7 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Career Path

Emily Luijbregts, PMP, is a project manager in Breda, Netherlands.

  Career Development  

When I was a younger project manager, I was extremely hopeful (and potentially naïve) about the career that I wanted for myself. As I have become more established and experienced, it’s really important for me to share the knowledge and experience that I have gained to help other professionals to develop, learn and grow.

When I was starting my career, I believed that there was an established path to my chosen career and that my end career goal was X. I even prided myself on sharing my 10-year plan with other colleagues to show how committed and career driven I was. It was not until several years later that I realized that my final career goal was just merely a stepping stone in what would be my overall career path.

I have seen several pivots in my career; some of them were conscious changes, and others were more reactions to the circumstances that I found myself in. I wanted to spend some time during this article on giving professionals advice for their career—and some lessons learned from my own journey.

1. Find your joy.
What do you enjoy doing? Where you find your joy in life? Can you make this work for you in your career? As a coach, I often have this difficult discussion to understand what people enjoy doing and what they are passionate about in their life.

2. Be critical with your career goals—and re-analyze often.
If you do not have …

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