---
title: "Create and manage career paths"
canonical: "https://help.skillpanel.com/space/TBG/2893676580/Create%20and%20manage%20career%20paths"
format: markdown
---
Use **Career paths** in SkillPanel to define clear growth routes between roles. It turns static job data into structured development plans employees can follow and managers can measure.

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### When to use this

- You’re mapping advancement levels within a discipline (e.g., Junior → Senior Developer).
- You want to show employees which roles match their current skills.
- You’re aligning promotion criteria with measurable skill progressions.
- You’re designing parallel or branching paths (e.g., technical vs. leadership).

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### Prerequisites

- Manager or Admin permissions in SkillPanel.
- Existing **Job positions** created in your **Talent framework**.

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### Quick start

1. Go to **Talent framework → Career paths**.
2. Click **Create** (top-right corner).
3. Enter a **Name** and optional **Description** for the path.
4. Add one or more **Job positions** in order of progression.
5. Click **Create** to save.  
→ Your new path appears in the list view and becomes available for role and skill mapping.

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### Detailed steps

#### Add a new career path

1. In **Career paths**, click **Create** (blue button).
2. In the pop-up window, fill in:
  - **Name**: e.g., “Backend Developer.”
  - **Description**: short summary of the path’s scope or focus.
3. Under **Job positions**, click the **+** icon to add each step in sequence.
4. Reorder positions using the up/down arrows if needed.
5. Click **Create** to finalize.
  - *Why this matters:* Structured career paths make progression measurable. Employees can see how their skills align to the next role before formal reviews.

![image-20251015-134501.png](media://e99c783d-de16-4bef-8f0d-6f9e37823d2d)

![image-20251015-134516.png](media://fb35af01-8b7d-424d-91a4-c4e9b6afe353)

#### Edit or delete a path

1. Hover over a path name → click the **trash can icon** to delete. Confirm with **Remove**.
  - This action is **permanent**.
2. To edit, click the **path name**. The details panel opens on the right.
3. Click the **edit icon** (top-right).
4. Update the name, description, or job list/order, then click **Save**.
  - *Why this matters:* Keeping paths current ensures the skills model matches real organizational changes.

![image-20251015-134618.png](media://88d6e63a-c2ca-4145-9935-d3cf684992a9)

![image-20251015-134547.png](media://05fc572e-d8f9-41d3-859c-1a8eb0178094)

#### Create branching paths

1. Open **Career paths** and click **Create** twice to start two separate paths.
2. Use the same starting job position in both.
3. Add distinct follow-up roles in each branch.
  - *Why this matters:* Employees in shared roles can see multiple growth options (e.g., Technical Lead vs. Product Manager).

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### Use SkillPanel to go faster / safer / clearer

| Step | Feature | Benefit | How? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reorder positions | Drag-and-drop hierarchy | Maintains clarity in progression | Role order controls how advancement appears in analytics—no manual rework needed. |
| Edit anytime | Real-time sync | Keeps data consistent | Updates in a path automatically refresh linked analytics and learning paths. |

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### Examples

**Scenario 1:**  
*Input:* You manage a backend team with junior, regular, and senior roles.  
*Action:* Create “Backend Developer” path with those three job positions.  
*Outcome:* Employees see their next promotion step and matching skill targets.

**Scenario 2:**  
*Input:* You want to separate advancement for engineers who move into management.  
*Action:* Create two paths starting from “Senior Engineer”: one “Tech Lead,” one “Engineering Manager.”  
*Outcome:* Career planning dashboards show both routes clearly.

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### FAQ

**Can I include any job position?**  
Yes, any existing position in your Talent framework.

**Can I change job order later?**  
Yes, use the arrows to rearrange within the path.

**Will deleting a path affect analytics?**  
Yes, associated path data disappears from dashboards.

**Can I create multiple paths from the same starting point?**  
Yes, use branching for parallel progression models.

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### Pitfalls & tradeoffs

- **Don’t reuse outdated paths.** Old role names distort analytics.
- **Avoid overly long paths.** Past five levels, progression signals get weak.
- **Deleting a path removes history.** Export first if you need audit records.