Is Your Job Right For You?

On life’s career highway, some people know exactly where they want to go, and take the fastest, most direct route to get there. Many others, however, travel aimlessly, hoping that the street signs along the way and their good instincts will guide them. If this is your career style, is it any wonder that you sometimes feel unsure about whether you are really going in the right direction? In such situations, it may be time to look at where you are, think about where you want to go, and then map out the best route to your chosen destination.

What is Career Success?

Career success depends on who you are and what you want. It may mean climbing the ladder for more prestige and a higher salary. Some people like being leaders; others want variety or the chance to be creative; and some people are happiest when they feel they are doing meaningful work or helping others.

Moving across to a new field, rather than moving up in your present one, may give you greater career satisfaction. And, no matter what you do for a living, a job or career that allows you to balance your work with family, friends or outside interests will nearly always leave you more satisfied with your professional life.

Where are you now?

The easiest way to determine if you are on the right path or not is to ask yourself:

• Am I happy with my current job?
• Do I like going to work every day?
• What do I want?

How did you get there?

If you feel that you would be happier in another job or field, do the following exercise to assess your personal and career history. This will help you to define your skills, interests and values more clearly. Even if you do not want to change your job or field at the moment, these exercises will help you understand which steps you might want to take next in your career.

List your job skills

Having a job title is not enough. Ask yourself exactly what it is that you do in your job. Take a look at different positions you have held, and make a list of your skills: the languages you speak, the software abilities you have, the machines you can use, and so on. In particular, make a list of your “transferable skills” – in other words, those that are not limited to your current job. For example, are you well-organized? Do you work well in a team? Are you able to motivate people?

Identify your interests

Next, think about major achievements in your life, and about how these have given you satisfaction. Include academic areas, sports, hobbies and travel from your childhood up to now. “Our interests can provide a balance to the work we do,” says Ellie Cope, vice president of individual services at Career Development Services in Rochester, New York. “Or they can serve as an engine to drive career choice for us.” Some people, such as artists, professional athletes and entrepreneurs, have turned their passion into a career.

Look at your values

Money is not necessarily the most important reason people go to work; most of us expect some fulfillment. Make an assessment of the things that motivate you at work. Do you want to be in charge? Do you want to help others? Do you want to be creative? “What’s key for people to realize is that work values change over the years,” says Cope. For example, you may place a lot of emphasis on salary and status at the start of your career, but later place higher value on having more time with your family. People may also find their values change when they are out of work or when other personal circumstances change. It’s never too late to start over. “Starting over at 45 or 50 is becoming increasingly common,” Cope explains. “We call it ‘reinventing yourself.'”

Where do you want to go?

After an honest assessment of your skills, interests and values, it is time to do some further career exploration. That’s almost a research project.

There are many possible sources of information. These include the human resources department in your company, career counselors, employment offices, career organizations, books, trade magazines, internet sites, and conversation with people who do the sort of job in which you might be interested.

When you find your dream job – or at least the next step in your career progression – you need to answer a number of more detailed questions. For example: Do I need additional qualifications? Do I need to go back to school to get them? Can I take classes online? Which companies work in my chosen field? Where can I get financing to open my own business?

Plan your route

Now comes the most difficult part: turning theory into reality. Many people write “to do” lists for their daily activities, but very few use this simple method for career planning. Only three percent of the population write down their dreams and goals.

By writing things down, you can turn wishful thinking into action. Be as detailed as possible when deciding what actions you wish to take, and by when you wish to take them. Give yourself a small reward as you complete certain tasks. And remember: your main goal, which may take years to reach, will be easier to reach if you break it up into smaller goals that you can meet on a daily or weekly basis.

Danger! Roadblock ahead!

You now know what you want to do and how to do it, but it is impossible. You are “too old”, you don’t have the time and money to go back to school, or your family will never agree to your plan.

People will always put obstacles in the way first, because they are afraid. You fear the unknown, you fear the time and expense. But if you are at a point where you are really unhappy with the job you have or the work you are doing, then you will find a way to get over those obstacles.

Realistically, very few people can immediately begin a new job, much less a new career. It generally takes years of preparation, often on a part-time basis, to move into another field. To reach your career destination without giving up your present job, you may have to take evening courses, take one workshop after another, or do volunteer work.

Where to get help

If you need help finding out exactly what job or field is the best for you, or if you are afraid that the obstacles are just too big for you to get over on your own, you may want to turn to a professional career expert for advice and assistance.

• Human resources (or personnel development) experts in large companies can help you develop your career in your firm, or they can provide advice on how to move to another field within your company. The advantages are that their advice is free and your employer may pay for additional training.
• Career counselors can help you plan and complete changes in your career. They can provide personal assessment, help you to identify your interests, strengths and values, help you to gather information on specific careers and establish networks related to your change. Generally, they have been trained in counseling and career services.
• Coaches are result-oriented. The coach can identify immediate steps to reach your career goals. If you do not know what you want, the coach can help you to define your goals clearly and to develop an action plan to reach them.

Summary

Career satisfaction and success go hand in hand. Once you know where you want to go, you can take control of your career and steer it in the right direction.