Identifying accomplishments, as well as determining future needs.

We want you to think about the

range of opportunities that exist

across our organization—consider

the possibilities!

Perhaps your immediate goal is to

grow in your current role or maybe

you’ve got your eye on a position

with supervisory duties? You

could be thinking about broaden-

ing your skill-set; working towards

a completely different area, De-

partment or Division. Career Map-

ping can be a valuable step in

helping you get there!

Career Mapping Career Mapping Career Mapping is a new process is a new process is a new process

that encourages you that encourages you that encourages you to explore & plan to explore & plan to explore & plan

for your future for your future for your future with the with the with the

City of Regina.City of Regina.City of Regina.

ca·reer /kә'riɚ/  noun An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress; verb move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way. map  /'mæp/  noun  A picture or chart that shows the different parts of something; verb to plan a route or course of action in detail.

Defining Career 2

Career Mapping Process 3

Preparing to CareerMAP 3

Activity 1 4

Roles & Responsibilities 12

Activity 2 5

Activity 3 9

Activity 4 11

The CareerMAP document 8

Solid Business Investment 2

Inside:

T his aims to be more than

just another document or

activity to add to your list.

Think of it as an opportunity...

a chance for you to

build and drive

your plan

...mapping your thoughts and

your conversations about your fu-

ture and personal career with the

City of Regina.

CareerMAP is more than a learn-

ing plan; it’s a flexible framework

that can be modified to your spe-

cific needs and personal situation.

Key elements include:

Regular conversations between you and your supervisor about your personal career goals;

Clear, honest, and on-going communication;

Working together to find suitable learning and development op-portunities;

Planning development activities that align with the organization's strategic goals and objectives;

Page 2

T he world of work continues

to evolve alongside the

global economy and the national

labour market. What we once

considered a career — moving

step by step up an occupa-

tional ladder — is becoming

less relevant to modern busi-

ness practices. Today when

we speak about career, we are

thinking more broadly; refer-

encing the skills, knowledge

and ability that a person has

gathered throughout their

working years. We highlight an

employee’s experience, in-

stead of focusing on a specific

occupation.

The City of Regina recognizes that learning and employee development are the cornerstone to

successful business. With changes in the global economy and significant developments right here at

home, we consider learning to be an essential business investment that supports employee

performance and our overall mission to become the best run municipality in Canada. Now—more

than ever—we need to encourage and support a progressive, knowledge-driven environment.

My job defines what I do;

my career reveals

what I know.

Today’s career paths are gener-

ally more diverse and less predict-

able than in the past — similar to

winding roads or a map — with

employees moving forward, back

and laterally to take on different

roles, sometimes even transfer-

ring across several occupations

and industries.

Our goal is to inspire a Our goal is to inspire a Our goal is to inspire a

culture of continuous culture of continuous culture of continuous

learning & development;learning & development;learning & development;

ensuring that our ensuring that our ensuring that our

workforce is both workforce is both workforce is both

progressive and progressive and progressive and

engaged. engaged. engaged.

Learning investments serve our organization by:

A. Helping us attain the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve our corporate mission and business objectives;

B. Engaging employees while strengthening individual performance and overall organizational success;

C. Providing business continuity and succession plans; departments have a skilled and productive workforce that is capable of meeting the current and future responsibilities of the City;

D. Reducing recruitment & attraction-related expenses by developing and retaining our internal talent.

You can apply for a job, but you can’t apply for a career. A job is given to you; a career is made by you.”

~ Lynn Mattoon

Page 3

Step 1: Prepare

A number of activities have been built into this booklet as support tools for both the employee and

the supervisor. These activities should be explored prior to the Career Mapping meeting, as they will

help build a solid foundation for meaningful and productive dialogue.

Step 2: Meet

Career Mapping meetings are intended to

provide employees with an opportunity to

discuss their career and learning goals

with their Supervisor. For some people,

this conversation can feel a bit big and

challenging; no worries! This booklet

has been designed to help in guiding

this conversation.

The goal for this meeting is

establish a common understanding

of your goals and identify potential

opportunities for helping you achieve

them with the City of Regina. Your

Supervisor will be interested in hearing

how your goals fit with the overall

objectives of the organization, any

connection to your individual performance

plan, and some ideas about how they can best

support you in achieving your goals.

