A career path is a series of jobs that move you closer to your career goal. It can be linear or branched out, depending on whether you progress through positions within the same company and field or switch industries and roles.
Either way, the destination is the same—your professional goal. Therefore, to choose a career path, you must first know where you’re headed, which requires identifying your values, skills, and interests, among other factors.
In our career development guide, we’ll go through all the career planning steps, focusing on professional growth strategies to help you navigate your journey successfully. In addition, we’ll offer a few career path examples and resume-building tips to support your professional advancement.
Let’s begin!
What Is a Career Path?
A career path is the journey you take from your first job, internship, or degree to your ultimate professional goal. Its starting and ending points are defined, but the route itself can vary depending on your choices and options.
Let’s say you advance into higher-ranking positions within a company or move through roles with more responsibilities in a certain field. In this case, you’re following a linear career path, where each step builds on the previous one, leading to steady growth and expertise in your industry.
On the other hand, you may change jobs and professions throughout your career, acquiring knowledge, skills, and experience in a wider range of roles. Such progress is a non-linear career path—you open up new opportunities for professional development along the way, advancing in diverse directions and broadening your skill set.
Both linear and non-linear career paths can lead you to your dream job if you outline a career progression roadmap, strategically planning your steps to stay on track.
7 Steps to Creating a Career Path
Creating a career path starts with understanding your personality and core values. From there, you can identify your skills, research your options, and define your ultimate career goal. This way, you’ll have a clear vision of your professional future and be well-equipped to make informed decisions and pursue meaningful opportunities.
Without further ado, let’s walk through all the steps that will take you to your dream job:
#1. Understand Your Personality and Core Values
Understanding your personality and core values can help you discover your true talents, affinities, and interests. Namely, certain individuals are naturally more likely to develop particular job-related skills and strengths according to their inherent traits and preferences.
Similarly, your core values influence the type of work environment and jobs that align with your sense of purpose. They also largely depend on your personality type, so you should start by recognizing your traits and how they shape your professional tendencies.
For example, introverted people generally prefer roles that allow for independent work, where they can focus without social distractions. Meanwhile, more extroverted individuals seek socially engaged roles involving frequent interactions and collaborations.
That said, there are many nuances that define each personality type. You can discover yours by taking one of the widely available personality tests, such as the 16Personalities, Big Five, or Enneagram ones.
#2. Define Your Career Goals
Defining your career goals according to your personality traits, core values, talents, and interests means setting the destination of your career path.
Think about your dream job and ask yourself what soft and hard skills you should have before applying. Consider the qualifications, experience, and industry knowledge it requires. Do you need additional education, certifications, or hands-on experience?
The best way to answer this question is by researching job descriptions and seeing what employers typically look for. In addition, look up professionals in your desired fields and identify the steps they took to get to where they are now.
From there, break your main goal into milestones, phases, or actionable targets with realistic timelines. This will help you track your progress and stay motivated and focused as you work toward your dream job.
#3. Research Career Options
Once you’ve defined your career goals, the next step is to explore different options that can bring you closer to your ultimate goal. Start by researching roles, fields, and companies that fit your aspirations. Look into job market trends, salary expectations, and professional growth opportunities to understand what each option offers.
Reading employee reviews and company websites can also be quite helpful, as it can give you valuable insight into workplace culture and daily responsibilities. The more information you gather, the better decisions you can make about your professional future.
During this process, it’s essential to keep an open mind—your research can reveal options you haven’t even considered yet. Exploring all of them will raise your chances of choosing a career that’s both fulfilling and sustainable in the long run.
#4. Identify Relevant Skills and Experiences
While researching your options, pay close attention to the skills and experience each of them requires. Do you have the technical skills needed for your dream job? If not, can you complete an internship or a course to acquire them?
If you have prior experience in a different field, identify your transferable skills—this is one of the most important pieces of career change advice. Once you recognize them, make sure to include them in your career change resume. This will help you leverage your experience in a new context and make the transition smoother.
At this point, you can also review the resumes of professionals in the fields you’ve chosen during your research stage. For example, if you’re looking into marketing roles, you can go through content creation, social media management, and data analyst resumes to get a better idea of which areas to focus on.
#5. Start Applying
Now that you’ve identified your ideal roles, it’s time to start applying. To raise your chances of landing an interview, refine your resume to highlight the most relevant skills and qualifications. Looking at resume examples can help you structure yours, ensuring it meets the industry standards.
Additionally, remember to tailor each application to the specific job, emphasizing how your background, whether educational or professional, aligns with the role. You can also look into some cover letter examples to get inspiration on how to showcase your strengths effectively and get recruiters’ attention.
Before you send out your applications, update your LinkedIn profile so that your expertise, skills, and experience are well presented. Lastly, apply consistently and be patient—the job search process takes time, but the right opportunity is worth the wait.
