What is your career plan?
We’ve all been there. Staring at a blank piece of paper, trying to plan our lives. We’re told that a career plan is the key to success and that it will guide us on a path to a fulfilling life. But as someone who has had many careers, I’m here to tell you that a career plan might be an outdated concept.
My career journey has been anything but linear. From teaching seventh-grade science to working as a Senior Business Transformation Consultant. Each job has taught me valuable lessons and helped me gain skills that have served me well throughout my career. But the idea of following a career plan has never felt quite right to me.
I’ll share my story and explain why a career plan might not be the best way to navigate the modern workforce. I’ll also share some tips for those feeling boxed in by the idea of a career plan and want to explore new opportunities.
Getting Boxed In
Most career plans start with what?- Identifying a specific career path or industry and outlining the steps needed to advance within that field. Mine was education Teacher > Principal > Superintendent. It’s clear, but for me, it was constricting.
My careers from most to least recent:
- Senior Business Transformation Consultant
- Curriculum Writer/Professional Learning Community Lead
- Science Department Chair and Teacher
- TFA Application Scorer
- Charlotte Teacher Institute Seminar Coordinator
- Seventh Grade Science Teacher
I started my career as a teacher. I loved working with kids and helping them learn, and I thought teaching was the perfect career for me: teacher, then principal, then superintendent. What they don’t tell you is there is a lot of politicking in becoming a principal. But as time went on, I felt boxed in by the idea of being a teacher for the rest of my life. I joined an education policy group in my free time, and loved networking with people, solving problems with other teachers, and talking to policy leader launching and advising on projects but it was cut due to funding. I began at the Charlotte Teacher’s Institute because I went to school for anthropology, and I thought writing academic curriculum units would make me feel better. I loved connecting with other teachers, but eventually went to the highest level, Seminar Coordinator, but after that, they asked me to step down and return to writing so other teachers could experience leadership and I couldn’t go backward. So I decided I’ll go all in on becoming a principal and began an internship shadowing the Superintendent of Student Services for the school. That was moving forward right. I made some real changes there, but the work environment was awful, the gray walls of a corporate office and heels that left my virgin feet covered in blisters. At the district level, it’s a bunch of meetings and listening to people prattle on and on about test scores and creating reductive strategies, although they had never set foot in a classroom. So I thought maybe more leadership at school is what I need. I changed schools and began a Science Department Chair and Teacher job. But after a few years, the newness fell away, I started to feel boxed in again. I’ll write again, Curriculum Writer. But I was cycling back and forth and none of it felt good. I knew I wanted to explore new opportunities, but I wasn’t sure where to begin.
Embracing Change
That’s when I started to think about a career outside of education. That was the box I had put myself in. I started to break down more systematically what about education did I love? I loved problem-solving, challenging problems, and facilitating, I loved the flexibility in my workday starting at 6:45, off by 2:15. I loved technical writing. I loved strategy. I loved planning. I loved analytics. I loved STEAM. I loved change. I enrolled in business school with the intent on being a change management analyst. I landed pretty close.
It was a big leap of faith, but I took the plunge and applied for a job as Business Transformation Consultant. To my surprise, I got the job, and I’ve been working as a consultant ever since. Working as a consultant has been a great experience. I’ve been able to use my skills in a new and exciting way, and I’ve learned a lot about business and strategy. But the best part of my job is that I no longer feel boxed in by the idea of a career plan. Instead of trying to follow a predetermined path, I’m free to explore new opportunities and take risks. And that’s something that I think is essential in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing workforce.
Breaking Free
If you’re feeling boxed in by the idea of a career plan, there are a few things that you can do to break free. Here are some tips that have worked for me.
Instead of focusing on a specific career path, focus on your interests and passions. What do you love to do? What are you good at? Think about how you can use those skills and interests in a new and exciting way. For me, it was my love of science and education that led me to education. And it was my interests that led me to become a Senior Business Transformation Consultant.
Plan your finances. Plan your risks. Then plan your career. Lucky for me, I planned my finances so that when it came time to take a risk I had a handsome nest egg to fall back on. Thank you, Papa Dave Ramsey. When I decided to leave teaching and pursue a business career, it was a big risk. But it was also one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Taking that risk opened up new opportunities and allowed me to grow in ways I never imagined.
Final Thoughts
A career plan might not be the best way to navigate the modern workforce. Instead of trying to follow a predetermined path, embrace your interests, take risks, and do your research. By doing so, you’ll open up new opportunities and find success in ways that you never thought possible. In my current career when looking for my next step I take personal inventory and look for things I might like, not where I should go next. My career journey has taught me that change is the only constant in life. You change, interests change, jobs change, Embracing that change and being open to new opportunities is the key to success in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing workforce. So, don’t be afraid to take risks and try something new. You never know where it might lead you.
Classroom to Corporate 
Well said!
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