Chapter 5: Managing Your Career

Author: Rachael Tiede

The world of work is constantly changing. Consider the following estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Doyle, 2021):

• The median number of years working for the same employer for workers ages 25 to 34 years old is 2.8 years

• Workers in management and professional occupations typically remain in the same position for 4.9 years

• Employees in service occupations have the lowest median tenure at 1.9 years

Further, in the United States, the Social Security maximum benefit is set at age 70 (Ghilarducci, 2021). This means individuals who begin working at age 22 have a target work life of 48 years; that’s 52 years if you start work at age 18!

Gone are the days when employees remained at one job for the entirety of their career. Employer provided job security is a thing of the past, and employees can be expected to shift jobs multiple times over the course of their career. This shift in job security and perspective is one of the many reasons we can no longer expect a career to naturally unfold. Your career must be carefully planned and managed.

When you consider your own career trajectory, many complex questions likely come to mind. This chapter focuses on those crucial questions along with other various aspects of managing a professional career. We will begin with the importance of developing a personal brand as you build your professional network. Then, we will explore how to use this brand during the job search process. In the remaining sections, we will discuss the written materials you will need to develop in order to land an interview, the resume and cover letter. Finally, we’ll take a look at the prevalence of social media and examine how recruiters and hiring managers are using these platforms during the hiring process. By the end of this chapter, you will understand how to manage your professional identity and communicate your knowledge, skills, and abilities for career success.