Denver CO Staffing Agencies | Temp Agencies | Job Openings Career PathIn our competitive workplace, people who step up usually stand out. They are the motivated and engaged people who are willing to take on that extra project and grow beyond their job description. While it sounds like the fast track to career growth, a recent article points out one drawback to this approach.

Greg McKeown, a distinguished young leader at the World Economics forum, cautions about lateral growth, in his article, “The #1 Career Mistake Capable People Make.” When your career grows tangentially, pulled in multiple directions, you become a candidate that is uncategorized, which makes it difficult for you to be hired.

Our corporate world is often compartmentalized by skill. While many skills overlap and are transferable from job to job, as a recruiter, I have been trained to look for exact experience that demonstrates a clearly defined career path that moves in a linear direction. These are the candidates we like to place, and who are ultimately the most attractive to our clients.   Greg Mckeown explains, “If you don’t design your career, someone else will.” Making educated decisions about your career requires exposure and experience, but most importantly goals. Talk to your supervisor about your ambitions, and ideally they will be responsive and potentially even help you to cultivate the experience you need to grow. Remember that this communication will benefit your employer as well. An engaged employee is a good employee.

For those sharp, capable and ambitious employees out there—new responsibilities are valuable.  And certainly managers will appreciate your flexibility and contributions. However, as you expand your toolbox, keep asking yourself if you are building your career up, or out.  Don’t lose sight of your original goals and keep checking your plan for reaching them.

To read Greg Mckeown’s article, “The #1 Career Mistake Capable People Make,” please click here.

Thoughts from Libby Garon, Sourcing Recruiter at Experience Factor.