#6. Build a Strong Background
While applying, focus on strengthening your skills and experience. If you lack certain qualifications, you can attend workshops or enroll in relevant courses to earn certifications.
In case hands-on experience is required, and you’re just getting started, consider freelance work, volunteering, and internships, as these can help you build your portfolio and make your resume stand out. Even personal projects related to your target job can add value to your application, demonstrating initiative and genuine interest.
Moreover, you should stay up to date with industry trends to understand and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of job market demands and professional expectations. For example, reading articles and listening to podcasts will not only enhance your knowledge but also help you perform well in interviews.
#7. Expand Your Network
Professional networking is one of the most important job search tips and a powerful tool for career growth. Start by connecting with professionals in your industry on LinkedIn—engage with their posts, share insights, and contribute to discussions.
In-person networking is also a great way to expand your professional circle. You can meet people in your field at job fairs, webinars, and industry events. Their referrals can open new doors for you, helping you discover job opportunities and build meaningful professional connections.
That said, networking isn’t only about job-hunting—it’s also a chance to learn from others and stay informed about industry trends and challenges. The more people you know, the more opportunities you’ll come across.
3 Real-Life Career Path Examples to Guide Your Professional Journey
Let’s put theory into practice and go over three career path examples, ranging from freshers to those making a career change:
#1. Career Path Example For a Fresher
Starting a career with no experience can feel overwhelming, but having a well-defined path can make the journey more manageable. For example, a career path example for students in finance can begin with an internship at a bank or investment firm, followed by an entry-level role as a financial analyst or accountant after graduation.
From there, you can gain hands-on experience, analyzing data, preparing reports, and working with clients, gradually moving up to senior roles like financial manager or investment strategist. Earning certifications such as CFA or CPA can also be highly valuable in this process, as continuous learning can boost your chances of landing better opportunities down the line.
#2. Mid-Level Career Path Example
Professionals with a few years of experience often aim to move into leadership or specialized roles. For instance, a marketing associate can start by mastering skills like content creation, market research, and social media management. As they gain experience, they may progress to a marketing specialist role, where they focus on campaign execution and analytics.
From there, they can advance to a marketing manager’s position, overseeing projects, budgets, and teams. By taking on strategic initiatives, they can move into a senior marketing manager or marketing director role.
This entry-level to senior career path involves mastering industry knowledge, networking, and demonstrating leadership potential along the way. At this stage, you should focus on refining your expertise and proving your ability to handle greater responsibilities.
#3. Career Change Path Example
Switching careers successfully requires identifying transferable skills and gaining relevant experience in the new industry. Someone moving from teaching to instructional design, for example, can leverage their background in curriculum development, lesson planning, and student engagement.
To transition smoothly, they can start by learning instructional design software, such as Articulate Storyline, and e-learning methodologies.
Taking online courses and connecting with professionals in the field can help ease the transition. Needless to say, a strong resume and a tailored cover letter highlighting adaptable skills make a significant difference when it comes to landing a new role.
What Are the Next Steps in Your Career Path?
Once you’ve mapped out your career path and started your journey to your dream job, your next steps should be about showcasing your skills and experience in the best possible way. A strong, well-structured application can make all the difference in landing the right opportunities.
The good news is that you don’t need to do this from scratch. Our online software features a series of resume templates and cover letter templates that can help you craft a professional job application and highlight your strengths.
Our builder simplifies the process, helping you create tailored, eye-catching documents that grab recruiters’ attention, no matter where you are in your career. All you should do is input your personal information and some details about the previous positions you held, and you’ll get a ready-made resume or cover letter in a matter of minutes!
Final Thoughts
A career path starts with your degree, internship, or first job and leads to your dream role. On this journey, you’ll need to understand your values and interests, research your options, and continuously expand your skill set to enhance your resume.
While it can take time, you need to stay motivated and persistent, focusing on your ultimate goal and envisioning yourself reaching it. This way, you’ll maintain the momentum needed to navigate through challenges and stay on track, ensuring consistent progress, no matter the obstacles along the way.
Career Path FAQ
#1. How do I figure out my career path?
To figure out your career path, you should start by defining your values, strengths, and interests. Research different fields, explore your options, and take learning opportunities to expand your skill set. Of course, having a clear goal in mind is essential to defining your career path.
#2. Can I change my career path later in life?
You can change your career path later in life, as switching industries is possible at any age. To have a successful transition, you should identify and leverage your transferable skills, gain new qualifications, and connect with professionals in the field.
#3. What are the most in-demand career paths?
The most in-demand career paths are often found in fields like technology (data science, cybersecurity), healthcare (nursing, therapy), renewable energy, and digital marketing. Roles in artificial intelligence, software development, and cloud computing are also highly popular.
