Career growth and professional development: what’s the difference?

Career growth is a job or financial change in an employee’s career based on professional and personal qualities.

Career growth types

There are three types of career advancement: horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. Each of them has its pros & cons.

Vertical

It’s a career growth within one company. For example, an employee signs up as a Junior Development, and eventually becomes Middle, and then Senior, etc. This type of career advancement has advantages and disadvantages.

Strengths of vertical career growth:

Success;
Satisfying ambitions;
High payment;
Great opportunities;
Useful contacts.

Weaknesses of vertical career growth:

Great responsibility;
Busy schedule;
Irregular working hours;
More administrative tasks;
Tensions with employees.

Diagonal

Diagonal career growth is the transfer of a specialist to a new company with a position higher than at the previous work place.

Strength of diagonal career growth:

Dynamism;
New acquaintances;
Pay rise.

Weaknesses of diagonal career growth:

Bad reputation as an irregular worker;
Infusion into a new team;
Lack of competence if a person climbs up the career ladder too quickly.

Horizontal

It is the transfer to a new company for the same position with a pay rise. Another interpretation of the term “horizontal career growth” is deepening competencies and expanding responsibility within one position.

Strength of diagonal career growth:

Pay rise
Professional development
Less area of responsibility than vertical growth.