"+1"
Unclear Career Steps
I currently work as an analyst for a small education management company. Although I am content with my job and I'm not currently seeking to get out, I would like to plan ahead and map out some possible career paths. How do you deal with doing that when there isn't much room for movement within your company and you're not really sure what career path you're on? I don't want to stay in the education industry forever, so how would I move on to something else without going back to college and starting at the bottom?
I'm looking for some practical advice. I go on indeed.com and don't even really know what to look for. Should I be looking at other positions at the analyst level or do I apply for a senior analyst position? I only have two years of experience but I hear it is wise to change companies every 2-3 years.
Any ideas?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matt on -
As an analyst I would say you actualy have a decent amount of options.
Analytical skills are useful to a wide range of industries, the trick is getting to know the industry well enough to use your skills effectively. This could be accomplished outside of school by getting experience in the industry or doing a lot of personal research and applying it in methods that could create a portfolio showing your understanding of that industry.
I am currently training with the intent on becoming a Security Analyst. I have training in Networking and Security, and although my training in security formally is limited, I am actively studying for certifications and do personal research as well as write a blog on security. These things should show my understanding of the field and my Analytical nature should speak for itself.
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Permalink Reply by Brian D on -
Thanks for the reply. Isn't analyst a vague job title though? A security analyst is different from a business analyst and an education management analyst. The job requirements for each are very specific and different from one another.
It just seems like every job I see online has very specific requirements that I don't qualify for. It's either how much experience is required, or what kind of experience is required. I can't find anything that matches what I have.
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Permalink Reply by Rebekah on -
1. Set up a very complete LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn will then notify you of jobs that may interest you. It'll give you an idea of what robots think you're qualified for, which is a start.
2. Network. Join professional organizations. Get on mailing lists. Talk to people with similar skills. I suddenly started getting more mail (and calls from headhunters) after precisely 3 years as an attorney. It was a great poke to re-evaluate my goals and options, and provides relevant information.
3. Keep abreast of business news. Education is obviously an "industry" that's not going away, but it's changing. What industries are growing? How do your skills apply to those industries? Always have a general sense of the answers to these questions.
4. I don't know if there's conventional wisdom about how often to change jobs. I do know job-hunting requires a special set of skills, which it is good to keep fresh. Some people just have a knack for it. Others need to practice.
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