Work, success, and meaning at every stage of your career
If you once thought you had everything figured out, you had all the answers, and you were a winner through and through, welcome to a new reality: one in which you don’t know everything, you have lots to learn, and every social gathering is filled with people who can teach you.
Drones are just one technology that may create thousands, even millions of jobs, within the next 20 years. How can you prepare your children – or yourself – for jobs that you can’t even imagine today?
You can’t know the exact skills, training, or experience you’ll need, but you can develop a mindset that makes you more ready for what the future holds. Here’s how.
“I used to give out this advice: Go ahead and leave because you’re going to have more than 10 jobs in your life, and you might as well move up as fast as you can. I don’t give that advice any more. In fact, I now try to talk people out of taking new jobs.”
Women leave positions for the same reasons men do: for bigger challenges, more money and more recognition. But they stay in jobs sometimes for a very different reason, according to McKinsey.
Just because you love Mad Men doesn’t mean you should seek out a career in advertising, or seek out a career in archaeology because you love the Indiana Jones franchise. While TV shows and movies are entertaining, they don’t necessarily offer the most accurate portrayal of what different careers are really like. (Shocking, right?)
While it’s important to commit to any job you’ve got, embrace this process of self-discovery. Sit down with HR and your manager to set regular reviews and goals, and for an introduction into the types of roles that are available at your company.
As with all things in life, being successful at work is a much smoother process when you ask for guidance from someone who has already been successful. The wisdom and experience of a mentor is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to avoid making rookie mistakes while climbing the professional ladder.
Emily Bennington describes herself as a career author, speaker and space invader. Not the kind with ray guns (although, to be fair, I didn’t ask to see them, so she may be that kind, too.) She’s talking about what Stephen Covey referred to in his writing: “between stimulus and response there is a space, and it’s in that space you choose how you wish to respond.”
A student in my executive communications class is a well-spoken but introverted professional who works for a large healthcare organization. She’s been working hard on her public speaking skills, and it’s beginning to pay off for her career.
The first quarter of 2013 is winding down; how far along are you on your plan for a new career? If you are making a change, your first task is research – deciding on what career to pursue. As in previous years, growth projections for IT, marketing, healthcare, and engineering are still trending up at a steady pace. Here is a list of the fastest growing careers for 2013 and their qualifications.
Your Work, Your Way 