Career Direction
How do I decide what role to pursue next in my career?
Start with the value you want to keep creating—not simply the title that looks like the next logical step.
3 minute readStart with the value you want to keep creating—not simply the title that looks like the next logical step.
Experienced CPG leaders rarely have only one credible option. You may be able to lead a larger function, move into a new category, take a general-management path, build a consulting practice, or stay where you are and reshape the role. The challenge is not proving that you can do several things. It is deciding which direction deserves your energy now.
Begin with the work, not the title
Titles are useful shorthand, but they are poor starting points for a meaningful career decision. The same title can represent very different problems, authority, resources, and expectations from one company to another.
Ask which business problems you want to keep solving. What decisions do you want to own? Which parts of leadership give you energy? What work do you want to do more often—and what are you no longer willing to build a role around?
Separate a credible option from the right option
A recruiter call can make an opportunity feel important simply because someone else expressed interest. That is not the same as alignment. Create criteria before the market creates urgency for you.
Your criteria might include the mandate, manager, culture, business health, decision authority, location, compensation, travel, and the capabilities you want to build next. A clear set of priorities helps you evaluate opportunities without allowing each new possibility to rewrite the plan.
Use conversations to test the direction
You do not have to make the decision in isolation. Talk with people close to the roles, companies, and problems you are considering. Ask what the work actually requires, where leaders create value, and what makes someone credible in that environment.
The goal is not to collect approval. It is to gather evidence. A strong direction becomes clearer when your experience creates curiosity, the work still interests you after you understand it, and the tradeoffs remain acceptable.