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  Staff Career Ladder Introduction. (2014). University of New Mexico. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from  Top Ten Tips On How To Climb The Career Ladder. (2014). Pearson Education. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from