Step 3: Finalize

Now that you have had a chance to speak with your Supervisor, hopefully you have some defined

actions and activities that will help you progress towards your short and long-term goals. In follow-

up to your meeting, the next step is to complete your action plan (or update it) and submit an

electronic copy of your CareerMAP to your Supervisor.

Step 4: Act

It’s time to put that plan into action! As the driver of your MAP, you will need to manage the

conversations and activities that are necessary to accomplish your plan. This could include

registering for a course, tracking down a book, speaking with a manager, or filling out an application

for the tuition subsidy program. Your imagination is the limit! Just remember to update your

CareerMAP as you accomplish your action plan.

Finalize

CareerMAP & Action Plan

Meet with

Supervisor / Employee

Implement Action Plan & Learning Activities

Prepare for CareerMAP

Meeting

CareerMAP

Page 4

E ven with a map, you can’t expect to get to where you want to go

without first knowing where you are!

Career covers a broad spectrum of circumstances that occur throughout a

person’s working years, ranging from learning a new job, to making a

major occupational change, or even making plans for retirement. It is

important to be clear about where you are on your journey, so that you

can develop an effective strategy for moving forward to your next destination.

Take a moment to complete Activity 1. You will find a list of common career-related circumstances;

your task is to determine which ones are relevant to right now in your career. Check all of the items

that apply to you and keep them in mind as you develop and discuss your MAP.

Activity 1: Plotting where you are today…

You are new in your job and must learn the basics to get up to speed and feel comfortable and productive.

You have been in your job for a while and are striving for increased competence, in general.

You need to improve your performance in certain areas of your current job.

You need to update your skills or expertise to keep up with changing technologies or state-of-the art knowledge in your line of work.

Your job duties have changed recently (or will be changing), requiring some new skills or expertise on your part.

Your job may be eliminated due to re-engineering or restructuring, and you want to begin “retooling” to be ready for future opportunities.

You want to prepare for a move to the next higher level of responsibility.

You want to broaden your skills or expertise to allow more flexibility for future job moves.

You want to change roles within your current occupation, and… stay in your Department stay with the City stay within your Branch leave Municipal Government

You want to change your current occupation, and… stay in your Department stay with the City stay within your Branch leave Municipal Government

You don’t see much of a future if you remain in your current job, but aren’t sure of your options.

You want to plan your retirement.

Other Questions adapted from “Individual Development Planning (IDP) Manual.” (2001). Prepared by the United States Department of Commerce.

Page 5

Activity 2.1: Knowledge of business environment

1. Change is common in the modern business environment; what changes do you expect in the near future?

2. How is the mission of your organization (Division, Department, Branch) changing? What other changes are occurring regarding customers, services, work processes, organizational structure, reporting relationships and personnel? Are these changes something that you want to be a part of or is it time to consider other options?

3. What are the organization’s changing needs in regards to the workforce; what expertise and skills will be required or desirable in the future? Are there any current skill shortages or positions that your organization is finding difficult to recruit?

4. What opportunities are available for you to develop new expertise and skills (work experiences, training, rotational assignments, professional conferences etc.)?

5. How might your role (job) change in the organization? How can you prepare or develop new skills in preparation for change?

6. New expertise and skills your organization wants you to learn include...

7. What new projects or initiatives in your department appeal to you? What are the organization’s future needs? What kinds of development activities would help position you for participation in upcoming work projects?

I t’s valuable to dedicate some meaningful thinking-time to your

career. You could leave it to chance and see what crosses your

path—kind of like playing the lottery! Or you could be pro-active and

drive your own future—planning and positioning for your own success!

There are many variables to consider when determining steps for the

future, including labour market, organizational change, economic

trends, life circumstances etc. Taking the time to understand these variables will allow for

informed decisions and strengthen your overall plan.

"""The road to success is not a path you find, but a trail you blaze."The road to success is not a path you find, but a trail you blaze."The road to success is not a path you find, but a trail you blaze." --- Robert Brault Robert Brault Robert Brault

Activity 2 offers three sets of questions to help you think about your career and the City of Regina.

Feel free to write your answers on a separate piece of paper or simply work your way through the

questions as a mental guide.

The first section, Activity 2.1: Knowledge of Business Environment, helps you to consider the impact

that recurrent change can have when planning a career in today’s rapid business environment.

