Tips for Discussing Career Aspirations

It's surprising how many people have never had meaningful career conversations with their managers (or their direct reports). I don't mean conversations that are solely backward-looking about recent performance or forward-looking about the next promotion. I mean holistically taking stock of the journey: where you've come from, where you are now, where you're headed, where you'd like to go, the tools you need in your toolbox to get there, and the people you need in your support crew. Several years ago, I created a framework to guide career conversations with my direct reports. It's a somewhat cheesy framework, but it leads to rich conversations and strategic, as well as tactical, action plans. It's not meant to be prescriptive, but rather a guide for meaningful reflection and action. I offer it in case it's helpful to anyone here. (I'd also love to know how others approach leading or engaging in career conversations. Do you have your own framework that you'd be comfortable sharing?) Here’s mine: GROWTH G is for Goals. Personal and professional aspirations: How do you think about these today, and how have they evolved over the past 2, 5 years? What matters to you when you reflect on your career adventure thus far? What do you want to build on and carry forward, or leave behind? R is for Reflection. Self-awareness and feedback: What significant milestones or achievements have you accomplished in your career so far? When have you felt strongest and most fulfilled? Least? Where are you currently stretching and reaching the most? Where do you feel most uncomfortable – both positively and negatively? O is for Opportunities. Skill development and growth path: Together, we’ll identify the skills needed to develop further on the current path, or to strike out on a new path. W is for Wellbeing. Personal and professional balance: How are you balancing your work and personal life? What strategies do you use to maintain your wellbeing? Are there any areas where you feel you need more support or resources to ensure a healthy balance? T is for Team: Collaboration and mentorship: Who are the key people in your professional network? How are you leveraging relationships for growth? How are you contributing to others' growth? Who can and should we expand your network to include? H is for Holistic Action Plan. Actionable steps and accountability: What specific actions will you take to move toward your goals? How will we track your progress? What milestones will we set to ensure accountability and continuous growth?

A recent conversation with a mentee trying to navigate the next steps in their career reminded me of an essential rule I always emphasize: You own your career, therefore you have to be in the driver's seat. They recently received some feedback from their manager that was confusing as it didn’t align with previous feedback. The conversation on next steps was very vague. Reality check: waiting for clear guidance or validation from others can leave you stuck in neutral. Instead, you must proactively manage your own career path. Here are a few things I suggested: 1. Do a Self-Assessment You need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, passions, and career aspirations. Identify what excites you and where you see yourself in the future. Remember they can all change due to new experiences and gaining new skillsets. 2. Seek Constructive Feedback While feedback from leadership is valuable, it’s important to triangulate. Reach out to mentors, peers, and others in your function that you admire for their insights. Feedback is just one piece of the puzzle. Use it as a tool for improvement, not as a definitive roadmap. You never know when you might run into an unconscious bias. 3. Continuous Learning and Development I’m ever curious and always looking for learning opportunities. Look for opportunities to learn from other functions. The business world is continusly changing, and staying on top of the game, requires investing time to learn. Stay informed about your current industry trends but also look for best practices in others. 4. Advocate for Yourself People can’t read your mind, so they don’t know what your career goals and aspirations are. Don’t be afraid to articulate them to your leadership. Express your interest in new projects, responsibilities, or roles that align with your goals. 5. Adaptability and Resilience Career paths are rarely linear. My own has been a lattice. Be adaptable. Embrace challenges and view setbacks as learning experiences. Being in the driver's seat of your career means taking an intentional role in your professional development. While others can give you guidance, the ultimate responsibility for your career lies with you. What else would you tell him?

