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Quick Career Advice Reply 2. The Eight Factors Critical to Career Success and Satisfaction Dear Ann: I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. The problem is I am grown up but haven’t worked for a number of years while raising our family. I’d like to go back to work but don’t know where to begin. The place to begin is by learning more about yourself, then figuring out the best fit for yourself in the work world. If you base your decision on external factors such as salary, prestige or demand for certain skills, you will get a job, but not necessarily a life you want. Even with self-knowledge, you could head in the wrong direction by focusing only on one or two areas, such as what interests you. For example, Gerri thought she would like to be a travel agent because she has a passion for travel. But after taking an expensive training course and landing a job in the field, she discovered the demanding pace and emphasis on selling was stressful to her. The formula for finding fulfillment in your work is to evaluate these eight factors:*
If you leave any of these out you risk being dissatisfied or stressed by your job. Gerri later realized, after going through a Highlands program, that she has the personality to work well with people as long as she has some time to herself. She is well suited to gathering information and sharing it with others, but in more of a teaching than sales role. After developing her personal vision with the career counselor, she decided to become a tour guide instead of a travel agent. Finding a satisfying direction for yourself, in work or in school, is possible by evaluating options and your personality before spending the money and time going in directions you may later regret. |
