Two to Three Years Down the Road; Like What You See?

TAGS:

career advancement, career path, performance review

John Borrowman III
Borrowman Baker LLC
Gallatin, TN

The chances are that sometime, somewhere, some interviewer has asked, “Where do you want to be in five years?” If you’re just getting your BV career going, though, that’s the kind of question that can leave you stuck for an answer. A two or three year timeframe makes much more sense when it comes to evaluating career progress.

For one thing, it has a little more certainty or predictability to it. Conclusions you draw from what you see and what you hear are likely to be more valid. Moreover, if that two to three year timeframe is half or more of your total career to date and you haven’t taken a careful look at what’s ahead, it’s time you did.

What should you look for?

Consider who is on the rungs of the ladder above you. Does there seem to be room for good performers to move up? Or, when you look two steps (or worse yet, one) above you is there simply no room?
No workplace is complaint-free. But, is there a mechanism – whether official or unofficial – for allowing small grievances to be dealt with before they become big ones? Or, does everyone walk on eggshells, fearing the next explosion?
Are you being encouraged and supported when it comes to earning professional credentials or designations? Do you work for a practice that literally insists that you advance in your training? Or does it seem like there’s always an excuse (‘budgets are tight’; ‘we can’t afford to be without you for that time’) when you raise the subject?

What should you listen for?

Are both positive and negative changes in the practice discussed openly? Do you get a sense that your point of view counts? Or, does management avoid talking about the bad news until rumors overtake reality?
When you express an interest in getting involved in business development, is there straight-forward discussion about what activities might be most appropriate at your level of experience? Or, is the response some form of “we’ll get around to it”?
When you take the initiative to make a suggestion about improving process or productivity is your initiative welcomed and/or rewarded? Does your idea at least get a listen? Or, do you consistently hit brick walls with no explanation?

If you can look two to three years down the road and feel good about what you see, you should feel confident and comfortable about your career. If you don’t feel good about what you see or, worse yet, the picture is simply too cloudy, it might be time to discuss options.