Our tested way of building a career plan
By Megan Dalla-Camina, Women Rising Founder & CEO
In the incredibly fast paced world we're living in with so much change, having a career plan might feel like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Whilst a plan set in stone isn’t a great use of your time, having a directional vision for where you want to head and knowing where you are currently, are both things that will set you up for success.
Over my 20-year corporate career working for some of the world’s largest companies like GE, PwC and IBM, and more than 15 years of coaching women on their careers and leadership development, I have developed key questions to consider when you want to build a career plan that’s helpful and relevant, no matter what level or type of position you are currently in.
So let's look at planning and career mastery together. If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to read about where you’re at on the career mastery curve and contemplate the following from a planning perspective.
If you identified that you’re at the novice phase of your career in your current role, then what you're going to be planning for and focusing on is building competence. At this phase you are going to be answering questions like:
- What skills and experiences do you need to build competence?
- Who are your best mentors for where you're at right now?
- What are the critical success factors in the role that you're in?
- Who are your key stakeholders?
When I was beginning a new management role at IBM, I had to very quickly identify what was going to be most critical for me to be successful in that role, and to move up that mastery curve. What were the skills and experiences that I needed quite quickly, and who were my key stakeholders that I needed to build relationships with and gain support from?
If you’re at the experienced phase, then you’re focusing on building confidence and exploring where you’re headed. At this phase you want to consider questions like:
- How do you leverage and build on your strengths?
- Is there a new role or opportunity that could be of interest in the future?
- Who are the mentors and sponsors you need for the next phase?
- What does success look like at the end of this role?
And then you have the mastery phase, where you’re the expert in your field. At this phase it’s important to check-in and ask yourself how you feel about where you’re at. Sometimes we get to the top of a mastery curve and we're happy to sit there a while as we've spent years building our expertise and working our way to the position that we're in.
And sometimes when we reach expert level, we’re starting to crave a new opportunity and to build a new mastery curve. If that’s where you find yourself, here are some questions to consider:
- What could your next mastery curve look like?
- What is interesting to you right now? What's exciting? What are you curious about?
- Is there a role or a different line of work entirely that you would really like to go and explore?
- How could you investigate that?
When you reach mastery, you want to remember to respect where you're at and respect the journey that you've been on to go from novice to experienced to mastery. This is a massive undertaking. Make sure you take the opportunity to savour where you are and celebrate it before moving too quickly to answering the ‘what’s next?’ question.
If you’re keen to explore your career mastery journey and planning in more detail, then join thousands of women in the Women Rising program. You can see all of the details here.
+ Why is having a career plan still important in a changing world?
In fast-moving times, a rigid plan doesn’t serve you — but a directional vision absolutely does. Having clarity about where you are now and where you want to go gives you focus and confidence. A great career plan is flexible: it evolves with you, helping you make intentional choices rather than reacting to change.
+ How do I build a career plan that aligns with my stage on the mastery curve?
Your plan should match your current phase:
Novice: focus on building competence — identify key skills, mentors, and success factors.
Experienced: build confidence — leverage strengths and explore your next step.
Mastery: reflect and expand — celebrate your expertise and consider what’s next.
When you plan with awareness of your mastery stage, your career growth becomes both strategic and fulfilling.
+ What questions should I ask myself when creating my career plan?
Start with powerful reflection:
What skills or experiences will help me grow now?
Who can mentor or sponsor me?
What does success look like in my current role?
What excites or challenges me most right now?
The right questions uncover direction, clarity, and motivation — your plan grows naturally from there.
+ How can I stay motivated once I’ve reached career mastery?
Reaching mastery is a huge accomplishment — pause and celebrate it. Then, tune into your curiosity. Ask yourself: What’s calling me next? Sometimes, mastery means mentoring others; other times, it’s about starting a fresh curve. Honour your achievements before leaping forward — growth is cyclical, not linear.
+ How do I create a career plan that’s sustainable and fulfilling?
A sustainable career plan balances ambition with wellbeing. It’s built around your values, strengths, and the life you want — not just titles or milestones. Include goals for learning, relationships, and rest. When your plan supports both achievement and energy, success feels grounded, not exhausting.
