Career Growth: the What, the Why, and the How

Navigating the corporate and professional landscapes can be a formidable challenge. The ever-present pressure to acquire new hard and soft skills, advance into higher positions, and seamlessly assimilate into the office environment demands a constant awareness of your career growth. Indeed, maximizing your professional capacity is crucial at every stage of your journey.

But what exactly does career growth entail? It is often confused with career development, yet it stands apart with its distinct scope, measurable metrics, and fundamental purpose. Career growth revolves around our long-term career aspirations, which are typically reflected in your plan to improve your salary, job title, and overall responsibilities. Understanding the significance of career growth in the professional world is key to unlocking your true potential.

In this article, we will delve into the significance of employee career growth and explore the various types of career growth paths. By the end of this article, you will have gained valuable insights into the pivotal role career growth plays in shaping your professional life.

Giving attention to your career growth and career development is an essential part of your professional development. Understanding the difference between these two concepts will allow you to create effective career growth and development plans.

Career growth focuses on long-term progression in job roles and responsibilities, and plays a pivotal role in defining one's overall professional trajectory. Planned career growth allows you to reach higher positions, take on greater responsibilities, and achieve career milestones. This upward movement in your career provides you with a clear sense of purpose and direction and is a great motivator to perform at your best consistently. A great example of career growth is progressing through the hierarchy of a company. For example, if you start as a sales associate, following a career growth plan will allow you to be promoted through the ranks until you are in a sales director or managerial position!

On the other hand, career development is equally critical as it encompasses the short-term enhancement of your skill set and technical knowledge relevant to your current position. By continually investing in your technical skill set, intentionally-driven career development allows you to tackle new challenges, adapt to changes in the workplace, and remain relevant in your professional fields. An example of career development would be taking courses or professional workshops to develop a particular skill that can give you an edge in your position over your coworkers. 

When both career growth and career development are both given equal consideration, your professional life will inevitably become more balanced and intentional. The combination of striving for higher positions and continuously honing your professional skills keeps you in a constant state of competitiveness and is great at preventing burnout or professional stagnation. Moreover, this dual focus on growth and development fosters a positive work environment, as employees tend to feel supported in their pursuit of meaningful and rewarding careers.

Career growth is an umbrella term that manifests itself in various forms. Here are the most common types of career growth models. Pay attention to these as they are distinct.

1. Vertical Career Growth

Vertical career growth is one of the more common types of career growth and encompasses a vertical movement through the hierarchical structure of a department or field within a company. Employees typically start in a junior position within the company and rise through the ranks as their experience and skill sets develop. Having a good career growth plan can facilitate this process and employees can be aware of the skills needed to transition into a more challenging and qualified role.

2. Horizontal Career Growth

Horizontal career growth involves the process of acquiring skills that are desirable or required to laterally transition to another position or job role that is at the same level as you are currently. Horizontal career growth is great for professionals wishing to diversify their marketable skill set or transition into a job role that is more comfortable for them.

3. Steady-State Experts

There are also career growth plans for professionals wishing to specialize deeply in their current field! Steady-state experts are those professionals who commit to one field and become an expert in it.

4. Spiral Career Paths

Spiral career paths encompass the trajectory that employees take when they are trying to find which job role best suits them. They typically engage in a multitude of positions and develop a broad range of skills in the process. Spiral career paths are useful for gaining a wide array of skills, the knowledge of which can come in quite handy when they decide to settle into a more focused career growth path.

5. T-shaped Career Growth

T-shaped career growth is a path chosen by professionals who have deep preexisting knowledge in a certain field. These professionals “branch out” and learn a broad range of skills to complement their expertise.

6. Transitory Career Paths

While traditional work culture places emphasis on loyalty or commitment to one company, many contemporary workers opt to move between companies or industries to experience diverse opportunities and develop a more varied skill set. In the modern workplace, such employees are highly desired for their nuanced experience! Employees can also leverage their work experiences, previous salaries, and job titles into more lucrative ones in each company transition.

