility, the employee can now influence the development of his organization, perform new creative tasks. He acquires a different status in society and financial benefits, thereby improving his own condition and the lives of loved ones.

A working career is a more multifaceted concept than a business career or professional qualification advancement. This means that these career paths are subtypes of a work career. A business career is inextricably linked to the achievement of success in commerce, business and other areas that bring profit, income and various personal benefits.

The unprincipled pursuit of personal success in various fields of activity is called careerism. The word often has a negative connotation, because some people who want to improve their position in a professional or other sphere neglect the norms of morality and ethics. On the way to their goal, they do not take into account the feelings and interests of others, family ties.

There are different types of career advancement. There are steady, linear, spiral and fluid careers. The characteristics of these types are as follows:

• a sustainable career implies life-long employment of a subject in one field of activity;
• linear career means gradual career growth in the labor field;
• the spiral type involves a change in professions and areas of activity of similar competencies;
• a changeable variety is characterized by a change of professions that are not related to each other.

From a psychological point of view, a career can be of the following types:

• situational career growth does not depend on the employee himself, it happens suddenly due to some circumstances that change the course of work;
• the management actively promotes the subordinate, regardless of his opinion;
• the development of the company contributes to the professional growth of the employee;
• a person builds his own career through active and successful work;
• the employee gets promoted, overcoming any obstacles and sweeping away everything in his path in order to achieve the desired goal.

A professional career implies the growth of knowledge, skills and abilities in official activities. A person can move up the career ladder within the framework of their profession or organization. Depending on the trajectory of his movement, the following types of careers are distinguished.

• Intra-organizational. A subject within his organization can have horizontal growth in different subdivisions of the same hierarchy level: a change in the official role to an existing position with the expansion and complication of functional duties. All this is accompanied by an increase in wages. The vertical level of a career is associated with job promotion: an ascent to the next structural step with an increase in wages. In addition to the ascending career, there is a top-down model - moving an employee down the career ladder. An anti-career is most often associated with a desire to reduce the level of responsibility or free up time for your family. A centripetal career involves a gradual approach of the employee to the authorities of the company.
• Interorganizational. An employee can go through all stages of career development in different institutions. First, a person receives an education, then gets a job. The workplace may change periodically. Moving up the career ladder will inevitably be followed by termination of work due to the onset of retirement age, and for some - due to disability. A specialized career is the work path of a specialist within the same profession in different companies. A non-specialized career involves going through the stages of the production path as an employee of different professional directions. At the same time, institutions sometimes change, and sometimes an employee works at the same enterprise.
• Stepped. This type of career is built on the principle of alternating movement in the vertical and horizontal plane. It implies a sequential transition from one position to another. Each subsequent position occupied is based on the previous position with the expansion of powers, increased responsibility and the acquisition of new skills and abilities. Sometimes there is a combination or alternation of intra-organizational and inter-organizational careers.
• Hidden. The centripetal (latent) variety implies moving to the central core of the company's management, strengthening its position in the administration and participating in important decision-making. This type of career is available to a narrow circle of employees. Most often, these workers have good business relationships outside their organization. The management invites the subordinate to open and informal meetings. An employee receives additional remuneration for completing important assignments.

There are various career development strategies. They are based on a combination of life principles and values ​​with the goals pursued by the employee during his career growth. The trajectories of movement are subject to certain patterns.

• "Ladder". Often, a qualified employee, using his creative capabilities and work experience, moves up the career ladder. He gives all his strength to work and after a certain time gets a new position. She is usually appointed after the next improvement and advanced training. Thus, a person gradually builds a vertical career with a clearly defined period of being at each seizure. After reaching certain heights, there is a slow descent down the service steps due to a gradual decrease in the available potential. The employee is forced to do moderate work without unnecessary stress. It can be especially difficult to part with the position of a boss. Finding yourself in the shadows after leaving a leadership position is difficult. To support such people, it is recommended to include them on the board of directors and offer the role of a consultant.
• "Springboard". Often, an employee smoothly reaches the desired heights of a vertical career, occupies a good high-paying position and strives to stay in it for a long time. This is followed by a kind of dismount from the springboard - an exit to a well-deserved rest. Most often, this career option is typical for some types of managers or ordinary employees who do not seek to advance through the career ladder. The employee is comfortable with the position he holds and wants to hold on to it until retirement.
• "Snake". Such career development involves the movement of an employee from one workplace to another to study activities in this area. A person is engaged in some kind of work for a short time, then promotes to a higher position. Moving from one place of work to another, an employee gains valuable professional experience. Subsequently, he turns out to be an excellent leader.This model of career growth in the horizontal plane is contraindicated for melancholic and phlegmatic people, because they painfully perceive any rotation. This movement pattern is widespread in Japan. Thanks to the acquired personal experience, the Japanese leader has a holistic view of the company.
• "Crossroads". Many modern enterprises operate according to the American scheme of vertical and horizontal personnel movements. An employee is promoted according to the results of certification obtained in the course of a comprehensive assessment of personnel. The business and personal qualities of the employee are taken into account.

