You Don’t Need a Promotion...You Need a Challenge

Career development is often associated with advancement. A new position, a larger project, additional responsibility, or perhaps a move into management. For many project professionals, those are reasonable ambitions and important measures of career progress. But what happens when those opportunities aren’t readily available, or when the next position isn’t necessarily the direction someone wants to take?

Economic uncertainty can change an organization’s priorities. Hiring may slow, budgets may become tighter, and positions that might otherwise have offered advancement can remain unfilled. Even organizations that are performing reasonably well may be cautious about expanding their teams or making long-term commitments. For project managers hoping to take the next step in their careers, that can be frustrating.

There is, however, an important distinction between career advancement and career development. Advancement is often associated with a promotion, a new title, or increased compensation. Development is about building the capabilities, experience and professional value that create future opportunities. The two frequently occur together, but they don’t have to.

That distinction is particularly relevant to project management because the profession offers so many opportunities to develop capabilities through the work itself. Every project brings …