Find out where you are on the Seven Stages of Career
With new challenges and positive change the order of the day in January, Standard Life identifies the Seven Stages of Career – where are you on the career journey?
While great intentions and New Year’s resolutions might now be just a distant dream, the start of the year is always a popular time for people to evaluate their life, reflect on their path, and consider new opportunities and directions – especially when it comes to our careers.
Reading this you could be happily retired and reaping the benefits of everything it brings…or you could be developing plans for a new career or to start your own business.
Retirement certainly isn’t what it used to be.
And if you are considering a new direction then you aren’t alone – over half (54%) of UK workers have considered a career change, according to research by long term investment savings specialist Standard Life.
But for many people it didn’t happen – being worried about being too old to change direction (11%), not knowing where to start (10%), or not having the confidence (10%) are all key reasons for not taking the plunge.
You may have experienced and even done this yourself, but for many, wanting to strike out on their own is a key reason for thinking about a career change – almost six in 10 UK workers (57%) have considered starting their own business.
When it comes to what motivates us in our jobs, this tends to change as we get older; career progression and salary become less important as we pass the 50 milestone. The desire for our job to help set us up for the future is clear though; a pension is considered one of the most essential employee benefits, with 84% of those over 55 pinning this as a top priority.
Throughout our careers we typically go through different stages, where we have different needs and priorities.
Standard Life has identified seven stages of our career that many of us will recognise – have you gone through these phases?
Standard Life Seven Stages:
- Route Researcher – Starting out and looking into the options available
- Options Explorer – Giving different jobs and opportunities a try
- Path Picker – Finding the right career path that suits you and your life goals
- Committed Climber – Pushing towards and prioritising your career goals
- Role Reviewer – Taking a step back to assess your financial, personal and career paths
- Life Balancer – Enjoying a greater work life balance
- Relaxed Realiser – Shifting goals to look towards your retirement
Julie Hutchison, Consumer Finance Expert Standard Life, commented: “As well as making us happy now, our career is also a way to ensure our plan for the future is on track – which is why it’s good to see so many people view their pension as an important benefit at work.
“Be it for yourself, or your loved ones, it’s good to know and realise that financial priorities will shift as you and your family move between career stages. It means that a new job, promotion or career change is always a good time to review financial plans and priorities to make sure things are on track.”
For more information on planning for the future, visit: www.standardlife.co.uk.
Why not take the Standard Life Quiz to find out where you are on the career ladder here?
