​Kovel Vocational and Technical Education Center

​   A person’s professional development corresponds to the highest level of Maslow’s pyramid - the need for self-actualization. Although it is not the most important in the hierarchy of needs, promotion can have a huge impact on your well-being and life satisfaction. Achieving the desired career level, and therefore professional stability, can also satisfy other levels of needs: the need for recognition from colleagues, superiors, close circle; the need to belong to the social group that your company is.

Do you want to plan your career development? Make sure that the profession you have chosen is adapted to your skills and abilities. It is also very important to set goals for the next month, year, or even ten years or more. How to do this? To plan your professional development, you should know the stages of an employee’s career path.

6 steps that correspond to the different stages of your professional career.

Step 1: First job - this is where your professional career begins

Study or the period immediately after graduation is the time to find your first job. But this does not mean that this particular profession or position will accompany you almost throughout your life. At this stage, you have a great opportunity to see which tasks you do most willingly, and which ones are less pleasant or difficult for you. How to do this? You can do one of the following:

take advantage of the internship and practice offers offered by your university. This is a great opportunity to find out whether you have chosen the right direction of study;

take a professional competence test. The results will help you understand what type and mode of work is most compatible with your abilities and skills;

consider the option of employment in temporary jobs. This will be valuable experience for you;

try your hand at professions or positions where you can perform several tasks at once and combine different types of work.

A holistic approach to career development and job search will also allow you to better assess the level of pay in different professions.

Step 2: Defining goals and getting the job you dream of - what do you strive for at work?

Started your professional path? Your first experience behind you? Congratulations! Knowing your own abilities is the first step to success. This allows you to determine your plans for the near future.

The SMART method will help you determine your goal and path. In order for a professional career to develop, goals must be:

clearly defined - specific information is needed here, for example: "In 5 years I will be a sales manager and earn 30 thousand hryvnias";

measurable - write down how you will check whether you have achieved your goal. What will help determine whether you are on the right track?;

acceptable - think about whether this is a goal that you completely agree with? Is it important to you? Does it correspond to your beliefs? If you hesitate, analyze again whether you really want to achieve a goal that you are not sure about;

realistic - your goal must comply with the laws of physics, logic and human capabilities. Remember that no business of your own will bring you hundreds of thousands of hryvnias in six months;

time-bound - set a period during which you will achieve your goal.

It is best to write down your career goals on paper, in notes on your phone or on your computer, so that you can reread them again at the first need.

Step 3: Promotion or change of job - what is the professional development of an employee?

Answer the following questions: does my current position bring me closer to my goal or does it take me further away? How long can I work in this or that position, what do I still need to learn? If it takes me further away - where should I look for a job? Will it be a specific company or profession?

How long have I been working in this position? Do I have a clearly defined career path and do I have a chance to develop further in this company? What can I do to achieve a higher position? Who should I talk to about a promotion? What keeps me in this company? Can I change jobs? Do I need to acquire any new skills for this? Has my earnings increased over the last period of work?

Am I closer to achieving my goal? If not, what is the situation in the company and how is my work evaluated by management? What can I do to prepare well for the interview? What should I do if I get a negative answer? If so, how fast is my earnings growing? Am I satisfied with it? Is my growth the result of general decisions of my superiors, or are my achievements influenced by them? How can I further accelerate the achievement of the goal?

Step 4: Intensive professional development of the employee - a place for the fastest career development

The higher the position, the greater the requirements. Over time, the knowledge gained during training or in the first years of work may not be enough. Further positions and promotions will require the acquisition of not only technical skills, but also soft skills.

If you want to be promoted to a managerial position, you may need management training. If you want to become a specialist, you will need additional courses and certificates that confirm your skills.

Don’t be afraid of continuous training. When you hear from your manager that you need