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I’ve done a couple of mentoring sessions and been interviewed myself twice the last few weeks. A couple of quick thoughts.
If you’re looking for a job and what matters to you is knowing how you can *progress* where you are going to work, make sure it is spelled out by the place you’re talking to, how you can progress, how “goals” are set, how you will be checked and how you will be supported.
Communities of practice are great. They don’t have to be formal, you might already be a part of one. The design studio at Brahm: I was part of one when a part of that. But they aren’t a replacement for “formal role profession structure” (or setting the direction of a role).
Having and relying on an external mentor isn’t a replacement for such progression either, at least so it is recognised internally at your workplace.
If you’re interviewing and it’s clear there’s no formal progression structure, it’s about learning on the job (which tbh it is), take things as they come, that’s an alternative and that’s cool to me — but you’ve got to be accepting of that going in.
However: Good workplaces, irrespective of size, have good leadership: Clear in their purpose and intent as a business/org, have a good understanding of roles, their practice, how people develop and how those help with the biz/org’s work. (I am also defining bad workplaces there.)
Orgs and businesses need to be clear and honest what they have and have not — will that maintain?; will that change? how is that planned? — so you, as a potential employee, are aware, so you can make that decision — and it is your decision.
