Creating Your Own Career Opportunities

May 2024

Have you ever wondered why a certain position didn’t already exist at your place of employment? Or saw an opportunity for a new and needed role to be created as the company grew and evolved? This has happened several times throughout my own career, so much so that half of the positions I’ve held were created for me.

You can make this happen for yourself too. Instead of limiting yourself to roles that the company has already defined, there are often ways to seek out new and creative opportunities. If you’re willing to think outside the box, break away from the status quo, and believe in unconventional possibilities, you don’t have to wait for a promotion to come to you. There are likely ways to shape your own career path and provide a mutually beneficial solution for both you and your employer.

Curious about how to do that?

Here’s what worked for me:

Know your skills and strengths.

It’s important to get very clear on what it is you do well. Make a comprehensive list of the value you offer to a company. Be honest and don’t sell yourself short. If it helps, consider how your closest friends and colleagues would describe your skills and strengths. Build your confidence in knowing your worth.

Learn about the company.

Understand the company’s needs, challenges, and objectives. Engage with colleagues to gain insights into their roles and identify areas where there are gaps or need for additional support. Be curious, truly listen, and see how everything connects to the bigger picture.

Align your strengths with the company goals.

Consider how your skills align with the company's overall strategy and objectives. Highlight how a proposed new role would benefit the department and company. Position the opportunity as a means to contribute to the company’s growth and success.

Write your own job description.

Outline the responsibilities, goals, and outcomes of the potential new role. Clearly define the skills and qualifications required for success in the position (overlapping your own strengths). Design the role to address a specific need or opportunity within the organization, and incorporate flexibility to changing business needs to ensure the role remains relevant and valuable over time. Note: The initial draft of the job description doesn’t need to be ‘perfect’; it’s more important to start this documentation to provide you the clarity and confidence to have conversations related to your vision.

Be bold and put yourself out there.

Take the initiative and communicate your vision and strategy. Promote the role first, and if there is agreement in its value, showcase why you are the perfect candidate to be considered. Demonstrate your eagerness to learn and grow. Gain support from key stakeholders and seek feedback to refine your idea.

Creating a new role is an opportunity to drive positive change and foster creativity within the organization. In taking this leap, the least that could happen is others see you as innovative and able to provide solutions. The best that could happen is that this new role is designed and implemented with your strengths in mind and contributes to your career growth and satisfaction. Embrace the challenge and create a path that allows both you and the company to thrive!