What is a career path

A career path refers to the series of positions, roles, or professional milestones an individual undertakes to achieve their long-term career goals. It involves planning and progressing through a sequence of jobs within an organization or across different companies. Progressing in a career path leads to personal growth, skill development, and career advancement.

A well-defined career path provides employees with clarity on how they can grow within their field, while helping organizations retain talent, boost engagement, and align employee aspirations with business goals.

What is the career path method?

The career path method involves identifying and mapping out the steps, roles, and skills needed to progress toward an individual’s long-term career goals. It considers:

1. The employee’s aspirations and skills
2. Organizational opportunities for growth
3. Training, mentoring, and other development tools

Organizations often use this method to align employee growth with business needs, improving retention and job satisfaction.

Is a career path different from a job?

Yes, a career path is different from a job.

• Job: A specific role or position you hold within an organization, with a defined set of job responsibilities, tasks, and requirements
• Career path: The planned progression of roles and experiences over a longer timeframe that aligns with an individual’s professional goals, skills, and interests. It encompasses the journey, development, and skills acquired across various jobs rather than focusing on one role

What are the different types of career paths?

What are the different types of career paths?

• Traditional (linear) career path: Progression through hierarchical roles in a single industry
• Dual career path: Parallel growth tracks, typically management vs. technical expertise
• Non-linear career path: A flexible path involving changes across industries, roles, or domains
• Lateral or horizontal career path: Moving sideways into similar roles to expand skills and experience
• Entrepreneurial career path: Creating one’s own opportunities through business ventures

What is a linear career path?

A linear career path involves a straightforward progression through roles with increasing responsibility and status within the same profession or industry. Linear paths emphasize expertise and stability.

Example of a linear career path: Junior Analyst → Analyst → Senior Analyst → Manager → Director.

What is a dual career path?

A dual career path allows employees to choose between two progression tracks:

• Leadership: Transitioning into management or leadership roles
• Technical or professional: Advancing as a specialist without managerial responsibilities

The dual career path approach benefits organizations by retaining high-performing individuals who prefer technical mastery over managing teams.

What is a non-linear career path?

A non-linear career path involves diverse experiences, often including lateral moves, industry changes, or breaks for personal development. Non-linear paths are common in modern workplaces as employees explore multiple interests.

Example of a non-linear career path: Marketing Specialist → Content Writer → UX Designer → Project Manager.

Read our in-detail resource for further clarification and advice: Lateral vs. Vertical Career Paths: What’s The Difference?

How are career paths different from career ladders and career lattices?

• Career ladders: Traditional, hierarchical progressions (e.g., moving upward in the same department).
• Career lattices: Include both upward and lateral movements, offering flexibility in skill-building.
• Career paths: Broader, encompassing all directions (upward, lateral, or non-linear) and long-term career goals.

A career lattice or a career ladder can be part of a career path, but career paths are more comprehensive.

How are career paths connected to career progression frameworks?

Career progression frameworks provide the structure and guidelines for career paths by:

• Defining roles, competencies, and expectations
• Clarifying the skills and experiences required for advancement
• Aligning employee growth with organizational goals

They operationalize career paths, ensuring transparency and fairness in promotions and advancement opportunities.

Read our in-detail resources:

1. Step-by-Step Guide for Developing a Career Progression Framework
2. 12 Career Progression Examples: Inspiration for Your Pathways

What are some examples of career paths?

Here are some examples of career paths across industries:

• Traditional career path—Finance: Accountant → Senior Accountant → Finance Manager → CFO
• Dual career path—Engineering: Software Engineer → Senior Engineer (technical track) or Team Lead (leadership track)
• Non-linear career path: Sales Associate → Data Analyst → Marketing Manager → Product Lead
• Lateral career path: HR Generalist → HR Business Partner → Learning & Development Specialist

These examples highlight the flexibility and diversity in modern career planning.

Why is a career path important for employees?

A career path is important for employees because it provides them with a clear roadmap for their professional development and growth. It helps them set tangible goals and align their efforts toward achieving them.

