What is a career path?

So you have explored your options and have made the decision that you want to become an IT Network Administrator.

How do you do that? What is your first step? Where are some places you could work?

Designing your career path is an important part of the decision making process when it comes to your future. It can help guide you to achieve your goal. It’s easy to focus on one step of the journey but a good plan will help you find long-term success. After deciding the type of career you want to pursue, the keys to mapping out your career path are:

• Know what education you need to be qualified for your job type.
• Research where the education institutions are that offer the programs you need to study.
• Ensure you have the time and resources to commit to your program and study schedule.
• Obtain the prerequisites you need to enroll.
• Investigate possible places to work that have the environment, stability, pay, and benefits that you desire.
• Map out your desired career path once you are educated and hired (e.g. Support, System Designer, Manager and Administrator, Director). It is useful to know what skillsets you will need to reach the next steps in your career path (e.g. programming skills, system design skills, and management skills). You may need to take additional courses, do some job shadowing, or you may gain that experience through your own work experience.

These are just the major steps; there are many variables and decisions along the way that will lead you to a successful future. Just keep in mind that your expectations and timelines must be realistic and adaptable. For instance, you may not get hired immediately, so how can you gain experience for that job that you want?

WorldSkills can help connect you with local resources that will provide career guidance, volunteer opportunities, or career planning tools that will help you create and follow the path that is right for you.