Streaming your career

Some years ago a lot of companies referred to career ladders. This approach suggested that you simply keep on climbing the ladder until hopefully and eventually to you get to the top.

The reality was many people would hit a ceiling, either due to factors such as discrimination, lack of opportunity or internal politics (favouristism).

The concepts of career paths then followed, suggesting that a roadmap exists, and with the right development a person can reach their potential.

The reality is that career development is like trying to cross a raging river. You have little chance of reaching an exact spot on the other side.



Copyright: Raging River Painting by Priyadarshi Gautam

Using the concept of a career stream, a person should consider therefor various roles that may be lateral moves, sometimes even taking a lower level role to change from one function e.g. marketing to sales.

Another relevant aspect of a career stream is the dynamic flow of a person's experience and skills, similar to the movement of water, sometimes slowly over rocks, and other times as a water fall.

The key is to channel your career in the right direction.