Career Blindspots: Are You Missing These 6 Key Factors in Your Job?Search?

Entering a new year is always a good time to review and reset your goals. But when it comes to career management, any time you can revise your plan for the best outcome is the perfect time. Thinking about where you are in your career, have you achieved what you were expecting at this point? You may be thinking, “If only someone had told me (insert problem here), I would have made a different decision.” How many of us have heard this admission in our inner voice??

In this article, we will explore:

• Key factors to consider when thinking about your next career opportunity?
• Real life use cases illustrating potential career pitfalls
• Practical tips to help job seekers ?

Despite where you are in your career, or what the new work trend may be (lazy girl jobs, fractional leadership, and quiet hiring, to name a few), career satisfaction is not a sprint. Regardless of what social media says, it can’t be obtained through the latest hype. Career satisfaction is also not a “one and done” action to getting what you desire. Your career goals will change over time and can be influenced by a myriad of things (life changes, job impacts, new interests, etc.). However, what you desire may be achieved or sustained through a continuous plan for relevancy. Being aware of the pitfalls is the beginning of sound decisions.

If you agree that making informed career decisions requires a holistic view which goes beyond the lure of salary or prestige, then let’s get to the core issues.?

Although money is a very important aspect, choosing the right job also involves a deep understanding of personal values, strengths, and long-term objectives. Most people don’t think strategically about their values, strengths, long term objectives, or even their transitional skills. These areas are clues for what will bring job satisfaction in your next role. As for now, let’s look at the blindspots that can derail your career goals, resulting in dissatisfaction. By taking note of these pitfalls, you can enhance your career plan to include what is needed to thrive in the next role.?

6 Career Blindspots to Consider in Your Job?Search?

1. Overlooking Company Culture: Neglecting to research or understand a company’s culture before joining can result in a misalignment of values and a poor fit, affecting job satisfaction and performance.
2. Neglecting Networking and Relationships: Underestimating the power of professional networks and relationships can hinder opportunities for mentorship, guidance, and future career prospects.
3. Not Evaluating Financial Implications Thoroughly: Failing to consider the full financial impact, including benefits, cost of living changes, or long-term earning potential, can lead to unexpected financial strain.
4. Disregarding Job Stability and Security: Jumping into roles or industries without considering job stability, especially in fluctuating economic climates, can lead to uncertainty and job insecurity.
5. Lack of Career Opportunities: Entering a role that doesn’t match your career goals or failing to develop in-demand skills in a changing job market can stall your employability. Lack of career opportunities has been one of the top five reasons most people leave their jobs.
6. Neglecting Personal Health and Well-being: Ignoring the impact of a job on your mental and physical health can have long-term consequences on both your personal and professional life.

You may have first hand knowledge of these career challenges, or you may know someone who has experienced a career pitfall. Learning from your own experience or the journey of others, the bigger picture for navigating career blindspots is not just about avoiding pitfalls, but also about continuous growth, adaptability, and self-awareness.?

Real Life Cases for Potential Career?Pitfalls

Let’s review several use cases to better understand the issues.

• Company Culture: OpenAI is the most recent example that demonstrates the power of culture. Some company cultures are easy to align with while others may go against your values. In this case, the employees at OpenAI demonstrated unity and courage in the face of what could have been the end of an organization at the height of its existence. Or was it Sam Altman’s leadership that emboldened 95% of the staff to make a stand? You be the judge.?
• Neglecting Personal Health and Well-being: Last year we saw a host of CEOs and executives leave their jobs. There may be different reasons for the departures that we may never know, but experts cited retirement and burnout as major factors. The pandemic thrusted executives into a new paradigm where the rules changed abruptly and the battle to manage business operations, generate growth, and maintain a thriving culture resulted in a mass exodus.?
• Career Development and Growth Opportunities: With remote and hybrid work, finding mentors/sponsors in the organization is not a easy feat. The ways in which employees gain access to growth opportunities continues to change as the focus shifts to gaining efficiencies with AI.
• Job Stability?—?A recent article described the challenges people in various roles are facing and the core issue is job stability. From changes in one’s personal life, restructures in organizations, and disruptions across industries, job instability can appear in various ways.

While finding the right job can be a full time job, there are lots of resources online to support job seekers. One major resource that can help you dodge career blindspots is your connections. Use your network to explore questions and gain access to people who may have the answers. Remember, it’s always the network of your network who you need to know; so put this strategy to work for you.?

Stacey Young Rivers, Ph.D. is a talent development leader with expertise in developing strategies to close skills gaps, build talent pipelines, and create internal career mobility models. Dr. Rivers is also a mom, author , and researcher - for industry and academic articles, you can find it on her site CareerBluprint .