(Continued on page 6)

Page 6

I t would be an understatement to suggest that self-awareness is simply important to the career planning

process. Knowledge of self is essential and the most critical part of your pre-planning phase. Activity 2.2

offers you a number of questions that will help you in the Career Mapping process.

(Continued from page 5)

Activity 2.2: Knowledge of self

1. What are some of your key interests? How do you like to spend your time at work? What interests you the most at your organization?

2. What are your current strengths in pursuing these interests? What do you need to do to reposition your career so that you can get involved in this area?

3. Is it time for you to consider working outside of your current area? If you are considering a complete career change, what learning experiences would help you reposition your career?

4. Of all the things you have done in the last 5 years (work & non-work), what specific activities and functions have energized you the most? What are you proud of?

5. How do you learn best? (seeing, hearing, doing, etc.)

6. What developmental activities—experiences, learning, skill building—would help you grow or increase in these energizing functions?

7. What non-work related issues do you need to consider that will likely impact your career plans (e.g., health, family, financial, and social)?

8. Other things you would like to learn are...

It’s not just about what you do, It’s not just about what you do, It’s not just about what you do,

it’s about what you know. it’s about what you know. it’s about what you know.

“Know who you are, and be it.

Know what you want, and

go out and get it!”

― Carroll Bryant

Page 7

Activity 2.3: Knowledge of self & work environment

1. In what areas do your interests and personal plans overlap with the evolving needs of your organization? Do any areas of overlap represent “first choice” development targets?

2. What knowledge, skills or abilities are important for increasing or maintaining the quality of your performance in your present assignments?

3. What knowledge, skills or abilities would help prepare you for opportunities or roles you might have in the future?

4. Beyond what is suggested by these factors, other important interests for development are…

T he final section of Activity 2 merges your knowledge about Self

with the Work Environment to help inform your next steps and

the content of your CareerMAP.

After completing Activity 2, you will have asked yourself many of the

questions necessary to support informed decisions and the initiation

of a meaningful action plan.

The next step in the Career Mapping process will be to engage in

conversations with your Supervisor. Career Mapping should not be

a one-time isolated event, but a regular topic that you explore in

formal and informal conversations.

Career Mapping is about expanding one’s knowledge, Career Mapping is about expanding one’s knowledge, Career Mapping is about expanding one’s knowledge,

skills and abilityskills and abilityskills and ability———consciously planning and consciously planning and consciously planning and

growing towards the next opportunity.growing towards the next opportunity.growing towards the next opportunity.

Page 8

You are the You are the You are the OwnerOwner and and and DriverDriver of your personal CareerMAPof your personal CareerMAPof your personal CareerMAP

T he CareerMAP document is a place for you to record your thoughts and

conversations about your work, your career, performance goals, and .

strategies for achieving those goals. Your MAP ensures that both you and your.

Supervisor have a common understanding of your goals, career intentions, and some of the

necessary support that will help you achieve them.

Your MAP should be reviewed and updated regularly, particularly around the time of completing your

Performance Plan. You will also want to update your CareerMAP when you complete learning activities and

as you become aware of new opportunities. It is important to recognize that your CareerMAP does not imply

that there is a funding commitment, but is instead a vehicle for you to communicate your interests, pursue

additional skill-building experiences, and plan for other learning opportunities.

This first section is about stating an outcome.

What is it that you are working towards? Use this

section to consider where you are in your career

(you may want to reference Activity 1 on page 3

of this booklet) and then establish short-term

learning goals and longer-term career goals.

Learning Goals are typically short-term and

often influenced by your Performance Plan. They

usually concentrate on what you need to do right

now to help you excel in your current role.

Although they are separate, your Learning Goals

should be in sync with your Career Goals.

Career Goals usually take a longer-term view

and factor in other elements including work/life

goals, family responsibilities, financial plans, etc.

Your career goals will influence your immediate

learning goals.

Keep in mind—the most important factor when

mapping your goals is that they motivate and

make sense to you!

Did you know that a person has approximately 700

different skills? When Career Mapping, it is really

important to reflect on your full range of skills and

abilities. The intent of this section is to stimulate

your thinking process and help you re-discover the

many things that you can do.

Consider your personal strengths—the things that

you do well on a regular basis. Now let’s take it a

step further—what about your hidden strengths?

Think about the skills you don’t get to use in your

current role. Collectively, your strengths are your

transferable skills; the knowledge and abilities that

you will carry with you throughout your entire career.