The preliminary period lasts on average 25-28 years. It includes the choice of a field of activity and preparation for the labor process. At this time, a person receives secondary and higher education. A young specialist can start his professional career by searching for the right direction. Sometimes he has to change several positions. When the subject finds a suitable place, then he begins to assert himself as a person. At the same time, he monitors the safety of existence and takes care of social recognition.

The stage of formation most often lasts from 25 to 30 years. During this time, there is the development of job responsibilities, the formation and improvement of qualifications, the development of professional skills, and career building. The employee is committed to gaining independence. The person is very concerned about health and safety issues. Many people start families at this stage. Scheduling and having children increase the employee's need for higher wages.

The next period is associated with moving up the career ladder. It lasts from 30 to 45 years. During this time, there is a significant increase in qualifications, the accumulation of practical skills, experience, and skill. The person is already less focused on safety. He strives for self-improvement, gaining some weight in society, achieving success and a higher status. At this stage, rapidly changing career types may overlap. The employee dreams of an increase in wages and is interested in additional sources of income. Self-expression of the individual is noted.

The stage of preservation is associated with the consolidation of the achieved results, the consolidation of the existing situation. The period is observed for about 15 years: from 45 to 60 years. The employee is at the peak of self-expression and independence. He feels a creative take-off, therefore, the need for respect and transfer of his knowledge to other people increases. Promotion is still possible. The person is still making some effort to increase his earnings.

During the completion phase, which lasts an average of 60 to 65 years, the subject begins to experience physiological and psychological discomfort. The employee sincerely dreams of maintaining the level of remuneration, looking for additional sources of income, hoping to receive a solid supplement to his retirement benefit. While waiting for a well-deserved rest, the employee looks for a replacement and trains applicants for his position.

The retirement phase is characterized by the end of a career. The pensioner is looking for opportunities for self-expression in other activities. Much attention is paid to health. In order to maintain their financial condition, some agree to perform temporary or seasonal work in their own institution.

Only an interested person can build a successful career. The education received plays an important role. Language training is often essential for moving up the career ladder. Good knowledge of foreign languages ​​allows you to advance far in a large corporation.Impatience, the desire to obtain exclusively material benefits, various fears prevent people from rising to the top of success.

A purposeful person is guided by self-development. Try to acquire the maximum number of skills: study various programs and text editors, attend a wide variety of courses. Any certificate can come in handy in building a career. Thanks to him, you can advance up to the appointment to a leadership position. Keep in mind that the head of the department or the head of the sector must have work experience of at least 3-5 years.

Psychologists provide some guidelines for building your career from scratch. First of all, a beginner careerist needs to choose a suitable profession. Then you need to determine a specific goal and develop a personal career plan, which is a kind of personal navigator of a person who wants to build his career. The plan should describe long-term and short-term goals, ways to achieve them. It is necessary to regularly monitor the implementation of all assigned tasks.

You can take as a basis the rules of some outstanding personality who has managed to achieve unprecedented success at work. Planning begins with matching your desires with the possibilities for achieving your desired career heights.

• Analyze your current professional status. Assess your knowledge, skills, education, experience. Are they enough for a successful career? In what area can you fulfill your potential? Consider whether age, gender, and marital status matter in your situation.
• Determine personal preferences and career expectations. Find a professional area in which you want to realize yourself. What position is of interest to you?
• Analyze supply and demand in the labor market. Study the requirements of potential employers to job seekers, the number of offers, the proposed salary. List the positions and professions available. Evaluate the experience and skill level of competitors.
• Determine the options for the desired positions. Explore opportunities for corporate training and other professional development opportunities.
• Stop at a realistic plan, think through all the details and factors that can be influenced. Be critical in assessing your professional status and the timing of its development.

There is a special technique by Edgar Shane, "Anchors of Career", aimed at identifying value orientations at the time of moving up the career ladder. With the help of this diagnostics, social attitudes, motivation for activity, interests that are characteristic of a particular person are determined.

Self-discipline is essential for a person's career advancement. It allows you to adequately assess the tasks ahead, to distribute your strengths and capabilities. A person will need qualities such as dedication, responsibility and hard work. In addition, it is important to adhere to the following tips:

• find yourself a wise mentor;
• follow strictly the instructions existing in the company;
• do your job conscientiously and efficiently;
• start the working day a little earlier than other colleagues, and finish a little later;
• do not support rumors about incorrect management methods, do not spread gossip;
• be attentive to people, be careful in your statements;
• try to tell the truth;
• take a responsible approach to the performance of any tasks;
• do not avoid any assignments, take the initiative;
• bring the case to the end, work for the result;
• do not pass on to others the fulfillment of your tasks and decision-making;
• avoid illegal actions;
• do not be limited by the scope of job responsibilities;
• treat work as if it were your own business;
• promise less and do more;
• exercise, take walks in the fresh air, get enough sleep, eat right;
• always dress neatly, smile more often;
• do not miss the opportunity to constantly grow professionally;
• constantly improve, improve your qualifications.