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝟭:𝟭 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁? You're not alone. Let's transform these sessions from mundane task updates to meaningful career conversations that drive growth and engagement. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝟭:𝟭 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 As a professional who's experienced both sides of the managerial coin, I've come to realize the immense value of well-structured 1:1 sessions between managers and their direct reports. Unfortunately, I've also encountered my fair share of managers who viewed these precious moments as mere task update meetings, missing out on the true potential of these interactions. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 One often overlooked aspect of 1:1 sessions is the importance of small talk. Starting the meeting with a casual conversation about non-work topics can help reduce tension and create a more comfortable atmosphere. This simple act can open the door for more honest and productive discussions. 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧 An effective strategy I've learned is to begin by asking your manager what's at the top of their mind. This approach serves two purposes: it allows your boss to offload any pressing concerns, enabling them to be more present for your discussion, and it gives you valuable insight into their current priorities and challenges. ��𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡𝙨 Each 1:1 session should have a clear purpose. While flexibility is important, having a general theme or goal for the meeting can help guide the conversation and ensure that both parties get value from the interaction. Some key topics to consider include: ✅ Career development: Discuss your long-term aspirations and how your current role aligns with those goals. ✅ Performance: Review recent accomplishments and areas for improvement, focusing on constructive feedback and actionable steps. ✅ Goals and progress: Evaluate your progress towards set objectives and adjust strategies as needed. ✅ Employee engagement and satisfaction: Share your thoughts on your current work environment, team dynamics, and overall job satisfaction. ✅ Skill development: Identify areas where you'd like to grow and discuss potential learning opportunities or projects that could help you acquire new skills. If you find your 1:1s consistently devolving into task updates, don't be afraid to speak up. Suggest a new format or propose specific topics you'd like to discuss. Remember, these sessions are as much for your benefit as they are for your manager's. #CareerDevelopment #EffectiveManagement #1on1Meetings #EmployeeEngagement #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceCommunication

It’s the career conversations you wish you’d had that can change the course of your life. So how can you have them? When people contact me for career coaching, there’s usually a belief that their current workplace doesn’t support them, that there’s no room for growth, that opportunities are limited, that their needs can’t be met, and that they aren’t valued. Sometimes it’s true. But most people have never had the conversation to find out. Only the most proactive employees ask for the conversation. So sometimes I orchestrate it. In a strengths-based leadership program and in the MBA career class I’m teaching, I implemented a “Career Conversation” assignment into the requirements. It’s my attempt to move up the conversation about “my needs, my value, my career opportunities here” from the point of leaving to the present. See, when people leave an organization it’s always, “My needs weren’t met, I didn’t feel valued, I don’t see opportunities there…” But what if we had that conversation proactively? What if managers invited it? Here’s an agenda of discussion items for your “Career Conversation:” ✔️My strengths and how I am using them and how I can use them more ✔️What’s draining me and options to shift things ✔️Contributions I’d love to make ✔️How I’d like to grow and where I’d like to go next ✔️Training or education available to help me reach my goals ✔️Realistic timelines for reaching these goals ✔️Opportunities to increase compensation I’ve seen some incredible things happen in these conversations. There are almost always more opportunities than you can see. ⭐️If you are someone pondering a job change, what would it take to have this internal conversation first? What do you have to lose? You can still leave, but at least you’ll know. ⭐️ If you are a manager, how could you proactively invite this conversation to retain your employees and help them grow before you have to have the conversation as they give their notice? Even if you know you’re job searching, consider that making a move internally might be more possible than you think. You won’t know until you’ve truly had the conversation.

Your 1:1's are for 𝗬𝗢𝗨! When I first started out as an SE, I seriously undervalued the 1:1 time I had with my manager. I treated it as a glorified status update—a time to talk about what I was working on, the progress I made, and maybe ask for clarification on a task or two. But I realized over time: 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. 1:1's are your time to take ownership of your career. They’re not just meetings; they’re opportunities to shape where you want to go and how you want to grow. Here are a few ways to make your 1:1’s work for you instead of just going through the motions: ✅ 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀: At the end of each week, reflect on what you accomplished. Don’t just think about the tasks you completed—think about the impact you made. Did you help unblock a deal? Build a killer demo? Gain valuable insights from discovery? Bring these up in your 1:1 to ensure your efforts aren’t flying under the radar. ✅ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: Managers don’t see every detail of what you do. Your 1:1 is the perfect time to make them aware of the work you’re doing behind the scenes that drives results. If you solved a tricky problem, streamlined a process, or helped another team, share it! ✅ 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Where do you want to go in your career? Are you eyeing a promotion, interested in leading projects, attending conferences, hosting webinars, or writing thought-leadership content? Use this time to align your career aspirations with opportunities your manager can keep an eye out for. ✅ 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: Use your 1:1s to actively seek input on how you can grow. If you’re struggling with something or want to sharpen your skills in a specific area, your manager can be a great resource. ✅ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: Once you’ve identified your goals, collaborate with your manager to create a roadmap. This could mean outlining steps for a promotion, identifying areas to improve, or discussing opportunities to expand your role. 1:1s aren’t just “status update” meetings—they’re one of the best tools you have to shape your future. Take the lead, share your aspirations, and show your manager you’re serious about your growth. Remember: 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Make the most of the time you have to advocate for yourself. #ducklife #salesengineering #presales #careergrowth