The importance of career growth extends past the employee and directly to the employer! Employers should provide every opportunity possible for their employees to professionally develop. Focusing on employee career growth is beneficial for many reasons; here are the main advantages: 

Help Attract Top Talent

A company that offers its employees the opportunity to develop through tangible career growth is a company that will always attract high-level and competitive talent. Employees will always be motivated to work hard and earn towards their career growth.

Boost Employee Retention

Employees care about being cared about. If an employee sees their employer prioritizing their career goals and development, they will be less likely to leave the company as they are already in a familiar environment that allows them to grow comfortably.

Build a Sense of Stability

Employees working in an environment that promotes their career growth fosters a sense of job stability and professional security. Employees are more likely to stay loyal to a company that cares for their future and ensures that they can maintain a stable job while progressing through the company!

Increases Their Skill Sets

Career growth expands an employee's skill set, making them a more valuable asset to the organization. This provides the employer with a more specialized and professional workforce and satisfies the employee’s desire to progress and develop professionally. Employers could increase the skill set of their employees through paid training or workshops.

Greater Employee Satisfaction

When an employee feels positively challenged and engages in thought-provoking exercises that develop their skill, they are likely to feel much more satisfied than a boring job that does not offer anything more than a salary. Career growth matters as it gives an employee something to work towards, both for their personal betterment and the betterment of the company. 

Boost Productivity

The prospect of furthering one's career and earning a higher salary, obtaining a better position, and gaining rapport within a company is an alluring offer. Employers that offer career growth opportunities to their employers will motivate a substantial boost in productivity as employees will be motivated to perform at their best. 

Improved Knowledge Transfer

A hallmark of professional growth and development is the ability to teach others and be a point of information transfer within a company. Employers seek out those who possess this quality and strive to promote them through the ranks of the company. This growth can translate directly into higher positions within the company!

As an employer, you should focus time and resources on helping your employees realize their career growth. That said, it may be a lot easier said than done, as there are many factors that must be taken into consideration. Here are some great places to start: 

1. Find the Intersection Between Employee Career Goals and Business Needs

The first step to supporting your employee’s career growth is finding the intersection between your company’s business needs and your employee’s career goals. See the areas of career growth that your employees can undergo that will boost your company’s performance and provide opportunities for your employees to receive the training needed to accomplish this!

2. Suggest Career Development Opportunities

As an employer, it is in your best interest to retain highly skilled and high-functioning employees. To incentivize and motivate your workforce, offer training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities to ensure that your employees are meeting their career growth goals.

3. Offer Internal Mobility (Career Progression)

As an employer, make sure that you pay attention to the individual development of each employee. Hold regular discussions with your employees on how they can improve and progress through your company. After all, professional stagnation is one of the worst things that can happen to an employee and is a large contributor to work burnout. On the flip side, if your employees understand they have the potential to experience positive vertical career growth in your company, they will be more likely to work harder and smarter!

4. Encourage a Fair Work-Life Balance

Companies that overwork their employees typically see diminishing returns on their investments. Part of retaining a strong workforce is ensuring that their work-life balance is in order. This allows employees to unwind and can also provide the time needed for them to work towards furthering their own career development and growth goals. 

5. Visualize the Macro

Offering constructive reminders of the company’s overall vision can motivate employees to work towards that overarching goal. Show your employees how their career growth adds value to the company and pushes the company forward to achieve their short and long-term objectives.

Career growth is an integral part of the professional experience and is a subject of great importance for both the employee and employer. Career growth is a gratifying experience for the employee and encourages hard work and dedication to the job. Similarly, career growth provides employers with a stronger and more resilient workforce that evolves and adapts to a changing work environment. All professions should constantly strive to develop their skill sets in an effort to increase their standing, wage, and technical proficiency within their field!

Are you looking for career advice as you prepare to take the next step in your professional journey? CakeResume offers a comprehensive selection of carefully curated articles that cover everything from CV building and tips to deep dives into the workings of the modern workplace. Get an edge over the competition and take control of your professional life with  CakeResume!

--- Originally written by Alexander Coye ---