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How to put YOU back in YOUR career |
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Monday, 27 April 2009 |
Do you feel like you don't belong in your work situation? Do you struggle with identifying your strengths? Does your job title define you? How's that for a few light questions with your Monday morning coffee? Steve Maich and Lianne George are the authors of The Ego Boom - Why The World Really Does Revolve Around You. I found that their book provided interesting research and insight about why we struggle with finding the right fit in our personal and professional lives.
The explosion of this consumer culture has yielded an enormous degree of personal control and a staggering amount of choices. According to the authors, “The need to constantly prop up a self-constructed image of oneself requires constant tending. It’s both time-consuming and addictive.”
A United States Conference study in 2007 discovered our job satisfaction is the lowest in two decades, particularly with workers under the age of 25. The paradox is that the world has never seemed more about us, yet many are lonely, unsatisfied, and not sure of their identity and place in this world.
There are all kinds of recently emerged companies providing products and services that are addressing the issue of identity:
(Face)book
(You)Tube
Oprah
America's Got Talent
Starbucks
Amazon
Personal Blogs
Twitter
I have put together a formula to describe my observations of the issues related to the complexity of our work world. I call this The Career Confusion Formula, which consists of:
* A wide range of new career and educational choices
* More global competition
* Confusion of our true identity
* More complexity in our workplace
* The sense that we are managing our career on our own
* Poor choices, resulting in low career and life satisfaction
There have never been as many choices and voices telling you why and what you should choose. Many organizations and people have a vested interest in their own agendas, not necessarily you and your career. In addition, choosing certain careers can be very externally affirming but may very well be a poor fit for you. So how do you put the YOU back in YOUR career? Well, in some ways it is not as complex as we think.
1. Know who you are- honestly and with clarity.
2. Trust your perspective and make courageous choices.
3. Surround yourself with quality people who are genuinely interested in you.
Here is the deal - when you are true to yourself in a healthy way, you win and so does everyone around you. You actually don’t have to “fake it till you make it.” When you are true to yourself, success and career satisfaction will be much easier and more natural. You will not feel a constant need to chase more education and new paths. The answer lies with knowing, accepting and being true to your own identity. It lies with not allowing, schools, brands, companies, or even job titles to define who you are.
You.
The benefit? Authenticity.
I would like to leave you with one other closing thought from the book: “We are pack animals and thriving in a pack requires the ability to sublimate one’s ego and to keep at least some focus on one’s place in the greater scheme of things. The ultimate danger is allowing the “you” to crowd out any sense of “us.” Finding the right balance between you, your career and the “us” is “priceless.”
Something you cannot charge to your Mastercard!
Looking to take more control over your career and your life? Looking to discover how to use your talents and passions to find a new career path? Book an initial consultation.
Genuinely, along the road with you!
Alan
Alan Kearns, Canada's Career Coach, is the founder of CareerJoy: The Career Coaching Company. He is one of Canada's foremost experts on all things relating to careers. Alan has more than 17 years of experience coaching professionals with successful career decisions. Alan was voted one of the Top 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40 and is the author of Get the Right Job Right Now!
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