Four Elements of Career Development

This is an excerpt from Chapter 1.2 of my upcoming book, Challenge Accepted: Mindsets and Habits for Thriving in the Workplace. In this chapter I discuss four elements of career development for those entering the workforce as well as those looking to grow their roles and responsibilities. ​

Chapter 1.2 Four Elements

We are talking about Getting Ready so that you can Get Started on your professional journey. Whenever you face an opportunity to elevate your role or increase your responsibilities, you will revisit the Three Wheres. These are 1) Where you are, 2) Where you will be, and 3) Where you want to be. Within each of these stages, there are Four Elements that enable you to develop yourself (aka personal development, see more in Chapter 2.4) and your professional skills. 

• Knowledge 
• Experiences 
• Resources
• Abilities 

As we work to increase these four elements, something changes within us. The inner change is what prepares us to receive and thrive in new opportunities for external growth. External growth is reflected in achieving our goals. Internal growth is all of the preparation work that we do to get our mindset and habits right to face new challenges in our lives.

​Increase knowledge = Increased perspective of what is possible. 

• Internally you believe more is possible and increase your desire to learn
• Externally people are willing to take a chance on you because you are willing to learn

Increase experiences = Increase confidence in the ability to learn new things. 

• Internally you are more confident because you are showing yourself that you can learn and apply new information 
• Externally people are developing trust because they see you producing from what you are given 

Increase abilities = Increase opportunities through stewardship of knowledge and experiences

• Internally: Knowledge + Experience = Abilities 
• Externally: Trust + Productivity = Access (to Resources) 

Increase resources = Increase access to opportunities 

• Internally you set aside and invest in yourself 
• Externally people are willing to invest 

Knowledge is the most accessible of the four elements. If you are asking, “Where CAN I acquire new knowledge?” I would ask you to consider the same question with one small twist, “Where CAN’T you acquire new knowledge?” You have unlimited access to information which is an essential building block of knowledge. New knowledge has the power to expand our prior concepts of how things work and what is possible. Knowledge elevates our mindset and perspectives. 

For example, if you wanted to learn to be an electrician, where could you find information about this trade? 

• Internet
• Library
• Guidance Counselor
• Friends and family
• Job fair
• Call a Professional
• Job shadow

Take anything you want to learn and ask the same question, “Where CAN’T you find information and acquire new knowledge?” We will discuss all four of these elements, but to understand knowledge we have to think about how people deliver and receive new information. 

For more about this book for yourself or a young professional that you want to encourage, check out the Challenge Accepted landing page and RSVP your copy today.