Whether you’re an Account Executive in a corporate insurance firm, or a Broker in an independent insurance business, you may be thinking about the next step in your career.
If you are looking to progress in your career, get promoted and earn a higher salary then you might want to consider making yourself a progression plan.
What is a career progression plan?
A career progression sets out the steps you need to take in order to succeed in your professional career.
A good progression plan will help you to determine what you want to achieve and how to reach that goal. In order to work, your plan should be clear, well thought through and written down so that you can refer to it later.
Ideally, your line manager should have regular 1-2-1 meetings with you to help you excel in your job role. One way to kickstart your plan is to find out what support and guidance your place of work offers.
It is even better if you can schedule regular meetings with your line manager or training manager to set KPIs and discuss your progress. You may also benefit from doing research around future job roles you may be interested in and finding out what you need to do to get there. If your employers don’t offer this support, it is worth looking elsewhere.
If you’re not sure of your future trajectory and are feeling lost, it’s always worth speaking to career coaches or recruitment experts.
What are the four steps to creating a career plan?
Career planning can be daunting at first but if you follow these simple steps you will be on track to your dream role in no time.
Assess your options
If you already have a clear idea of the kind of role you would like to pursue then firstly, you need to work out how you are going to get there.
Some careers have a clearly defined path. If you want to be a broker for example, then Maths is a necessary qualification. There are other roles however that can be reached from several angles and you might want to brainstorm how you could achieve the skills and qualifications you need to achieve your dream job.
Reflexivity
In order to understand how you are going to achieve your goals then you first need to look inwards.
Try brainstorming a one, five and ten year plan. Think about where you are now and where you would like to be at these stages.
Is there anything getting in the way of your progression? Would you like to take time out in the future to pursue other interests, travel or start a family? Are there any new skills that you think you would need to learn? Write it all down and perhaps even discuss it with a friend or career coach.
Take the first step
Reach out to potential employers and find out what it is they are looking for. Shop around and research organisations you may be interested in. It is never too early to start networking for the future. Keep notes of everything you discover in order to refer to later.
Take the leap
Career progression is a slow and steady process. You don’t need to do everything in a day but you can take a leap and get the wheels rolling. This can be as simple as drafting up a CV or updating your LinkedIn profile; bearing in mind all of the new knowledge you have attained in your area of interest. Once you take the first step you will find that things begin to fall into place.
What are opportunities for growth?
The opportunities for career growth are endless. You might find that your career journey takes you to places you never thought you would end up. It’s okay for your career plan to be constantly changing. That is why it is a good idea to write your ideas down so that you can look back and make amendments. Whatever stage you are at in your career path it is never a bad idea to take the time to plan.
If you’re looking for your next role, speak to the recruitment specialists at IDEX. We provide independent recruitment in the Insurance, Financial Services and Legal sectors.
