A career progression plan is your roadmap to where you want to get to professionally. It is the simple steps you plan to take to get where you want to be.Think of career progression as a goal. The steps to take to achieve that goal are:<ul><li>Identify the career you want.</li><li>Understand the skills/experience/qualifications/strengths you need to succeed.</li><li>Identify the skills etc.. you already have, and those you need to develop.</li><li>Set out how, where and when you will achieve these skills. </li></ul>

How To Build A Career Progression Plan.

<img width="1024" height="1024" alt="a career progression plan" src="https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-to-build-a-career-progression-plan..png?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w">A career progression plan, or career growth plan is a term you may hear about. Career progression is at the front of every ambitious person’s mind. It is not just linked to your standard 9 -5 job either. A career progression plan works if you are self employed or even for a side hustle.<div>"Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it".</div><div>Katherine Whitehorn</div><h2>So What Is It?</h2>In simple terms, a career progression plan is your roadmap to where you want to get to professionally. It is the simple steps you plan to take to get where you want to be.Regular readers of my articles will know what’s coming next! Stepping Stones.&nbsp;Think of career progression as a goal. The career or professional level you want to reach is your ‘big goal’. A career progression plan sets out the tasks or ‘Stepping Stones’ you need to achieve on your plan to reach your ‘big goal’. You can read more about Stepping Stone <a href="https://spurplanners.com/stepping-stones/" dir="ltr">here</a>.<h2>How Do I Start A Plan?</h2>This is a step by step guide on how to get started. You should then refine the plan over time. Here goes:<h3>Step 1 – Identify The Career You Want.</h3>What is the goal? What career or professional level are you trying to reach? It might be the next level of management in your company, it might be a different career altogether or it might be to be the CEO. Whatever the goal, you have to be clear on two key points at least;<UL><LI>Why is this career right for you?</LI><LI>What will you get from this career?</LI></UL>Being clear on these basic points will give you confidence the career you are about to pursue has relevance for you.<h3>Step 2 – What Skills Are Required?</h3>Know the requirements of the career you are trying to achieve. You probably don’t have all the skills/experience/qualifications/strengths (I will just call these aspects ‘skills’ going forward) now because if you did you would already be doing the job. There are a number of ways you can do this;<UL><LI>Look at job adverts in the field and level that you want to achieve. If you are aiming at a much higher level than you are at now consider also looking at adverts mid-way to where you want to get. You can then understand the skills you need in the mid and long term. What skills are they asking for?</LI><LI>Find people doing the career you want and connect with them. Are there people already in your organisation that you can talk to? Is there anybody in your existing network? Conferences you can sign up to? People you can reach out to on LinkedIn?</LI><LI>Many organisations now support talent swaps. This is where you get to spend time in a different part of the organisation to learn about different roles for an agreed period. This will allow you to see first hand what is involved in the role and what skills you need.</LI></UL>A career progression plan can sound complicated but it is really just a known set of tasks that will help get you to the career or professional level you want.<h3>Step 3 – Where Are Your Skill Gaps?</h3>Now you know the career you want and the skills needed to both enter and succeed in that career. Next you identify how your current skills and experience match up.Don’t let this part feel negative. Yes, you might look at the skills you have and the skills you need and see a big gap but that is fine. That gap can be bridged, that’s the purpose of this plan. Here you need to;<UL><LI>Write down your skills. Don’t just take your own word though, speak to colleagues and senior managers and get feedback on what you are good at.</LI><LI>Write down the skills you understand from Step 2 are required for your ideal career.</LI><LI>Note down the gaps. This is where a career progression plan will focus.</LI></UL><h3>Step 4 – Build A Career Progression Plan.</h3>Now you build a career progression plan;<UL><LI>List out the skills you need to achieve.</LI><LI>Set out how, where and when you will achieve these. For example, you might set up a talent swap (the How), in a different part of your organisation (the Where) starting in 3 months time (the When).</LI><LI>Are there home learning courses you can take that allow you to carry on with your current job and build skills for your future career?</LI><LI>Space these out like ‘Stepping Stones’ and track your progress.</LI><LI>Keep re-assessing your skills against job adverts and people in the career you are pursuing so you know you are on the right track.</LI></UL><h2>Additional Elements To Consider.</h2>There are other elements you can consider that will help you along a career progression plan quicker;<UL><LI>Get a mentor. This could be from your existing network or organisation, it could be from a professional company that connects mentors and mentees or it could be someone you seek out through other means.</LI><LI>Does your current employer pay for any courses that could help? Most larger organisations have funding for this. Alternatively, consider paying for the right courses yourself.</LI><LI>If you are just starting out on your career consider internships, work experience or apprenticeships. All offer the ability to gain experience in a lower level role so you can understand the role and career better. This is also useful if you are making a career switch and want to ‘try before you buy’ so to speak.</LI></UL><h2>Recap</h2>A career progression plan can sound complicated and daunting but it isn’t. It is just a series of logical steps;<UL><LI>Identify the career you want.</LI><LI>Understand the skills/experience/qualifications/strengths you need to succeed in that career.</LI><LI>Identify the skills etc.. you already have, and those you need to develop.</LI><LI>Set out how, where and when you will achieve these skills. Each should be seen as a ‘Stepping Stone’ to your ideal career.</LI></UL>Well, what are you waiting for, get working on that plan!<h3>Share this with others:</h3>

Want to know what a career progression plan really is? It is not as complicated as it sounds. Find out how to get to the career you want.

