One of the most common frustrations I’ve heard from professionals I've engaged with over the years in my roles as a Recruiter or Leader is that they didn’t feel they were growing, and no one was there to guide their next steps. At times, they felt lost or disengaged, even questioning their very own vocation for the profession they chose. Strategic career development goes beyond merely setting career goals that you may review every 6-12 months with your manager. It requires a more step-by-step approach, putting you in the driver's seat. Writing a goal on a piece of paper might feel dull, and once the paper is out of sight, chances are, so is the goal. That's why today, I’m sharing a visually tailored career roadmap with clear milestones to help you design your own career path and stay focused on achieving your dreams.

What is a Career Roadmap?

I rarely hear people in Europe discussing, using, or implementing a career roadmap for their professional journey. I don’t recall learning about this before entering the world of work, which I must admit would have been an incredible tool for a young professional exploring new horizons.

Fortunately, through my profession and my own professional ambitions, I have discovered the value of a career roadmap and how to leverage it.

A career roadmap is a strategic plan presented visually to help outline your career objectives and the milestones necessary to achieve them. It includes specific steps, skill development, and a timeline for progression. A well-designed career roadmap assists individuals in navigating their professional journey, making informed decisions, and staying focused on long-term aspirations. It encompasses various aspects such as personal development, education, networking, and specific career moves tailored to individual goals.

SMART goals versus Career Roadmap

You may have heard already of SMART goals - setting your objectives in a way that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Despite their popularity in the corporate world and spreading across more personal aspects of life too, studies say that up to 92% of people fail to achieve them. In my experience in the world of work, setting goals is a regular habit. I have to admit though, that when helping my team or other peers to set their goals, the most common theme is that it’s not easy to be specific, understand how to measure them and set some deadlines that make sense. The long term dreams seem to be easier to define, but the gap from where you are till that point needs to defined by some milestones. And the steps you make in achieving those milestones are the SMART goals you need to set up. By breaking it down is smaller steps, they seem to be easier to work with. The disadvantage is that you only set around 3 goals for a period of time, and then you follow it till your next career review or discussion with manager. And the next goals are often too disconnected of the ones you initially set up, which may be impacting your strategy of professional growth and thus achieving your dream career.

Here is where I find the Career Roadmap being so useful. With a career roadmap it makes sense to start with the big dream you have and map it out, you are supposed to have it there. Essentially, in order to achieve it you will still need to set SMART goals on the way. But it will always show a holistic representation of your career plan from where you are and the road that lays ahead of you. It’s going to help you assess whether the career path in the current company is in line with your aspirations, what projects you want to participate in and overall what competencies you want to continue to develop.

What are the Benefits of a Career Roadmap?

Firstly, the career roadmap should be a visual representation. It’s well known that as humans, we remember 10% of what we hear, 20% of what we read, and up to 80% of what we see! Part of the success in achieving your objectives is to remember what the goals are in the first place, especially if some goals are more challenging for you and you’re not really looking forward to dealing with them. It will help tremendously if you remind yourself that the challenge is just one step in getting you closer to the dream job you aspire to.

Secondly, as mentioned above, it offers a holistic representation of your career plan. This is going to shape the decisions you make, as you will be more aware of what aligns with your aspirations. It doesn’t mean that you will never have to get exposed to anything else, but for sure, it will be a tool to support you in being more intentional in your actions

And finally, it’s going to remove uncertainties and put YOU in the driver seat: you will be no longer wondering if you are headed in the right direction, if that employer was a bad choice for you, if this current job is taking you anywhere. You will know who you are as a professional, what is that you know well and what you still need to develop, what opportunities you want to accept. All this will make you more confident. And confidence is often the key in positioning yourself as a valuable candidate in the recruitment process.

How to design a Career Roadmap?

There are many ways in which you can create a career roadmap, but generally you need to put down where you are now and where you want to get. Think about what can be in between, experiences, projects, courses, skill development, job titles etc. that you would need to go through in order to get closer to the dream. Thouse would be your milestones. Next, simply start setting a few goals that you need to achieve for each particular milestone. Remember to add something visual to it, be it by highlighting things in different colors, gluing some inspirational pictures or simply drawing some lines in between the elements do define the timelines. Making it visual, will help you remember it with clarity.

And if you still have questions or doubts, here is an example: have designed for you a general roadmap, that marks 10 essential milestones in building your career and securing the jobs you want.

1. KNOWING YOURSELF

   • Identify what motivates you / what you find rewarding

   • Explore what you love learning more about

   • Assess your strengths & weaknesses

   • Be realistic about short & mid-term needs

   • Research ideal job based on the list above

2. SETTING YOUR GOALS

   • Define ideal job & work conditions

   • Decide what is going to be negotiable & what not

   • Create SMART goals

   • Review the goals regularly and adjust them if needed

3. MARKET MAPPING

   • Map companies in your desired location and industry

   • Explore their websites to learn about the positions they offer and their work culture.

   • Research their employer brand & how they rank against competitors

   • Review the skills they look for in candidates

4. YOUR COMPETITIVENESS

   • Assess your experience, skills, and knowledge in relation to your target role.

   • Identify any gaps and consider acquiring additional skills or knowledge for a competitive edge.

   • Research and invest in relevant certifications, courses, or books to stay updated with the latest trends in your field, aligning with your career objectives.

5. PERSONAL BRAND

   • Collect recommendations and endorsements from former colleagues, teachers, or trusted professionals who can vouch for your abilities.

   • Evaluate and curate your social media presence

   • Update your CV and Linkedin Profile, optimizing for searchability and AI bots.

   • Choose the networking environment (online or offline) that aligns with your preferences to connect with professionals in your field.

6. APPLICATION PROCESS

   • Join job alerts on local and international job boards like Indeed and Monster.

   • Focus on LinkedIn and niche portals for field-specific opportunities.

   • Connect with recruiters, managers, or friends at your target companies for potential referrals.

   • Engage with recruitment agencies for job opportunities.

   • Check your target companies' career portals regularly.

   • Submit spontaneous applications to be included in company databases.

7. ACING THE INTERVIEW

   • Read about the company you will be interviewing for

   • Review the job description before the meeting.

   • Familiarize yourself with unfamiliar tools or processes from the JD

   • Prepare a strong narrative about your motivation

   • Communicate clearly your competencies and expectations

   • Prepare questions

   • Share your feedback after interview

8. SEAL THE DEAL

   • Make sure you understand the offer / contract terms and they align with your expectations.

   • Ask questions and negotiate if needed.

   • Allow yourself to think about the offer before making a decision.

9. GROW MINDSET

   • Aim for continuous growth

   • Seek a mentor to guide you

   • Always ask for feedback

   • When you sense stagnation, proactively seek changes or consider getting a coach.

10. MAKE IT MEANINGFUL

    • Find meaning in your career journey by utilizing your gained experience and influence, to contribute to something that resonates with your heart and holds deeper significance.