September signals the end of summer with school halls filled with bustling kids, roads packed with busses, and families juggling the demands of academia, working, and recreational activities. Once a kindergartner boards that bus for the first time, he/she will be taking that educational journey for the majority of childhood into adolescence and then into adulthood.
Why do we spend so much of our early life in school? To learn. Why do we learn? To help us become contributing members of our communities. How do we contribute? By finding a career that takes advantage of our natural talents, skills, abilities, and interests. Unfortunately, many individuals after leaving primary education go onto high school and then to college without a clearly defined career path.
“Based on a job satisfaction survey conducted by Glassroom.com, 40 percent of employees are satisfied at work, while 27 percent say their jobs are “OK” and 33 percent are dissatisfied at work.” [Forbes.com, “Why People Stay Mired in their Careers”, April 2012].
In what percentage group do you find yourself? Whether you are satisfied in your career but want a promotion, unsatisfied and looking to make a career change, or a victim of our economy and simply looking for a new job, the following model may help you find a fulfilling career path.
Self-reflect. Take a moment to think about why you are currently at this place. Reflect on childhood memories both positive and negative that influenced your life choices and who were the individuals that encouraged a specific career path.
Self-awareness. Invest in learning about your natural talents. Two helpful assessments include the DiSC behavioral profile and StrengthsFinder 2.0 to help uncover your personality traits and performance strengths.
Self-exploration. Read current job descriptions and interview professionals currently working in the career areas you are interested in. [U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook].
Self-Selection. Upon completion of the above, select positions that are the best fit for you and aligned with your core values.
Few of us were blessed enough to know what we wanted to do with our lives when our kindergarten teacher asked us”what do you want to be when you grow up?” But with the wisdom we have acquired through continuous learning we can make the right career decisions today to make an impact on the world tomorrow.