Take a moment to expand your personal list of

strengths and transferable skills. Use Activity 3 on

page 9 as a starting point.

(Continued on page 10)

Section 1: Your Goals Section 2: Areas of Strength

trans·fer·a·ble skills /tranz‐'fər‐əbəl/  /'skilz/   noun 1. Aptitude and knowledge acquired through personal experience such as schooling, jobs, classes, hobbies, sports etc. 2. any talent developed and able to be used in future employment.

Using your CareerMAP

Page 9

Activity 3: Skills thought-jogger ©SunRaye Enterprises, 1997

Analyzing situations or data Making Layouts newsletters, displays, advertising

Assembling equipment or information Measuring large or small scale items

Calculating math computations or risk assessment Meeting the Public receptionist, product rep, sales

Coaching guiding or tutoring Monitoring progress of people or equipment

Competitiveness with performance measurement Motivating self and others

Compiling Data or facts Observing behaviour or situations

Constancy or being persistent, faithful Operating equipment, machines or vehicles

Constructing objects or buildings Organizing people, information or events

Coordinating activities or events Patience or remaining calm, endurance

Corresponding answering or initiating verbally or written Planning budgeting, goal setting, scheduling

Counseling active listening to sensitive topics Perseverance continuing despite challenges

Creating artistic creations, new ideas or inventions Programming equipment or activities

Deciding finding alternatives and best use of resources Promoting one-to-one or though media

Delegating tasks or responsibilities Recording numerical or scientific data

Designing products or systems Record Keeping logs, files or time sheets

Direction defining goals and needs Repairing equipment, vehicles, furniture, appliances

Displaying ideas, products or equipment Researching obtaining & sourcing information

Editing newspapers, reports, or magazines Self-knowledge assess your own capabilities

Energy Level capacity to move things ahead Self-starter identify purposeful work & take action

Estimating costs, income or physical space Selling ideas, products or policies

Evaluating performance, programs, processes or events Serving a product or an individual

Flexibility open to change and new situations/ideas Sketching pictures, diagrams or charts

Fund Raising one-to-one or through media Speaking in public, groups or via electronic media

Goal Achievement identify, progress & obtain objectives Supervising people or processes

Group Facilitating or managing group interactions Teaching formal or informal

Handling Complaints from parents, clients or citizens Timing organizing time or events

Inspecting examining objects, financial statements, testing Troubleshooting equipment or situations

Interpreting data, legal, medical terminology, translating Updating information or records

Interviewing or seeking information from others Using Instruments engineering, medical, scientific

Investigating information for underlying causes or events Writing creative, business, or non-fiction

Page 10

Knowing your experience, strengths, and overall

goals, now identify a few areas that you would

like to target for your own personal growth.

What do you need to strengthen or gain in order

to fully achieve your goals?

Think big for Section 3—broad areas of

knowledge, attributes, or competencies. At this

point, try not to get stuck by focusing on specific

activities; instead consider the outcome that you

would like to achieve through the learning

experience and/or what could be different once

you have achieved that goal. For example, you

may be interested in growing your leadership

abilities, which will support and strengthen the

future possibility of performing in a supervisory

role.

(Continued from page 8)

Section 3: Areas to Grow

Section 4: Action Plan Career Mapping is all about the plan—after all, a

map is just a piece of paper if you don’t take the

time to plot your position, chart your course, and

then follow through to your destination.

Section 4 will be the most rigorous section of your

CareerMAP; this is where you will establish spe-

cific actions and learning experiences that will

help progress your plan.

Your supervisor plays an important role in this

process. They are there to assist you in determin-

ing the best actions or activities that will help lead

you to achieving your goals. Your supervisor is

also there to assist with resources such as time,

exposure, opportunities, and in some cases, fund-

ing. They will also ensure that your plan supports

career growth with the City and aligns to the fu-

ture needs of the organization.

Your Action Plan is a shared

responsibility between you

and your supervisor.

Your CareerMAP suggests identifying three devel-

opment goals that you would like to work on over

a determined period of time. A development goal

is a statement of a desired outcome or accom-

plishment that is specific, observable and realistic.

For simplicity’s sake, you may choose to align

your timeframe with the annual performance plan-

ning cycle—aiming to accomplish your goals

within the same calendar year.

Learning Goal / Targeted Action: Research

offers a few best practices to keep in mind when

writing effective goal statements.

