How to achieve the BIM career you want

How do you define success? Is it reaching the top of your profession, with the hours, responsibility and salary to match? Or finding your passion in a role you love and are happy to devote your time to? Or is it creating a life where your career fits in with everything else, giving you the time and income to enjoy other interests?

The first option is the most traditional picture of success. But people are starting to realise that to achieve a satisfying career and sense of purpose, they need to first identify their version of success. There’s no point landing the top job if you resent all the time you have to put into it and don’t feel fulfilled.

Brian Tracy’s The Psychology of Achievement is one of the seminal works when it comes to personal and professional development. It explores what you need in life for success, and how to develop a mindset to achieve it. When it comes to your career, there are three key elements:

• Working with a sense of purpose
• Setting goals that inspire you
• Feeling in control

Working with a sense of purpose

A good starting to point is to identify your ‘personal mission’ in life, so that what you do has a sense of purpose. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, it can become easy to lose your sense of direction in your career. You may feel unsure of how and when to make your next career move, or feel that the work you are currently doing is not getting you anywhere. Once you have set your purpose, you will be able to identify the next steps for your career more easily.

Setting goals that inspire you

There is no point in setting goals that are based on other people’s vision of success. They need to be steps that all contribute to your sense of purpose and fulfilling your mission. Make them clear and specific, rather than vague ambitions.

Feeling in control

This is a really important step in achieving a satisfying career. When you feel positive about how you are working towards the goals you have set, which in turn are based on what you want to achieve, you will feel in control. You make the decisions knowing that they will help you fulfil your purpose, rather than simply reacting to circumstances, or constantly questioning what you should be doing.

Career mapping

So we’ve looked at the theory behind the psychology of achievement, but how do you apply it to your BIM career? The DBE careers map can be a good starting point. This outlines the hierarchy within the BIM profession, the different levels of competence within them, and how long on average it takes to reach these stages. You may decide that firmwide BIM leader is your ultimate aim, or that becoming an experienced and proficient project manager is what appeals. Once you have a sense of what you’re working towards, you can identify the steps you need to make and enjoy each one as you work through them, knowing that they are all building your career in the direction you want.

Alternatively, it may be that a particular aspect of BIM – for example, its role in sustainable construction – is what excites you, and you decide to focus your energy on building your expertise and experience in that field. Once you know where you want to get to in your career, it is easier to identify any gaps in your knowledge and plan for training to fill them.

Know your employers

Another important aspect of planning your career is to research employers and assess the opportunities that might be available within them. Bigger doesn’t always mean better – smaller organisations may have more opportunities to ‘flex’ your role, while larger ones may have a more rigid structure. Look out for the launch of The DBE Good Digital Employer Directory, currently under construction, which will be an invaluable tool in helping you to assess employers.

In conclusion – think before you move

Whether you are just starting your career in BIM, or have been working in the field for several years, taking some time to work out your purpose and goals is a vital step in helping you achieve a satisfying and rewarding career. Think now, and you’ll benefit in the future.