27 Jobs Isn't a Career... Or Is It?
J.T. O'Donnell
Founder & CEO, Work It DAILY | Board of Directors, McCoy | Career & Professional Development | Job Search | HR & Recruiting | Employer Branding | Recruitment Marketing | Talent Management | Executive Coaching
I have been told the average person will have nine professions in their lifetime with around three jobs in each one. That’s 27 jobs. And, at the time they start out, over 50% of the jobs they’ll eventually hold won’t exist yet. Meaning, innovation, change, and growth will create the jobs they take in the future.
Isn’t it Time to Redefine the Word 'Career' in America?
If the above stats are true (and my own observations and experiences says they are), then why do we continue to pursue an outdated definition of professional success that is rooted in the concept of searching to find the one *perfect* career that will provide us with total satisfaction? Take a look at the dictionary’s definition above and tell me, is it even accurate anymore?
I’m sorry, but I think it’s time for a change. This definition doesn’t do it for me.
Help Me Start a New Definition… Right NOW!
Over at CAREEREALISM, we have over 300K+ fellow professionals who believe in our tagline, “Because EVERY job is temporary.” And next year, we plan to unveil a radical new series of articles for helping more people find career satisfaction on their own terms. But, we can’t launch it with the outdated, useless definition of career listed above. We need a new definition of career. One people can use to gage success more accurately. That being said, here’s what I’d like you to do:
In the comments below, please write what you think the “new-and-improved” definition of career should be in 2013.
We are going to use these definitions to come up with the foundation principals and beliefs for our mission: To change the way people approach careers in 2013. By adding your definition below, you’ll be contributing to our cause – and we think it’s a great one, don’t you?
If you want to read more of what I've written, check out my articles on Inc.com.
P.S. - First time reading my posts? Thanks for taking the time to stop by! Not only do I write for Linkedin, but I'm also founder of a popular career advice site, CAREEREALISM,and currently run the career coaching program,CareerHMO. I hope you'll check them both out!
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CAREEREALISM’s Founder, J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career expert and workplace consultant who helps American workers of all ages find greater professional satisfaction. Her book, CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career, outlines her highly successful career-coaching methodology. Purchase her e-book of CAREEREALISM for only $9.95 by clicking here !
Image Credit: Dictionary.com
Leadership Liaison - Align strategy to industry trends | Assemble groups of sharp minds | Collaborate and generate innovative ideas
8 年Show's how far the evolution has come as far at this topic!
Career - the time and activity put toward seeking gainful employment.
Wild Card - draw me for a winning hand | Creative Problem Solver in Many Roles | Manual Software QA | Project Management | Business Analysis | Auditing | Accounting |
9 年Careers don't exist in a "Musical Chairs Game" job market. We used to have careers. One would stay at a company 30 years and retire with a gold watch. Then that switched to 5 years here, 5 years there....Then this turned into contracting, and now we have "on demand" Soon we will be day laborers asking "will we eat today?"
Software Engineer | C# | .NET | Angular | React
9 年I believe a career is who you are, harnessed into a set of objectives that you seek to carry out during the course of your lifetime
Purchasing / Procurement / Seafreight / Logistics
9 年The accumulation and progression of skills and experiences attained and developed during one's working life.