My Career
As already mentioned by Carol Hagh in the article The Big Decisions that Impact Your Career published by Harvard Business Review on 31 March 2021, “a career is a marathon and not a sprint.”
Carol recommends working for companies with strong brands that specialise in your skill set, working with the best people, looking for stretch assignments, and avoiding shortcuts. This is good advice.
Define Your Ideal Career
In addition, you should start by asking yourself what type of career you want:
Are you aiming for a C-suite career?
What does a good work-life balance look like for you?
What lifestyle are you aiming for?
What work environment attracts you?
How important is purpose and meaningfulness?
How much money do you need to feel comfortable?
Take time for this “My Ideal Career” exercise. These questions will help guide better decisions.
Over a 40–45 year career, your needs will evolve. You may need adjustments or even a complete change. Revisit this exercise regularly to ensure your path still aligns with your ambitions.
Choosing a career aligned with your interests and skills is a key driver of long-term satisfaction.
6 Ways to Actively Manage Your Career
1. Manage Your Career
Don’t wait for your manager or HR to do it for you. Nobody understands your ambitions better than you.
Continuously seek learning opportunities and practical experiences that move you toward your next goal.
Volunteer for projects, training, process improvements, presentations, or employee initiatives.
2. Manage Your Boss
Understand the challenges your manager, and their manager, are facing. This helps you prioritise work that has broader organisational impact.
Communicate your mid- and long-term ambitions clearly. If your manager is less supportive, take initiative:
Schedule regular check-ins
Organise performance and development discussions
Maintain a clear development plan
3. Get Support
Depending on your career stage, seek the right support:
Mentor, for long-term guidance
Buddy, for integration in new roles or environments
Coach, for short-term goal achievement
4. Build Your Network
As organisations become less hierarchical, your network becomes critical.
Strong relationships across teams, sales, operations, finance, enable you to get things done faster because people are willing to help.
5. Get Visibility with Decision Makers
You will not get promoted if decision makers don’t know you.
Even excellent work goes unnoticed without visibility. This is one of the most underestimated career drivers.
Use opportunities such as:
Town halls
Product presentations
Informal meetings with senior leaders
CEO interactions
ESG, well-being, or diversity initiatives
Be intentional about becoming known at the top of the organisation.
6. Think Like the Top
When facing complex decisions, ask yourself:
What would my boss’s boss, the CEO, or even the shareholder do?
Thinking from the top level helps you make better strategic decisions and builds leadership mindset.
From Passive to Active
Embedding these six principles into your daily work transforms you from a passive participant into an active driver of your career.
Instead of relying solely on company programmes, you take ownership of your direction, growth, and success.