Staying current and relevant though out your career is a personal decision - one that you must own. While your company may have a career path or lattice, and provides opportunities for you to learn new areas and to develop, do you take advantage of these?
Understanding your own skill set and current relevance can start with a simple exercise....
- List the problems you solve. Sounds easy, but many HR professionals do not think about their contributions in this way. Don't stop at just a few, keep going.
- Identify the ones you excel at.
- Identify the ones you enjoy or motivate you to learn more.
- Identify the ones currently of most value to the organization where you work. (Are they aligned with the priorities and goals of the organization?)
Where are the gaps?
Are there some skills or knowledge you need to acquire or refine to be successful in your current role?
Have you set short term goals? If so, how do they align with your skill development needs?
Have you set long term goals? What are the skills and experiences you need to achieve these?
What type of problems would you like to be able to solve for your organization?
Does the organization also recognize these problems as priorities to address for its long term success? If not, why not? Is this organization the right fit for me in the longer term? If there is no demand for the problems I like to solve, what do I do?
What are you known for? Have you been put in a box labeled "Can solve only this type of problem"? Does this align with what you want to be known for?
Own your career by staying relevant and valued - seek opportunities to
discuss your career needs and goals in terms of the problems you solve.