Is There Such a Thing as an Optimal Career Growth Rate?

We have all heard the saying: “Keeping Up With the Joneses.” This mindset can be related to optimal career growth rate. It means measuring yourself against an understood ideal of success and status and then doing everything in your power to “keep up” with those standards.

 

Because measuring success is subjective, it inevitably leaves people to question their optimum career growth rate, assuming ultimate success is the goal (and, of course, it is!). But what would that look like, and how do you gauge or measure this?

 

We tackle this subject by looking at the various stages of career growth and discussing how fast your career should be growing.

 

Let’s look at three stages of career growth: follower, collaborator, and leader.

 

Career Growth Rates

 

Stage 1: First Jobs – Followers

 

This stage is usually your very first job, or in many cases, an internship you land upon graduating from college or university. In this stage, it’s most common to “follow” the lead of your immediate superiors. Unsurprisingly, the tasks associated with your role and this stage most commonly fall under the umbrella of action-oriented and task-focused work.

 

While this is not always  everyone’s favorite stage (who likes being told what to do all the time?), it’s an essential starting point for your career. After all, you can’t be a great leader unless you first have followed someone and learned the ropes from a mentor that has more experience than you. Bottom line: Learn first, lead later.
 

Stage 2: Moving Up the Ladder – Collaborator

 

The second stage is the collaborator. In this stage, you learn the importance of teamwork and, in particular, being a team player that contributes and works well with other people. This stage helps you develop people skills that will prove invaluable on your career journey.

 

Too many people fail to realize how critical these people skills are and instead focus on the technical skillset of an individual. But you need both to truly succeed.

 

Stage 3: Management Material – Leader

 

The final stage is the leader stage, during which much of your time will be spent leading others. You will dedicate yourself to empowering and inspiring your team to think and act for themselves—your primary focus being motivating your people, so they excel in their activities at the office and beyond.

 

Career Growth Is Not Set in Stone

 

It’s important to note that while these are the “regular” stages of career growth, they certainly aren’t a one-size-fits-all model for everyone. Growth opportunities come in a lot of packages. For example, mentoring, leadership programs, continuing education courses, tuition repayment, promotions, retreats, and special projects are all opportunities for growth.

 

If you are looking to advance your career and are seeking out ideas and opportunities to show your employers that you want to grow as a professional and climb to the next rung on the ladder, indeed.com offers some excellent insights.

 

Also food for thought is that not everyone wants to be a manager. Some people love their work and are happy to do just that. If this describes you—fantastic! You do you. Everyone has different career goals, especially in 2022, and that’s okay.

 

Regardless of where you are on your career path journey, we are here to help and support you. Read our blog and connect with us today to learn more. 

Recent Posts

How to Build a Future-Proof Talent Strategy for High-Growth Companies

By Matt Trembicki • March 26, 2025
Talent is the single biggest factor in whether a high-growth company thrives or stalls. As companies scale, the challenge shifts from just hiring quickly to hiring the right people who can grow with the business. At Amplify Resources Group, we’ve seen firsthand how hiring missteps can slow down even the most promising companies: Bad hires cost companies 30% of annual salary in lost productivity and rehiring costs. Hiring delays can set growth targets back 6-12 months. Companies that don’t hire for future needs end up in constant reactive mode , always playing catch-up. So, how do you build a scalable and future-proof talent strategy? Here’s our 4-step framework to help high-growth companies hire, develop, and retain the right people for sustainable success.

Optimize your supplier selection - implement our strategic sourcing framework

By Amplify • March 24, 2025
Implement the ASTRA Framework: A mplify S trategic T argeted R esource A cquisition

Why great strategies fail: The missing link that could change everything

By David Collier • March 18, 2025
In business, success isn’t just about having a vision—it’s about execution. Many organizations struggle, not because they lack ambition, human capital or intelligence, but rather they fail to connect the aspirational to the day-to-day actions. Why Businesses Fail Without Alignment Without a structured framework , companies often experience: Disjointed Efforts: Teams working on initiatives that don’t support or align to the broader organizational goals. Lack of Accountability: No clear way to measure success or failure. Strategy-Execution Gap: A great plan that never materializes into results. Resource Challenges: staff working on various projects and not aligned or allocated to the “right” projects. The missing link? A structured framework that ensures every step moves the business forward and you have traceability throughout your organization. That’s where the GOST Model comes in: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics . When these four elements align, businesses can transform their plans from well-intentioned ideas into tangible and valuable results. Let’s break it down with some real-world examples:
Show More

Recent Posts

How to Build a Future-Proof Talent Strategy for High-Growth Companies

By Matt Trembicki • March 26, 2025
Talent is the single biggest factor in whether a high-growth company thrives or stalls. As companies scale, the challenge shifts from just hiring quickly to hiring the right people who can grow with the business. At Amplify Resources Group, we’ve seen firsthand how hiring missteps can slow down even the most promising companies: Bad hires cost companies 30% of annual salary in lost productivity and rehiring costs. Hiring delays can set growth targets back 6-12 months. Companies that don’t hire for future needs end up in constant reactive mode , always playing catch-up. So, how do you build a scalable and future-proof talent strategy? Here’s our 4-step framework to help high-growth companies hire, develop, and retain the right people for sustainable success.

Optimize your supplier selection - implement our strategic sourcing framework

By Amplify • March 24, 2025
Implement the ASTRA Framework: A mplify S trategic T argeted R esource A cquisition

Why great strategies fail: The missing link that could change everything

By David Collier • March 18, 2025
In business, success isn’t just about having a vision—it’s about execution. Many organizations struggle, not because they lack ambition, human capital or intelligence, but rather they fail to connect the aspirational to the day-to-day actions. Why Businesses Fail Without Alignment Without a structured framework , companies often experience: Disjointed Efforts: Teams working on initiatives that don’t support or align to the broader organizational goals. Lack of Accountability: No clear way to measure success or failure. Strategy-Execution Gap: A great plan that never materializes into results. Resource Challenges: staff working on various projects and not aligned or allocated to the “right” projects. The missing link? A structured framework that ensures every step moves the business forward and you have traceability throughout your organization. That’s where the GOST Model comes in: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics . When these four elements align, businesses can transform their plans from well-intentioned ideas into tangible and valuable results. Let’s break it down with some real-world examples:
Show More