Career management is an important aspect of an individual’s professional growth. It has a big influence on the overall career success of employees. Both employees and leaders can benefit from organizational involvement in supporting workers’ career growth because it results in high performance.
Recently, Muhammad Nursahid, CEO of PT Xapiens Teknologi Indonesia, shared his experience on career management in a guest lecture session on Tuesday (3/2). Nursahid reflects on the twists and turns of working for three companies: Accenture, Vasham, and Xapiens.
“Managing a career in a startup environment requires a different approach than a large company. Career paths and approaches to career development can vary greatly depending on the organization,” said Nursahid. “It is important for employers and employees to understand an organization’s career structure and expectations to manage career growth effectively.”
Nursahid then gave an example of the differences between several companies he worked. Accenture has a good structure with multiple career paths for its workforce and operates on an “Up or Out” promotion system. Promotion is based on market readiness and demand.
Meanwhile, Vasham is a family-owned private company in the small business category. Vasham has a direct communication culture where employees can communicate directly with the CEO or owner. Employees create their career paths and benefit on a “go basis.”
Xapiens, on the other hand, is moving from an old structured organization to a hybrid one integrated with functional teams. Xapiens offers an individual contributor career path and a managerial career path. It allows for greater flexibility while retaining governance, which is necessary for starting businesses.
Besides his experience managing careers in various organizations, Nursahid also shared several important notes for career management. He emphasizes that the first job often determines our career path. This is why it’s important to choose your first job wisely and consider the company’s long-term career growth potential.
Changing industries, functions, or roles can also present challenges in career management. Nursahid suggests that it’s important to focus on transferable skills and how they can be applied to new industries or roles in this situation.
Another challenge is transitioning from an employee to a leadership role. It requires a different set of skills. Hence, it is important to prepare for this transition by learning about management and leadership.
Finally, Muhammad Nursahid highlighted the importance of continuing education and self-development in career management. Pursuing further education and training can help enhance or change careers. Besides, it’s important to focus on optimizing our strengths instead of trying to change our weaknesses.
In conclusion, career management is an important aspect of the success of employees and employers. Companies that provide career management opportunities will benefit from higher retention rates, a less expensive succession process, and good employee branding that can attract talented employees.
Conversely, employees who are proactive in managing their careers can achieve greater career growth and success. It is very important to understand the career structure and organizational expectations and to focus on personal and educational development to achieve career goals.