How Careers Work?

Recent studies that have been conducted about careers show that careers can be broken down into different phases. Within these phases, they focus on two major things. Your potential value and the value of your experience. Understanding how each of these things changes in each of the different phases, will allow you the opportunity for success in your career.

The first phase is the Promise Phase.  This phase focuses on your potential. What will you be able to bring to this company? When you are looking for a job after high school or college, the people hiring you are looking for what skills and assets you have. Such as working well with others, strong communication skills, ability to adapt to change, following directions, etc. These skills are what you are evaluated on. This phase usually lasts about five to seven years of the first part of your career.  

The second phase is the Momentum Phase. In this phase, the focus is less on your potential, and more on the experience and expertise you bring to the job. This is the phase where you will start to build your professional experiences and start to become more recognized in your organization for the value you bring due to those experiences. For example, if you are working in the finance industry you are building your reputation and that of your organization by working with banks, managing portfolios, and working with big corporations on projects. The more successful you are in your company, the more you will be valued for your experience.

The third phase is the Harvest Phase.  This the phase of your career where things start to slow down and often can find yourself stuck. This phase starts as you get closer to your retirement. You may not grow as much personally or professionally and maybe passed up for promotions or other growth opportunities, even though you may still be performing your job well. Those that do transition into this phase successfully, are the ones that are able to adapt their experiences to a new environment.

Understanding these different phases in careers allows you the ability to adapt and find your own success and hopefully leads you to a long-term successful career