Career Pathing
ACTION PLAN
Career Pathing: a process used by an employee to chart a course within an organization for
his/her career path and career development. It involves understanding what knowledge, skills,
personal characteristics, and experiences are required to progress laterally or through
promotions, understanding what opportunities are available, and developing a plan for
reaching your goal.
Career Path Options:
Career Ladder – move up the ladder toward the top; pyramid-shaped with fewer options as you
move toward the top
Career Lattice – move in any direction; more mobility and opportunity for career development
Three-Step Process:
1. Self-Assessment
2. Create Opportunities
3. Create and Implement Action Plan
SELF ASSESSMENT
The first step in Career Pathing is to conduct an internal, in-depth self scan. The goal is to find a
good match between your interests, skills, values, personality, experience and your career
choice. It will also help you identify developmental areas and set priorities for future growth.
The information you gather will be used to identify a career that will be rewarding a fulfilling.
Fascinations
Your work will be more enjoyable if you are doing something that fascinates you. A fascination is
something that attracts intense interest. You are drawn to it.
Use the following categories to list your fascinations:
What fascinates you?
What section or subject in a bookstore draws you?
What cable TV stations do you spend the most time watching?
What type of people/cultures interest you?
What elective classes did you most enjoy in school?
Ask 3 colleagues/friends who know you well to list your fascinations.
Can you identify any themes?
Highlight the activities that are most important in a future career choice.
Work Related Values
Values are beliefs that are strong enough to influence behavior and decisions. These qualities are a
result of environmental influences, such as family, community, school, median and your culture. Our
values have a direct impact on the decisions we make, the standards we use to judge other, the goals
we set, and the worth we place on a situation or object. Career choice is greatly influenced by our
internal value system. Your work-related values can help clarify whether the industry, field, and type of
work will have personal meaning for you.
Achievement: the satisfaction of knowing that you have produced good results.
Co-Workers: working with people you admire, who are pleasant to work with, or whom you consider good
colleagues or friends.
Creativity: being able to discover or design new things; could be applied to the development of a new product or
through the design of a new method of doing things or a way to solve a complex problem.
Income: making a lot of money; having a high standard of living and being able to afford the material things you
desire.
Independence: opportunity to be autonomous and work on your own; determine your own direction, work with
minimum of supervision and move forward without having to ask for permission or consensus from others.
Lifestyle: having enough time left for family; having a job that does not interfere with family and leisure roles.
Mental Challenge: having new, challenging things to do that require problem-solving skills, mental acuity, and
good decision making; not having routine work.
Prestige: having others look up to you and being acknowledged for what you accomplish. Can be attained
through leadership or service on significant boards, committees and projects.
Security: being sure that things will stay the way they are; that you will not lose a job or a relationship or be
affected by change.
Supervision: having a supervisor who cares about you personally and values your work; being able to freely talk
with you manager and know that you will be heard.
Variety: being able to change work activities often; having a job with many different kinds of work tasks; by
traveling as part of the job or by working in many different places.
Work Environment: being in a pleasant, attractive, safe place; having proper light, a beautiful working space, large
office with a view, nice office furniture, and the right equipment for doing the job.
Which of these are most important to you?
Which are currently being met?
What careers might support your critical values?
Skills
List the skills you have in each category:
Knowledge-based (specific information needed to perform a task) _______________________________
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Personal Traits/Attitudes (characteristics that contribute to performing work) _____________________
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Transferable/Functional (useful in a variety of jobs) __________________________________________
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Highlight those skills that you do best.
Circle those skills that you would like to develop further.
Personality/Personal Style
What assessment tools/resources have you used to gain personal information? (If you are interested in
learning more about these, contact CSCC Human Capacity Development.)
RESULTS:
StrengthsFinder
My top 5 Strengths are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
My Myers Briggs Type Indicator
My 4-letter type is _____ _____ _____ _____
Other Assessments:
Is your current career a good “fit” for your personality/personal style? Why or why not?
How have you used this information to be successful in your career?
Choose 1 assessment finding (one strength, one dimension of your MBTI type) and describe a specific
example of how you used that finding to do something well.
Work Environment
Describe the environment in which you do your best work. (indoors/outdoors, home/office, large
team/individual)
Draw your ideal workspace:
How similar is your drawing to your current workspace?
Consider past work experiences…
What would you like to be the same in future work?
What aspects would you like to be different in the future?
