大约三十年前，许多公司都会提供明确的职业发展路线。只要你表现出色，你的工资、职务和责任一定会稳步提高，为公司忠心服务25年后，你还将得到一块金表作为表彰。

但现在，公司会根据自身需要，自由地重新安排和辞退员工。“大衰退”前就被婴儿潮一代塞满的公司管理层，现在不大可能出现人事变动，因为这些最年长的员工正在努力重建他们的退休积蓄。

A generation ago, many companies offered a straightforward career ladder. If you performed well, you could count on a steady climb in salary, job title, and responsibilities until receiving a gold watch for 25 years of loyal service.

Today, organizations freely reassign and fire employees as needed. Management ranks that were clogged with Baby Boomers before the Great Recession are now even less likely to see turnover, as the organization’s oldest employees seek to rebuild their retirement savings.

年轻人必须开拓自己的职业道路，他们需要寻找机会提高技能和积累经验，与正确的人交往，谋划职业发展道路上的每一个转折点。

咨询师、《管理者面临的27项挑战》(The 27 Challenges Managers Face)与《你也可以管理老板》(It’s Okay to Manage Your Boss)的作者布鲁斯•塔尔干表示：“毫无疑问，大多数公司都希望人们对自己的职业发展负责。大多数公司已经不再提供一条适合所有人的职业道路。”

Young professionals must create their own career paths by seeking out opportunities to develop skills and experience, networking with the right people and plotting each turning point along the road.

“There’s no question that most organizations expect people to take responsibility for their own careers,” says Bruce Tulgan, consultant and author of The 27 Challenges Managers Face and It’s Okay to Manage Your Boss. “There’s no longer a one-size fits all career path in most organizations.”

如果你从事同一个职务两年、三年或者五年，渴望下一个机会的到来，那你恐怕要学会自己开拓职业道路。以下是几条重要建议。

If you’ve been in the same role for two, three, or five years, and are itching for the next opportunity, chances are you need the secrets to the do-it-yourself career path. There are three key ingredients.