You are already juggling a hundred priorities. But here’s the question: 𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦? We all know that the workplace is changing fast. Staying still is not safe anymore. DBS Bank just launched a Gen AI-powered virtual coach to help employees navigate toward their dream roles within the bank. Links to article in comments. This reflects a bigger shift that we are seeing in companies across industries. Leaders are asking: How do we help people take charge of their careers? At Influence Solutions, we are working with more organisations to forge growth-oriented cultures and foster career ownership at every level. The truth is that helping people to grow is not just the job of HR, it is a leadership priority. Our 𝐅.𝐈.𝐑.𝐒.𝐓. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 has been helping organisations stay ahead of the curve by empowering leaders and teams to become more future ready, innovative, relevant, strategic and trusted over the years. We find that the urgency for strong leadership maturity across all levels is bigger than ever. And yes, we are also quietly developing AI-powered coaching agents to support development in real time. Thought it is early days, we are seeing tremendous possibilities. 𝐒𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 5 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥: 1. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩. You do not need to wait for formal reviews. Ask people you trust what you could do better and listen with curiosity. The best part is that the act of asking someone for feedback deepens trust. 2. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝.  What do you want to be known for? The clearer you are, the more you start showing it, and the more it amplifies. 3. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. Do not just focus on the skills of today, but also the skills of tomorrow. You can easily borrow e-books/audio books via library apps, and attend free courses from renowned universities on Coursera etc. 4. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.  If your performance manager hasn't scheduled one with you, do it yourself. Discuss with him or her where you want to go, how you plan to get there are seek support. The best part is your proactive approach signals your leadership attitude, which is what managers value when they look for people to groom. 5. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞.  Don't wait for your pitch to be perfect or when you are 100% ready. Be curious, arrange your own informational interviews with contacts across functions, departments and seniority. Remember the best opportunities (and ideas) come from weak ties. Readiness is not about knowing all the answers. It’s about being willing to grow. Let's encourage each other in this growth journey!

When I first started at my company, I was eager to take on more responsibilities but hesitant to speak up. I worried that my request might be seen as overreaching. Then, a mentor gave me invaluable advice: "Opportunities are rarely given; they’re taken." This changed everything for me. Here’s a step-by-step guide based on my journey to help you leap: ➙ Self-Assessment 📝: Before asking for more, evaluate your current workload. Are you consistently meeting your deadlines and excelling in your tasks? This will show that you're ready for additional responsibilities. ➙ Identify Areas for Growth 🔍: Look for gaps in your team or company where you can add value. It could be a project that's been neglected or a new initiative that aligns with your skills. ➙ Prepare Your Case 📊: Approach your manager with a clear plan. Highlight your achievements, explain how you can contribute more, and detail the benefits to the team and company. ➙ Show Enthusiasm and Commitment 💪: Demonstrate your passion for growth. Enthusiasm is contagious and shows that you're genuinely invested in your role and the company's success. ➙Be Ready for Challenges 🚀: Taking on more means stepping out of your comfort zone. Be prepared to tackle new challenges and show resilience. After implementing these steps, I not only got the additional responsibilities I wanted but also gained the trust and respect of my colleagues and superiors. My career growth skyrocketed, and I felt more fulfilled in my role. Big Lesson: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Take charge of your career by proactively seeking out more responsibilities. You'll grow, learn, and stand out as a proactive, driven professional. How Do You Go About It? 📞Regularly communicate with your manager about your career aspirations. 📞Seek feedback and use it to improve continuously. 📞Network within your company to identify potential growth opportunities. Have you successfully asked for more responsibilities? Share your experiences and tips below! Let’s inspire each other to take control of our career paths. 🚀 ————————————————————————— Meeting me for the first time? I’m Rudy Malle, a clinical researcher dedicated to improving public health outcomes, and a career advisor helping ordinary professionals take their careers to the next level to enhance visibility for individuals and companies. #CareerAdvancement #ProfessionalGrowth #TakeTheLead #WorkplaceTips #CareerAdvice #LinkedInCommunity #personaldevelopment #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #rudyhacks

