About 15 years ago I defined a goal for my career -- to became a system architect.
How you can decide whether your goals achieved?
I think that the most reliable mean to measure it - to fulfill the corresponding responsibilities and be accepted among professionals you are working with.
Once you have achieved it -- what's then?
If you do still love development, I think that the next step may be a consultant career.
Why?
Several reasons.
Because it may help you to share your experience among many teams making this world better! :)
At the same time you will be still able to gain much new experience because you'll be involved in many projects also allowing you to develop some non-development skills such as presentation skill.
Today EPAM Systems offered me a new opportunity -- a head of R&D center.
Prior that I passed a couple of interview and found out that this position correlates with my goal -- to became a well-known consultant like Martin Fowler :)
So I accepted this offer.
I consider it as a new step in my career and I'll do my best to became famous and accepted among professionals! :)
UPDATE:
Unfortunately, in one month I decided to accept job proposal from another company.
My decision was made because this way may lead me to achieve the goal which I was chasing when accepted EPAM job proposal more than one year ago (yep, I failed to achieve that goal while working in EPAM, sorry :( )
It was not very easy decision. I liked to work in CDP Team -- nice, smart people, good opportunities, knowledgable and nice boss.
But I believe that in a few years I will get back to consulting career! :)
