I watched my 18-year-old daughter choose her college major of Construction Science and Management last year. She will complete her freshman year in a few months and is in the same major. (Amazing.) Her roommate changed her major after just a few months of college. (Normal.)

Choosing what you want to be when you grow up at 18 is a big decision. Or it feels like it at the time.

The reality is that you will change a lot over the course of your life and especially in your 20’s. You’ll discover what you like and what you don’t like. You’ll find jobs that you love and that you dislike.

How many jobs will the average person have in their lifetime? It is estimated that most people will have 12 jobs during their lives. In the last year, 32% of those 25 to 44 years old have considered a career change.

Over time you’ll ideally improve your self-awareness enough to know the type of people and situations you must be in to thrive.

At some point, you’ll realize you have outgrown your job. You’ll look around and not see a next step for your career path. You’ll talk to your manager about this - or not. And if there isn’t a next logical step, you’ll decide to start looking for a new job.

You’ll find one and then you’ll be in the same place in a few years. “I’ve outgrown this job. Now what?”

I have unique knowledge about how employees move from job to job because of my 25 plus years of work experience in HR and Compensation. If you need help figuring out the next step in your career, we should talk.

And if you’re an employer wondering how to improve the retention of employees, I can help you design and communicate career paths that are aligned to your employees’ interests and to the longer-term goals of the company.

#jobsearch #paynegotiation #careerdevelopment #careerpaths #rewards #humanresources #leaders