Employees with a defined career path are more likely to feel motivated, engaged, and valued, as they understand how their current role contributes to their future aspirations. Additionally, it fosters a sense of purpose and direction, which can reduce job dissatisfaction and turnover.

For instance, if an employee knows that excelling in their current role as a marketing associate could lead to a promotion to marketing manager, they are more likely to stay committed to their work.

Why is a career path important for organizations?

For organizations, offering well-defined career paths helps attract, retain, and develop top talent:

• Employees are more likely to stay with a company when they see opportunities for advancement and skills development
• Career paths also enable organizations to identify leadership potential and groom internal candidates for senior roles, reducing the need for external hiring
• Career path planning contributes to workforce stability and succession planning

For example, if an organization maps out career progression for software developers, it ensures a pipeline of qualified candidates ready to take on advanced roles, minimizing disruptions when senior employees leave.

What are the key factors to consider when creating a career path?

When creating a career path, it’s essential to consider the following factors:

1. Individual aspirations: Understand the employee’s long-term career goals and interests
2. Skills and competencies: Identify the skills required for each role along the path and provide training opportunities to fill gaps
3. Organizational goals: Align career paths with the company’s objectives and strategic vision
4. Flexibility: Career paths should allow for lateral moves, skill exploration, and role diversification
5. Evaluation and feedback: Ensure regular check-ins to assess the employee’s progress and adjust the path as needed

For example, a sales team member aspiring to move into management might need to develop leadership, budgeting, and team coordination skills before transitioning into a managerial role.

What role do managers play in supporting career paths?

Managers are instrumental in supporting career paths as they work directly with employees and understand their strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. They can:

• Provide constructive feedback to guide development
• Offer stretch assignments that help employees build new skills
• Act as mentors or advocates for their team members’ growth
• Communicate opportunities for advancement within the company
• Align team goals with individual career aspirations

For instance, a manager might assign a team member a leadership role in a small project to prepare them for a future managerial position.

How can HR professionals facilitate career path planning?

HR professionals play a pivotal role in career path planning by acting as mediators between employees and organizational goals. They can:

1. Conduct regular career development discussions with employees
2. Create training and development programs that align with career paths
3. Develop mentorship programs to guide employees in their growth journey
4. Provide tools like career mapping software or frameworks for employees to explore potential paths
5. Encourage managers to support their team members’ aspirations

For example, HR could organize a workshop on career progression within the company, showcasing examples of employees who have advanced through various roles.

How can organizations support employees who want to change career paths?

Supporting employees who wish to change career paths involves offering resources and flexibility. Organizations can:

• Encourage cross-departmental moves or lateral transitions
• Provide reskilling or upskilling opportunities to help employees acquire new competencies
• Foster an open culture where employees feel comfortable discussing role changes

What are the challenges in implementing career paths within organizations?

Some challenges in implementing career paths include:

1. Limited resources: Smaller organizations may lack the budget for training or mentorship programs
2. Rigid structures: In organizations with flat hierarchies, fewer roles may be available for upward mobility
3. Employee disengagement: Not all employees may be interested in formal career path planning
4. Management resistance: Managers may hesitate to lose high-performing team members to promotions
5. Dynamic industries: Rapidly changing industries may require constant updates to career path frameworks

To address such challenges, organizations can focus on lateral career movement, cross-departmental opportunities, or developing skills for emerging roles.

Read our in-detail resource for further clarification and advice: How to Create a Career Path for Employees: The Complete Guide

Implement fair and transparent career paths in your organization with Deel Engage

Deel Engage’s career development module offers a fast, efficient way to design meaningful career frameworks and paths. You can define career paths for individual contributors and leaders. Your workers, from junior employees to senior managers, will understand how to shape their career trajectory within your organization. Additionally, with the AI assistant, you can create complex career progression frameworks for all the roles in your organization.

Additionally, you can directly connect your role-based expectations with:

• Competency-based feedback systems to assess competencies and automatically compile individual competency profiles
• Targeted development plans to set the actions and milestones for employee development
• Internal and external training to fill development plans with concrete actions—you can automatically suggest learning content based on roles and competencies

Book a demo to see how our solutions will help you build a high-performance workforce.