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A career progression plan, or career growth plan is a term you may hear about. Career progression is at the front of every ambitious person’s mind. It is not just linked to your standard 9 -5 job either. A career progression plan works if you are self employed or even for a side hustle.

In simple terms, a career progression plan is your roadmap to where you want to get to professionally. It is the simple steps you plan to take to get where you want to be.

Regular readers of my articles will know what’s coming next! Stepping Stones.

Think of career progression as a goal. The career or professional level you want to reach is your ‘big goal’. A career progression plan sets out the tasks or ‘Stepping Stones’ you need to achieve on your plan to reach your ‘big goal’. You can read more about Stepping Stone <a href="https://spurplanners.com/stepping-stones/">here </a>.

This is a step by step guide on how to get started. You should then refine the plan over time. Here goes:

What is the goal? What career or professional level are you trying to reach? It might be the next level of management in your company, it might be a different career altogether or it might be to be the CEO. Whatever the goal, you have to be clear on two key points at least;

<ul><li>Why is this career right for you? </li><li>What will you get from this career? </li> </ul>

Being clear on these basic points will give you confidence the career you are about to pursue has relevance for you.

Know the requirements of the career you are trying to achieve. You probably don’t have all the skills/experience/qualifications/strengths (I will just call these aspects ‘skills’ going forward) now because if you did you would already be doing the job. There are a number of ways you can do this;

<ul><li>Look at job adverts in the field and level that you want to achieve. If you are aiming at a much higher level than you are at now consider also looking at adverts mid-way to where you want to get. You can then understand the skills you need in the mid and long term. What skills are they asking for? </li><li>Find people doing the career you want and connect with them. Are there people already in your organisation that you can talk to? Is there anybody in your existing network? Conferences you can sign up to? People you can reach out to on LinkedIn? </li><li>Many organisations now support talent swaps. This is where you get to spend time in a different part of the organisation to learn about different roles for an agreed period. This will allow you to see first hand what is involved in the role and what skills you need. </li> </ul>

A career progression plan can sound complicated but it is really just a known set of tasks that will help get you to the career or professional level you want.

Now you know the career you want and the skills needed to both enter and succeed in that career. Next you identify how your current skills and experience match up.

Don’t let this part feel negative. Yes, you might look at the skills you have and the skills you need and see a big gap but that is fine. That gap can be bridged, that’s the purpose of this plan. Here you need to;

<ul><li>Write down your skills. Don’t just take your own word though, speak to colleagues and senior managers and get feedback on what you are good at. </li><li>Write down the skills you understand from Step 2 are required for your ideal career. </li><li>Note down the gaps. This is where a career progression plan will focus. </li> </ul>

Step 4 – Build A Career Progression Plan.

Now you build a career progression plan;

<ul><li>List out the skills you need to achieve. </li><li>Set out how, where and when you will achieve these. For example, you might set up a talent swap (the How), in a different part of your organisation (the Where) starting in 3 months time (the When). </li><li>Are there home learning courses you can take that allow you to carry on with your current job and build skills for your future career? </li><li>Space these out like ‘Stepping Stones’ and track your progress. </li><li>Keep re-assessing your skills against job adverts and people in the career you are pursuing so you know you are on the right track. </li> </ul>

There are other elements you can consider that will help you along a career progression plan quicker;

<ul><li>Get a mentor. This could be from your existing network or organisation, it could be from a professional company that connects mentors and mentees or it could be someone you seek out through other means. </li><li>Does your current employer pay for any courses that could help? Most larger organisations have funding for this. Alternatively, consider paying for the right courses yourself. </li><li>If you are just starting out on your career consider internships, work experience or apprenticeships. All offer the ability to gain experience in a lower level role so you can understand the role and career better. This is also useful if you are making a career switch and want to ‘try before you buy’ so to speak. </li> </ul>

A career progression plan can sound complicated and daunting but it isn’t. It is just a series of logical steps;

<ul><li>Identify the career you want. </li><li>Understand the skills/experience/qualifications/strengths you need to succeed in that career. </li><li>Identify the skills etc.. you already have, and those you need to develop. </li><li>Set out how, where and when you will achieve these skills. Each should be seen as a ‘Stepping Stone’ to your ideal career. </li> </ul>

Well, what are you waiting for, get working on that plan!

What Is A Career Progression Plan? - Spur Planners

How To Build A Career Progression Plan.

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