This article was first published on Fast Company.
Indira Gandhi couldn’t have been more right when she said, “The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” As India’s first female prime minister, her focus was at a societal level, but the message holds on a personal level, too. Bringing this mindset—plus a flexible, repeatable process—to career planning empowers professionals of all types to make great career decisions, no matter what life throws their way.
The need for such a model is greater than ever. Gone are the days of marching up the same career ladder as everyone around you. Professionals today know that no path is a sure thing — and their career paths show it. Indeed, the average person spends less than three years in a given job.
Professionals also know that life experiences and events will occasionally force them to reevaluate all their choices. Life experiences such as a global pandemic, for example.
And they know that the top of the proverbial career ladder may not be the meaningful, satisfying pinnacle they once thought.
Creating your career path
The career ladder doesn’t work because we are not monolithic groups of attorneys, physicians, accountants, designers, coders, and [insert any professional here]. That ladder doesn’t flex to account for what matters most to you, whether that be building your own business, building a nest egg for those you love, or raising a family.
That’s why I created what I call my Hip Pocket Questions. These questions are designed to enable people to think differently about career decisions, ground them in their personal priorities, and create a bespoke ladder designed just for them.
Read the questions and the rest of this piece at Fast Company.
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