Many factors come into play when considering what career path to take. There are skills, talent and factors such as passion and experience to consider. Career mapping comes in handy when developing one’s career path. Information from the Society for Human Resource Management website shows that career mapping is a tool that managers and HR professionals can use during career planning discussions with employees in career development. Career maps help employees think strategically about their career paths and how to meet their career goals. Career mapping involves certain steps such as self-assessment, where a manager engages with the employee to explore his or her knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as past experiences, accomplishments and interests. On the other hand, the concept of passion and money also befuddles many when making a choice for a career path. Earning enough money matters for some, while for others, being able to wake up and do what they do to the best of their abilities and find fulfilment, is what matters most. Success is defined differently by people. But success for me is being able to do what I am doing with all my abilities and giving it my best, says Allen Kendunga CEO at Talent Match, a platform that allows students and recent graduates, employers, and trainers to interact with each other and access our resources. Honestly, career paths aren’t straight at least for most people. But focusing on what you are doing at the moment and giving it your best is laying a stone for the foundation towards building a successful career, she says. Being young comes with privileges to explore careers, make mistakes and learn, and if opportunities come up, it is important to equip yourself with the skills needed in that given industry. Never do anything solely because of the conviction of your family or friends, rather do what you like; understand what your beliefs and values are because at the end of the day, it comes back to what you value, Kendunga cautions. “If I find value in what I do, even if that particular thing doesn’t earn me much money, I will do it. In the end, it’s really about what we find fulfilling and how we measure success. It is important that you define what truly matters to you even if it may be unpopular,” she adds. Young people also need curiosity and eagerness to learn what they don’t know and staying humble. Learning is a lifelong journey. She also believes that building a network is incredibly important for your career and high learning institutions should create platforms for young people to connect and interact with people they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. As the saying goes, your network is your net worth.
