Defining Career Paths

Embarking on a career path can be an incredibly daunting decision, but it doesn’t have to be. Many people choose their career based on what they financial gains. I agree that we all need to make money to survive, however we must also consider whether our chosen career is something that we are skilled at doing and have a real passion for. I encourage you to take a moment to learn more about your skills and desires for a happy life. See, we spend more time at work, then we do enjoying family, friends and time for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to really prioritize to achieve one’s dreams.

What are your passions? What do you love to do? What would you do for FREE?

Have you ever taken the time to reflect and figure it out?

It has been my experience that before you can ever “define” what a career looks like for you, one must take the time for introspective reflection. If you don’t journal or write, I would highly recommend that you give it a try. The power of the pen can truly help you to visualize your career goals. We often hear, “follow your passion...do what you are naturally good at.” The challenge is that we all may have many talents and varying interests. - As you reflect on your passions, ensure to consider the things that must exist around you as well. See our environment is very important and that allows us to determine the right cultural fit to work within to achieve our best results... Believe it or not, your career happiness has a monumental effect on your life overall. We all know, “when we are not happy, we look for a way to get out or become very disinterested”.

Considering a new direction in your career, here is some information that will help.

How do I know what I am “passionate about or good at”?

Passion comes from the heart and desire. You don’t have to think about it, you just love doing it. You could do it every day and NOT get paid for it.

Once I have defined my career path, how can I select the right opportunities?

During your career, you will gain skills and knowledge along the way. It is important to evaluate your strengths and opportunities continuously. This will help to set the tone of additional requirements as you move along your career journey. There may be times when you have to say, “what are the additional skills that I need in my tool box, in order to be prepared for the next opportunity on my career journey. This may mean that you have to make some choices. Below are a few choices that may need to be considered:

·        Take a side step – Often a lateral move is necessary, to help prepare for your ultimate career goal. This shift may or may not be with your current employer. If you are having challenges with your current employer, it may be time to make a move. Other times, it is an “investment in yourself”, you must completely understand the purpose and results that you are looking to gain.

·        Take a promotion - It is important to consider that just because you are offered a promotion, doesn’t necessarily mean you should take it. If you are not happy, passionate or see a “fit in the culture”, you should really think about it. Don’t chase the dollar bill. Chasing money can often lead to misery, if you are doing work that you do not enjoy. Believe it or not, you end up working much harder on work that isn’t fun and doesn’t excite you. Please make sure that a promotion would give you either additional exposure, more experience, an increased span of control or combination thereof.

·        Change Industries - There will be times that it is necessary to switch things up a bit. Perhaps the industry or market you are working within is experiencing challenges, such as new talents/skills, market pressures or unforeseen competition. After considering these factors, you may not be interested in staying in this area and moving forward. If that is the case explore other opportunities. Just remember to consider skills can be transferable and you do not always have to start at the bottom.

·        Talk to others and network with current team members of potential new employers. You should gain as many insights as possible to understand the impact of this next opportunity from current employers and contractors. This will help you gain further insights of what to expect.

I hope that this information is of value to you and helps you on your career journey. If you are seeking a career mentor or have questions that you would like me to address, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Acknowledged as a “visionary leader”, Vicki Hamilton develops new IT strategies to address old workplace problems. An award-winning technology executive with over 20 years of senior level experience, Vicki’s strategies drive high value results ($20M+.) Her latest initiative, The Wright Answer, is a global online match making mentoring program for women from college through retirement. Connect with Vicki and join the experience.