Challenging Times May Call For A Change In Career

We live in challenging times. With the outbreak of COVID-19 upending many people’s lives, including their jobs and income, the question of “what now?” has become all the more pressing. This is a frightening period for those who have been laid-off, furloughed, or otherwise had their job circumstances alter, but this can also be a time of personal evaluation and change. 

If you’re feeling stuck in your career, or lost about what to do next, now is the perfect time to challenge your career perceptions in order to change your career outcome. 

What really fulfills you? What are you passionate about? How can you merge these together in your career?

To help you answer these questions, we will be walking through the first phase of the CARE Model, a four-phased approach to develop YOUR unique career.

The first step is evaluating how your current career is fulfilling your needs. Take a moment to fill out our Career Success Indicator (CSi50), a tool built on years of research that will help you understand how well your career fits and benefits you.

What did you learn? The results may have been surprising. Too often in our adult working lives we don’t stop to think about our career health and success. It’s important to challenge our career circumstances every once and awhile to assure we’re getting the most out of our time and effort.

The second step is challenging and dismantling career myths that you may adhere to. We’ve identified ten that are the most prevalent, followed by the actual, empowering truth. 

1. Manage your image; be your own brand → Be yourself and do what you love!
2. To get ahead you just need to do a good job. → Politics are inevitable, learn to navigate them.
3. It is important to have a work/life balance. → It’s not about work/life balance. It’s about finding your life’s work.
4. I will get ahead by doing what key managers in my organization want: the “yes-man syndrome.” → Being a “yes-man” will limit and frustrate you in your career.
5. Career paths are predictable. → There may not be a traditional career path that aligns with your passions. Don’t let that stop you.
6. Find a career doing what you are good at. → Find a career doing what you love.
7. Someone will tell me if I am performing poorly or do not have a future. → Feedback won’t just happen; you’ve got to ask for it.
8. My ability to achieve is limited. → Focus on your dreams, not perceived limitations.
9. It is selfish to do what you want and focus on your career aspirations. → Revel in your selfishness. It’s good for you and the organization.
10. You must “pay your dues” before you can advance. → Paying your dues is truly a waste of time.

Were there any that spoke to you? If so, ponder why that is. Have a moment to challenge your career assumptions and change your perceptions. This is the first step to unlocking your full career potential.

If you need a practical guide for your career, look no further. The book Don’t Dread Monday is organized around a four-phased path to sustained career success as represented by the CARE Model. The CARE cycle is a common framework, but the answers are unique to each individual. Follow the step-by-step approach in this book to clearly align your career needs, choices, and actions to generate the career that fits you.  Grab your copy of the Don't Dread Monday Book now!