I see it time and again, humble, hardworking leaders are often overlooked for the opportunities they want. They hoped their work would speak for themselves, but it didn't. It bears repeating that we have to stop waiting to be picked and advocate for our goals and desires. But your leader should "just know" right? I know it's tempting to think that other people are thinking of us and what we want, but they aren't. As it's famously said, "people are too busy worrying about themselves." Stop waiting to be picked and invest in yourself! Here are three simple ways you can take charge of your own career so you can be a key player in the talent pipeline: 1️⃣ Own your talents and experience. As a former HR leader, I can attest to the fact that men will apply to jobs that excite them (whether they were qualified or not), while women will talk themselves out of it, citing doubt, imposter feelings or “not feeling qualified yet.” ➡️ Try this: Update your resume and use this as an opportunity to own your wins. Use this evidence to give you a little confidence boost, but remember, you can apply and interview for your next-level job while also feeling doubtful. 2️⃣ Share your goals. People are horrible guessers and if they don't know what your goals are they can't help you, advocate for you or choose you. ➡️ Try this: Add a “professional goals and progress” section to your regular check in with your leader. 3️⃣ Ask for support. It used to be that the majority of coaching in the business world was for senior executives (read: male c-suite leaders). But now, as coaching and training programs have become more accessible to leaders of all levels, what are you doing to invest in and ready yourself to grow professionally? ➡️ Try this: Find a professional development program that excites you and ask your leader to cover some or all of the cost. In this ask, you can state the program goals and at least three ways the employer will benefit from your learnings and growth! Remember, at the end of the day your career is too important to leave it up others, hoping they'll notice your hard work and good intentions. Who have you shared your goals and aspirations with recently?

Your silence is killing your career. I've watched talented people get passed over for promotions for years. The common thread? They kept their ambitions to themselves. Here's the hard truth: No one is coming to rescue your career. No one will magically discover your hidden talents. No one can support dreams they don't know exist. Here’s how to start speaking up — today: 1/ Schedule a quarterly career conversation with your manager. Don't wait for review time. Develop a career growth plan with specific asks for support, mentorship or stretch assignments. 2/ After big wins, email leadership. Share the impact you've delivered and what’s next. Show you’re thinking beyond delivery. 3/ When someone asks “How’s work?” say: “I’m working toward [goal] — what challenges are you facing?” Small talk → strategic talk. 4/ Volunteer for projects tied to where you 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to go — not just what you’re good at now. 5/ Book 15-min chats with people you admire. Ask curious questions. Listen closely. Build advocates. Your manager isn't a mind reader. Your colleagues can't recommend what they don't see. Your network can't connect you to invisible goals. The most successful people I know? They don't hope someone notices their work. They don't silently resent being overlooked. They don't expect loyalty to be rewarded automatically. They state their ambitions clearly, repeatedly, and to the right people. What career goal have you been keeping to yourself? Drop it below — you never know who’s reading. Your growth is too important to keep quiet about. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧.” 🤷♀️ That’s what Pooja* told me during our coaching session. She has worked for eight years and has grown well in her career. But she wasn’t sure what lay ahead and how to proceed. The early stages of our career are pretty much sorted. Even if we aren’t proactive, as long as we do a decent job we will get promoted and keep moving ahead. 📈 But that doesn’t work when you move into a managerial or leadership role. No one is going to spoon-feed you. No one is going to come and save you. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿. 💪 Here is the suggestion I gave Pooja: 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝟭-𝟭𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 The objective of this meeting is to ✅ talk about your career aspirations, ✅ ask questions about your industry, ✅ understand what skills are needed to get ahead, ✅ find out if your company has the opportunities you seek. This is not meant for ❌ project updates, ❌ firefighting issues ❌ appraisal discussion Also, it is NOT your manager’s job to schedule this 1-1. It’s 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀! Have a chat with your manager that you want 1 hour of their time each month to discuss your career. And no good manager will ever deny that! 👩💼 👨💼 Make sure you send a list of questions you want to discuss a day ahead to your manager, so they can come in well-prepared and give you better answers. If you still aren’t sure what to even ask in your first monthly 1-1, then ask this: 1/ How is my performance? 2/ What can I improve? (Ask for specifics) 3/ I am at X level now. What would be the next level for me? 4/ What skills are needed for the next level? 5/ How would you rate me on these skills? 6/ What can I do to get better at these skills? There you go - the agenda for your 1-1 is sorted. 😎 Don’t stop with just Liking this post. Implement it, and let me know how it goes. Was this helpful? #leadershipcoaching #leadershipdevelopment #executivecoaching #mindsetcoaching #personaldevelopment