Do you know where your career is headed in the next year, 3 years, 5 years? Most people don't. They live day-to-day and don't do any serious long-term planning. 

You might get lucky and get hired by your dream employer, who gives you work you love and takes care of you until you retire. But the odds are that won't happen. 

The fact is, it's getting rare for someone to stay with one employer for 20 or 30 years like our parents or grandparents might have. It's much more common for people to be with a company for just a few years, often with extended periods of unemployment or underemployment in between jobs. 

You never really know when your current great job will suddenly end, due to economic factors, automation, or a change in management. 

Millions of people have lost what they thought were stable jobs, even though they got great reviews and promotions along the way. It doesn't matter how big your last raise was if your company goes out of business or lays you off.

In the 21st century, you simply must take control of your career if you want to be safe and secure. Just getting a good job and staying there until something bad happens is not a good strategy.  

Regardless of where you are in your career, unless you're retiring in a few months, you need to start doing some strategic planning. 

Meet LaKiesha Tomlin

I'm an Executive Career Expert and speaker who helps executives and future executives make the most of their careers – whether that's getting their next great position, or finding more time in their schedule to do the things they love (outside of work).  

After graduating with a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University, I quickly rose from entry-level engineer to a regional management position and nearly tripled my salary in just 3 years. This allowed me to pay off my student loans and travel the world in my downtime.  

My expert advice on leadership and building career-advancing relationships has been featured on Forbes, American Express, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and many more.  

By showing my clients that true success is not just about "working harder," I share the secrets to taking the right steps, in the right order, to create the career of your dreams while still enjoying your life.