CAREER SPECIAL ....5 WAYS TO Chalk Out a Career Path

5 WAYS TO Chalk Out  a Career Path   In the midst of daily struggles and assignments, one can often lose sight of how one should grow in one's career. Thoroughly evaluating one's present role, strengths and weaknesses, seeking mentors and having a timebound plan can help in chalking out a clear career path. 1 Understand your Role It is important to thoroughly analyse the current role and what it offers. “Is it a technical role, or a general management role? Understanding the  role will help highlight whether one needs further specialisation or do something else,“ says Puja Kapoor, HR head, Dunnhumby India. “Evaluate your current strength and weaknesses. An assessment can also help provide direction on what needs  to be done next,“ says TK Mandal, VP, HR at JK Paper. 2 Use the Right Sources It is imperative to leverage the right sources, says Kapoor. While Mandal says the mentor could even be one's spouse,  Kapoor says different people could provide different  perspectives. “While a manager can help remove the bottlenecks and  lead you to bigger roles and responsibilities in your current job, a coach can be your sounding board for your daily struggles. A mentor can help channelise your long-term vision,“ she says. 3 Have a Vision Keeping time-based goals and targets can help keep oneself in check. “Have a vision of what you'd like to achieve in two  to three years,“  says Mandal. Adds Kapoor: “Keep a one-to-three-year-goal of creating your own development plans, and use your sources to assess how you're faring. It's crucial to clearly distinguish between aptitude and aspirations while framing your plans,“ says Kapoor. 4 Invest in Skilling Once the goals and targets have been identified, it's time to  look for support mechanisms -internal or external.  “Gain as much knowledge as possible about your desired functional areas, read, understand and meet people and  look for mechanisms -internal or external skilling programmes that can further your plans,“  says Kapoor. 5 Create a Positive Team A change in career path will require tenacity and effort but  could also come with some tradeoffs. “It could mean a pay cut or a lesser-known brand, but it helps to focus on the role and  what it could lead you to achieving. One should see the big picture and long-term gains,“ says Mandal. “It pays off if one is willing to take up challenging roles and assignments as that would put one on a steep learning curve,“ says Kapoor. Anumeha Chaturvedi.ET30JAN15