CAREER LADDER Career Management – Objective 3.01

WHAT IS A CAREER LADDER?

A Career Ladder is a sequence or related jobs – from entry-level to advanced – available at different education/training levels.

TOP TEN TIPS ON HOW TO CLIMB THE CAREER LADDER

Know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about your talents. Self knowledge is a big weapon.

Know where you want to go – destinations matter. To be told that you look as though you know where you are going is high praise.

Keep on learning. In a world of change make sure you’re up to date.

Become an avid listener. Listen more than you talk. Learn from those smarter than you.

Be an enthusiast. Enthusiasts win. If you hate your job change it before they change you … or change your attitude.

Give your boss all the help you can. Be accommodating; be a motivational force. He determines your future.

Increasingly it’s a world of teams not one of individuals. Learn how to be a great team player.

Be responsive. We live in a service orientated world. Those who are most customer or stakeholder responsive will do best.

Be attractive. Be smart. Look good. Sound good. Look as though you care. Present with passion and power.

Be exciting. Be a thinker and a doer. Stand out through your energy and desire to innovate.

ABOUT CAREER LADDERS

Career ladders are devices that help people visualize and learn about the job options that are available as they progress through a career.

Career ladders consist of a group of related jobs that comprise a career.

They often include a pictorial representation of job progression in a career as well as detailed descriptions of the jobs and the experiences that facilitate movement between jobs.

Career ladder are not necessarily organization-specific; they frequently span multiple organizations because movement within one organization may not be possible. 

Career ladders display only vertical movement between jobs.

ABOUT CAREER LADDERS (CONTINUED) Career ladders may be used in a variety of ways.

For example, they may be used to attract individuals to an industry by showing potential career progression beyond entry points,

Focus workforce development efforts,

Show workers how different jobs interconnect within careers in an industry, and

Inform workers about the training, education, and developmental experiences that would enable them to accomplish their career objectives.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Once you have chosen an industry competency model, you must follow four steps to create the career ladder/lattice.

Step 1: Enter Job Information – This step helps you identify the important characteristics of these jobs.

Step 2: Place and Link Jobs – This step allows you to identify how people may progress through these jobs.

Step 3: Add Critical Developmental Experiences – This step allows you to describe the key differences between jobs in this career.

Step 4: Finalize your Career Ladder/Lattice – This step allows you to save and download your work, so you can share it with others for review and validation.

CAREER LADDER BENEFITS

Employees:Can develop new skills and competencies at your own pace and in your current job.Can advance to a higher level of responsibility without competition and without moving to a different work unit.

Can demonstrate initiative and willingness to work to further department and University goals.

Managers and Supervisors: Can retain valued employees who are motivated to advance their careers. Can attract high quality employees with the opportunity to advance within their positions.

Can develop well-trained employees who have high morale. Can provide a higher level of quality and service to your clients.

REFERENCES

Career Ladder/Lattice General Instructions. (2014). Career OneStop. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/CareerPathway/CPWCllInstructions.aspx

Staff Career Ladder Introduction. (2014). University of New Mexico. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://hr.unm.edu/compensation/staff-career-ladder-introduction.php

Top Ten Tips On How To Climb The Career Ladder. (2014). Pearson Education. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/bookshop/article.asp?item=1006