New year, new opportunities?
Tell us if this sounds familiar –
2019 has rolled around faster than you ever expected. The holidays are over, and once again you’re faced with the familiar dread that comes at the start of a new working year. Maybe you’re feeling bored, unchallenged, unmotivated, or undervalued where you work, and you don’t know what’s more daunting – the idea of shifting from your comfortable position in search of greener pastures, or still being here when 2020 is suddenly nipping at your heels.
If that’s you, it’s time to reassess what it is that will bring you that career satisfaction. We have put together a ‘Career Checklist’ – statements that you should be able to confidently agree with. Take five minutes to consider the following points, and assess whether they are true for your current situation.
Career checklist
- I feel engaged at work
I feel adequately challenged
My job is allowing me to play to my best strengths
- My job, working environment and/or employer is aligned with my values
- I’m using the right skills i.e. my motivated competencies (what I am both good at and enjoy doing)
Do you agree with any of the above? Maybe you’re unsure or have mixed feelings about some of them, or perhaps not all of them apply. That’s okay – self-evaluation can be challenging. Maybe you have never even considered your place within your career, happy to ‘go with the flow’ for the convenience. Some of you may already have had these questions circling around in your head for a while, but have no idea where to go from here. If you are struggling to agree with the checklist statements, or you’re still feeling unsure about your position on them, try evaluating the following:
- What are your strengths?
- What motivates and interests you? What is your driving force? What gives you a sense of career purpose?
- What are your motivated competencies?
- What have you achieved in your current role?
Understanding these allows you to assess them against your current role – is it a good ‘job fit’? And if it isn’t, what next? Whilst the next bit is up to you, consider:
- Where are the misalignments?
- What barriers are there to you achieving alignment (e.g. lack of opportunity for progression, role fatigue, company values which differ to yours)?
- Can they be addressed in your current workplace? How?
- If they cannot, what steps can be made towards you achieving career satisfaction?
At Tower we have developed a ‘Career Success Framework’ to help individuals evaluate their career to date and assess their future options. To learn more about how we may be able to help you, contact us.