Education & Training
List education/training/credentials you currently have:
List areas of specialization:
List ways you have stayed current in your field:
List areas you would like to develop further:
Identify barriers to further training:
Experience
Discuss your career progression (how your career has evolved with additional responsibilities):
List additional volunteer work, community activities, and special projects in which you have been
involved and how they have added value to you professionally:
Consider your current career:
What do you like most about your current position?
What do you like least?
What would you like to do more of?
What would help you be more satisfied in your job?
Is there something more you could do that would allow you to make a greater contribution to
the organization?
How does your current role fit your values, motivations, interests, talents, and goals?
What new task or role could you take on that would make better use of your talents/skills?
Where would you like to be professionally in 2 to 3 years? Is your current role helping you get
there?
Self-Assessment Summary/Overview
Answer the following questions to condense the self-assessment results:
What do you LIKE to do?
What makes work MEANINGFUL for you? What MOTIVATES you?
What are your EXPECTATIONS from work?
What do you DO WELL?
What is your PERSONAL STYLE?
Where do you do your BEST WORK?
What EDUCATION/TRAINING do you have (or would be willing to pursue)?
How will you build on current and previous work EXPERIENCES?
Based on your findings, identify careers that interest you the most:
Now that you have a good idea of what you have to offer, you need to know what your
employer wants!
Let’s CREATE some opportunities at CSCC…
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AT CSCC
Gathering feedback from Colleagues & Supervisor
Tips for receiving feedback:
 Listen to understand and control your defensiveness
 Ask questions to follow-up and clarify
 Ask for examples or stories that illustrate the feedback
 Check with others to determine the reliability of the feedback
 Show your appreciation
Suggested conversation starters:
I recently learned …………….. (results of self-assessments) about myself. How have you seen
these qualities in me at work?
I am thinking about taking classes to improve my skills in ……………. with the possible goal of
pursuing a career in …………………. How do you think my personality would fit in that type of
position?
That project was a stretch assignment for me. Can you give me some feedback on how you
think I did? What could I do better next time?
One of my PERFORMS goals for this year is focused on improving my competency in ………….
What have been your observations regarding my skills and behavior in this area?
List peers you could approach:
List areas in which feedback would be most beneficial:
Develop questions to solicit feedback:
In comparing feedback from multiple sources, are there common themes emerging?
Informational Interviews
The best source of in-depth information is from someone with first-hand knowledge.
Conducting informational interviews involves meeting professionals in a particular field to
discuss their skills, background and career path as well as insights on the field. The purpose is
to gather advice, information, referrals and support.
List the type of information you would like to obtain:
Identify CSCC employees who have first-hand knowledge about those topics:
Develop a list of questions using the following examples:
 What is a typical day like in your position?
 What do you find most rewarding?
 What problems or frustrations do you encounter in your work?
 What knowledge, skills, or experience is necessary to qualify for your position?
 What are the important factors used to hire people in this field, department,
organization?
 Can you tell me about your career path and how it led to your current position?
 Would you make that same career choice again?
 If you weren’t doing this job, what would you be doing?
 What challenges do you see for this department and what is being done to address
them?
 What trends do you see for this field in the next 3 – 5 years?
 Are there other employees at CSCC that might have information that would be valuable
to me as I consider career options?
Request a meeting via telephone, email or introduction. Provide a brief introduction of why
you are contacting them and request a 30-minute meeting to seek information and advice
related to their career.
Tips for conducting an Informational Interview:
 Be professional and follow common business courtesies
 Be prepared! Learn as much as you can about the organization and person with whom
you will meet.
 Prioritize your questions so you focus on the most important information.
 Be respectful of their time. If they agreed to a 30-minute meeting and you still have
more questions, ask if you could schedule another meeting to follow-up.
 Following the meeting, send a thank-you note and include them in your network (by
sharing updates and new information as you move forward.)
Questions for reflection:
What did you learn from talking to this person?
What did you find most interesting about their position?
What additional information do I need to know?
How can I use the information I learned as I consider career paths?
Is this the type of work that you would like to do in the future? Why or why not?
Networking
Networking is about building relationships and making connections. It's about learning things
about other people. People have had amazing experiences in their lives, and it is great to hear
about the wisdom they have gained and the challenges that they have overcome.
The kind of networking that is most useful in career development is based on two or more
people that have professional experience, information, and interesting stories in common.
Start by introducing yourself and asking questions to learn about the other person to find a
common ground between you. The key is when you ask a question, you have to listen to the
answer. Then you can build on the answer to ask another question.
Identify CSCC employees who might share your professional interests and perspectives:
Write your 30-second introduction. (Express your interests and outline the information you are
looking for.) Be prepared to share this when you meet a potential networking contact.
