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Design the Career Path You Want (and Deserve!)
Learn how to propose a new role to your existing employer
Back in 2014, I became the product manager at a software company. Before I took on the role, it didn’t exist.
I’d been with the company for several years by that point. And while I liked my job, I was (frankly) bored. Ready for something new? But not ready to go elsewhere.
Many companies are very, very bad at creating defined career paths for employees — especially small companies. So people feel like they hit a ceiling.
And many managers aren’t proactively thinking about employee growth. They may encourage their direct reports in other ways, but they don’t consider, “What comes next?” if there’s no clear path to a promotion.
Instead of feeling held back, you can view this as an opportunity. Think of the role you want, and take the initiative to propose it to your manager. Provided you have a boss who supports you (and wants to retain you as an employee), you might get what you want.
No one else will look out for your career. You have to take control.
Identify a specific gap
You first have to ask yourself what you want from your next role within the company. Are you looking for…
