Career Path? How do I plan that?

I’ve done it!
I have done what seems so rare now a days. I got a job in my field right out of school.

Don’t hate me just yet! I actually worked pretty hard to get here. In fact, I have actually been working in this position as a student for nearly 2 years. Plus I had built up some experience elsewhere to add to my attractiveness. But in the end, my bosses decided I should be kept on as a regular employee and transitioned me in as soon as my classes were done.

Relief.
Or not?

I sat down with my manager the other day to go over my training plan now that I am not longer a student (students were not allowed to have training so until now I have been learning as I go). As we discussed my options and selected a few courses, he reads aloud: “A conversation about career path and goals has been had with the employee. Yes or No.”

No. There was no such talk so we decided had it then. So he asked: “What ARE your long term career goals?”

I BLANKED.

I just got out of school. Last week my goal was to GET the job not figure out where I would be in 10 or 20 years. I found this question hard to answer. Incredibly hard.

You see, I never actually thought I would go into economics and statistics. I thought I would go into policy or work in the international development field. But after getting a taste of programing and data use, I fell in love! I knew I wanted to stay, but where could that take me.

Frankly, I don’t really know where I could be in the years to come. And I don’t 100% know where I would like to be. But I am now working on finding out.

I am talking with my co-workers to see what their plans are. Are they hoping to stay in our group until they retire? Are they planning to move around and try new things? Are they thinking of switching fields altogether? I figure talking with my peers was a good place because many of them have been in my exact position before.

I have also signed up to have a mentor in my workplace. The mentor can basically be anyone but I have requested:

•  2 people who work in areas parallel to mine so I can understand my work from another perspective and apply that knowledge to my everyday work
• 2 people in more corporate jobs but whose experience includes work in areas relating to the development side of my International Economics and Development degree
• 1 person who is nearing retirement and who has worked his way up from being a student to being assistance to a VIP, his experiences also include work in areas that relate to development

With these mentors I hope to learn what paths are possible in my career and also learn about careers which lean on both the economics and development sides of my degree. I took this hybrid degree because I like both portions of it, finding a job that blends them would be amazing!

Finally, I am planning to talk to the highest superior I have access to. She is retiring this year and I hope to sit down and chat with her about where she sees our group, and the public service in general, in 10 years. Based on that I hope to tailor my skills for the future. She would know what is to come, she has the experience and she has been directing the group for a while now. She has also been a big supporter of mine and I need to thank her for that. I have always assumed she is unreasonably busy and have yet to stop by, but I will definitely be doing that soon. Heck maybe I will stop by tomorrow with some cookies!

 

Anyways, that is my thought for the day. Fresh out of school and into a job. No idea where I want to head from here. But I have a plan to figure it out!

Don’t ever be afraid to ask people questions about career or anything else. Humans have such varied experiences that you will learn so much just by talking to another person. All it takes is one person to change your perspective.