As you establish a network, you must find ways to maintain contact. When something of
interest happens, share that information. Keep your contacts posted on your career
development process. Share information (articles, resources, professional development
events) that might be of interest to them.
Job Shadowing
Job shadowing is an excellent way to learn about professional careers (and develop networking
contacts.) It involves spending time (a few hours or days) observing someone as they go
through their workplace routine.
Tips for Shadowing:
 Be on time and dress appropriately for the environment.
 Be attentive during your observation. (No cell phone, Facebook or email!)
 Introduce yourself to others that you meet during your observation.
 Follow-up with a thank you note.
List CSCC employees who do the sort of work you might like to do:
Contact the people on your list and explain that you are considering pursuing a career in their
field. Ask if you can spend time observing them at work at a time that is mutually convenient.
Write your reactions to the job shadowing experience:
What was the most relevant information you gained from the experience?
What additional information would you like to know?
Is this the type of work that you would like to do in the future? Why or why not?
Committees/Special Projects
Additional assignments are a good way to develop skills, gain recognition for your
contributions, and meet people from other areas of the college.
List CSCC committees of interest to you. Identify a contact for each committee and discuss
opportunities to participate.
Identify a special project (something outside of your current job duties) or stretch assignment
(something that gives you an opportunity to stretch past your current abilities) within your
department or somewhere else at CSCC. Discuss this with your supervisor to obtain permission
to pursue this.
Write your reactions to the experience. What was the most relevant information you gained
from participating in the activity?
DEVELOPING YOUR CAREER ACTION PLAN
Your Career Action Plan focuses on your growth and development. You are encouraged to involve your
supervisor/manager to get feedback and support.
Career Aspirations
Based on your self-assessment and career exploration, identify your career aspirations.
The position I would like to have within the next 2 years (short-term aspiration) is….
The position I would like to have 3 or more years from now (long-term aspiration) is…
Readiness Assessment
You may or may not be ready to move into your short- or long-term career at this time. For each career
aspiration, rate your readiness:
 Ready Now
 Ready in 1-3 years
 Ready in 3-5 years
Short-term aspiration readiness:
This rating is based on…
Long-term aspiration readiness:
This rating is based on…
Success Inhibitors
Identify potential negative behaviors that could keep you from fully utilizing your strengths and may
negatively impact your success or potential career advancement.
For each behavior, indicate if it is a concern.
Inflexibility
Resists change; stubbornly adheres to opinion or course of action
Fails to adjust interpersonal style or adapt to new situations
Uncompromising; not willing to make concessions
Narrow Focus
Lacks foresight; fails to plan for the future
Narrow-mindedness; lack of looking at broad picture
Overly focused on one thought or action
Lack Personal Accountability
Not willing to admit failures; blames others
Fails to hold self responsible or accept responsibility for actions
Claims to be “following orders from management”
Poor Attention to Detail
Fails to show consideration, thoroughness, adequate attention to details
Lacks methodical, orderly approach to work
Not meticulous or focused in reviewing work resulting in errors
Overly Competitive
Strives for superiority or the “win”; overly ambitious
Demands position of authority or merit, even when unjustified
Displays arrogance, antagonistic attitude resulting in resistance or opposition
Lack Self-Confidence
Lacks poise or composure in stressful situations
Reacts defensively when challenged by others
Conveys apprehension, insecurity or unease
Does Not Foster Trust
Fails to adhere to promises or obligations
Intentionally vague, ambiguous, evasive
Communication and actions are inconsistent
Seek feedback from your supervisor/colleagues and compare findings.
Primary Strengths
Identify three to five strengths (relevant to your career aspirations)
 What characteristics differentiate you from others?
 Where have you been most successful and what skills contributed to your success?
 In what areas are you a resource or offer expertise to others?
Developmental Needs
Identify one to three developmental needs or priorities (relevant to your career aspirations0
 What key strengths should be further developed?
 What skills, behaviors, competencies need to be developed to ensure success at the next level?
 What do you need to stop or start doing to be more successful?
 Where have you been least successful and what additional skills would have been helpful?
Developmental Activities
Identify key action steps that you will do in the next 12 months to address developmental areas.
Use the 70-20-10 rule if possible:
70% on-the-job assignments
20% feedback/networking
10% training activities (reading, classes)
Next Steps:
 Enlist the help of a supervisor/manager/coach/mentor
 Include your Career Action Plan as part of your PERFORMS
 Share your plan with your supervisor & others
 Monitor your progress and update your plan regularly