Visualizing Career Aspirations

5 years ago, I was stuck in a military security role, wondering how to break into project management. Today, I've built a successful career as a Senior Program Manager and help others do the same. Here's how I created a career vision that actually stuck: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝘆 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄) → My pivot moment came when I realized I loved building systems more than maintaining them → Instead of chasing certifications first, I defined my impact goal → Question: "What problems do I want to solve in 5 years?" 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 → I leveraged my military leadership experience → Identified transferable skills from security operations → Found project components in my current role → Created a skills transition map 3. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 → Volunteered for project-adjacent tasks → Shadowed successful PMs in my network → Tested if the day-to-day reality matched my vision 4. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 → Set quarterly milestone reviews → Created a skills gap checklist → Measured progress through real project impact The result? → Transitioned to PM role within 18 months → Doubled my initial salary within 3 years → Now leading $4B+ strategic programs 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? I didn't just plan my next role. I designed a career trajectory that excited me every morning. What's holding back your PM career vision? Share below. Follow Brian Ables, PMP, for practical tips and strategies to grow your career. ♻️ If this post helped you, repost it so others can benefit too.

🌍 In reflecting on my career of late, I've been exploring how to best understand and visualize my own journey. I've approached this process as a "career audit," systematically reviewing my experiences and skills to gain a deeper understanding of my professional evolution. Attached are the visuals but the html files are here for reference: https://bit.ly/3DWqdMZ. 📊 Sunburst Chart: One way to understand skills development over time is a sunburst chart illustrating the skills I've developed across various roles. The chart effectively breaks down my expertise into categories like Teaching & Learning, Research & Analysis, and others, with segment size reflecting years of experience. ⏳ Timeline Visual: Another tool I've used in this career audit is a timeline that highlights significant milestones. This timeline visually represents key achievements to trace the sequence of my roles and their impact on my overall trajectory, providing a chronological framework for the audit. Has anyone tried anything similar? I'm particularly interested in hearing about novel approaches to visualizing a career for the purpose of a career audit. What creative methods or tools have you used to map out your professional journey and assess your growth?

I Almost Quit My Career Pivot—Until I Did This (what I taught in my find your pivot workshop) A few years ago, I was stuck. I knew I wanted out of engineering, but every time I tried to figure out what was next, my brain felt like a browser with 87 tabs open. Do I go into tech? Do I try project management? What about something completely different? The overwhelm was real. Then, I stumbled on mind mapping. (Which is awesome if you’re a visual person!) Instead of forcing myself to think my way into clarity, I visualized it. I grabbed a blank sheet of paper (yes, paper) and wrote one thing in the center: “What do I actually enjoy doing?” From there, I started drawing branches: - My values - Skills I loved using. - Tasks that drained me. - Industries that intrigued me. - Random things I was curious about. Suddenly, I saw connections I hadn’t noticed before. I wasn’t just leaving engineering. I was moving toward something that aligned with me values! That mind map led me to explore Customer Success in ConTech—and the rest is history. So if you’re feeling stuck in your career pivot, try this: - Grab a blank page (or use an app like Miro ) - Write a central question: “What do I actually enjoy doing?” or “What skills do I want to use?” - Branch out—no wrong answers, just exploration. Set a 30 minute timer, and don’t stop writing! You might just find the clarity you’ve been looking for. Have you ever used mind mapping? We did this exercise as part of the “find your pivot” workshop a few weeks ago - and participants loved it! If not, give it a try and let me know how it goes!