It’s so easy to assume that you have to have your career path all  worked out and any given point if you are not clear about your way ahead then you are failing in someway…

This is an illusion and it’s one that I have absolutely learned from my own career path and from the thousands of women I have worked with over the years. 

The line is not straight. 

It is often squiggly and if you compare it to a journey there is a time of 

• fast lane 
• slow lane 
• hard shoulder 
• dead ends 
• one-way streets
• forks in the road
• roundabouts that you can’t seem to get off ….
   

You may have already realise this in your own career path but if you haven’t then it’s kind of something to look out for because it will happen.

A career path is kind of like crazy paving… a mode of paving which is made up from different shapes, sizes, stone etc.

I had supper (and quite a few bottles of Champagne) with three of my best friends last week and as I look at all our career paths, they absolutely mirror my own and they’re still going too.

One working in financial services and then having a complete life change and moving down to the West Country and working for a national charity starting on the IT side and ending up running the IT and all the facets of it.
 

Another who was a secretary and travel agent who then decided teaching was her thing and was a mature teaching student and also got herself a Masters at the same time as becoming a Head Teacher ..
 

Another who went travelling and has had so many different roles in a company that’s changed name and ownership and at the same time she has indulged her love of craft as a sideline.

And I started my career as a secretary and worked my way upthrough twist and turns to a Divisional Director in an international Insurance broking house and – before I exploded with frustration – I resigned with no idea what I was going to do.

Then I stumbled on coaching and then found online work and focus on corporate career women.

NONE of the above was mapped out and clear and probably would have horrified all of us if we’d been told that’s the plan…

This brief note is to inspire you and encourage you to consider when you expect to have it all mapped out for you that it truly isn’t.  

And to remind you that most people are making it up as they go along following instinct and opportunities and saying yes before they’re ready !!
 

Over to you…

Or in someone else’s words…

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And in other news…

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