Page 11

Activity 4: Actions ideas

New assignments in my current job

Rotation to a different project/job

Seek a coach, mentor, community of practice, or network

Volunteer for a task force, committee, or project team

Obtain on-the-job guidance from someone who has more expertise in a specific area

Attend seminars/webinars/conferences (on-site and off-site)

Enroll in university or technical courses

Attend workshops or training sessions

Explore self-paced learning (books, videos, computer-based instruction)

Pursue an academic degree, designation or certificate program

Conduct informational interviews

Pursue a new job within Department, Division or Corporation

Pursue external volunteer activities

Plan for retirement

(a) Write in the present tense. If we write it to

be true, we will be naturally inclined to make

it true. Our minds are activated by positive

statements that are phrased in the present

tense.

(b) Write using as much detail as possible.

By creating a statement that is easily visual-

ized, your mind will be motivated and driven

to create that image.

(c) Write the right goals. The most success-

likely goals are the ones that you find both

interesting and motivational. If these factors

are missing from your goals, it may be helpful

to re-visit other sections in this booklet to

help you write the right goals.

Activity/Action: Now that your goals are estab-

lished, the next step is to outline the activities or

actions that will help you accomplish them.

Most people are inclined to pursue formal class-

room training; however, there are many other

activities that can provide equally valuable learn-

ing opportunities.

Activity 4 provides a number of learning actions

that may be helpful in carving out your plan. You

will notice that many are available at no cost!

Specific Steps: It’s helpful to outline the neces-

sary steps that are required for accomplishing

your goal. This ensures that you account for all

details and have thought it through using a posi-

tive, present lens—making it easy when taking

that first important step.

Potential Hurdles & Support: Listing potential

hurdles or obstacles as part of your plan pro-

vides you with the time and space to consider

options for dealing with them—ahead of time.

Perhaps it’s a matter of engaging the right sup-

port; friends, family, colleagues or programs

that will help you be successful and keep mov-

ing forward.

Targeted Date: Make sure that your dates are

realistic and achievable. Your supervisor will

help you determine a timeline that promotes

your success.

Page 12

Y ou are the owner and driver of your CareerMAP;

however, the process is a shared responsibility

between you and your Supervisor. As a coach and

guide, your Supervisor is a valuable resource that can

help facilitate your plans into actions. In fact, the

conversations that you have with your Supervisor will

be the most important element of this process.

As you progress, your Supervisor will develop a better

understanding of your professional goals, strengths,

development needs, and ways in which they can best

support you. Their role is to assist you in identifying realistic, achievable goals that align with the

organization’s strategic plan and long-term vision. Your Supervisor will be influential in helping you

access opportunities for gaining the knowledge, skills, and experience that is necessary to accomplish

your MAP. For this reason, Career Mapping is dependant on a collaborative relationship that supports

mutual goal-achievement and positive outcomes.

com·mu·ni·cate /kə‐'myü‐nə‐ˌkāt/ transitive verb. Latin, 1526 1. archaic: to share in or

partake of 2. to give or interchange thoughts, feelings, information, or the like, by writing, speaking, etc. 3.

to express thoughts, feelings, or information easily or effectively. 4. Two-way process of reaching mutual

understanding, in which participants not only exchange information but also create and share meaning.

Career Mapping Career Mapping Career Mapping encourages you to take encourages you to take encourages you to take

personal responsibility for personal responsibility for personal responsibility for pursuing the knowledge pursuing the knowledge pursuing the knowledge and experience that is and experience that is and experience that is

necessary for your career.necessary for your career.necessary for your career.

Act as a coach and help guide you through the Career Mapping process;

Meet with you to discuss your development goals, daily work, and overall CareerMAP;

Support you in creating a suitable Action Plan that aligns with the overall goals and the direction of the organization;

Be someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of;

Provide information and assistance when exploring and accessing different development opportunities; and

Maintain communication and provide on-going feedback on your progress and achieved results.

Own and drive your personal career plan

Work with your Supervisor to define support and establish what it looks like;

Commit to the goals and actions you identify;

Be open and flexible when considering different opportunities that may support your growth and development;

Revisit and update your plan regularly; and

Take the time to think, explore and dream.

sup·port /sə‐pôrt'/ verb 1. give aid or encouragement to a person or cause; 2. to give approval to something or someone; 3. suggest material and/or moral support intended to contribute to or assure success.

Human Resources Department, 2012