I've been taking a poll lately. I was curious to know how people found their way to their particular careers. So far, most people told me they "just fell into it", or that they were simply "in the right place at the right time."
After hearing the details of thousands of career stories, I'm convinced that the series of jobs that make up anyone's career path is not always random or based on luck.
Take Susan for example. As a child, she was very sociable and loved to be wherever people gathered. Susan was fascinated by people's behaviors and their different approaches to life. In college, she unwittingly majored in anthropology, which allowed her to extend her observation skills beyond her classmates to cultures and groups all over the world.
Strongly extroverted, Susan was consistently drawn to opportunities that were dynamic, vibrant and abuzz with people. While she did not have a particular career path in mind at graduation, it's not surprising that the field of advertising caught her attention.
Even though advertising was a great match for her personality, natural abilities and curiosity, Susan eventually became disenchanted with her work. After six years, in spite of consistent promotions, Susan often thought of quitting her job. Admittedly confused, Susan did not know if her discontent had more to do with her employer or her career field in general. Like most people, she believed that she had stumbled onto a career path and now wanted to make more deliberate choices for her future.
Having developed a marketable set of skills with which she had achieved success in the work world, Susan was increasingly aware of her desire to make a greater difference in the world. She realized that her values were becoming more important in the overall scheme of her work and were influencing her lack of satisfaction with her current job.
With that clarity, she began to think of ways to redirect her marketing and advertising expertise toward the emerging field of cause marketing that seeks to create collaborative ventures and branding between a for profit organization and a non profit cause.
With Susan's story in mind, what connections might you make between what seemed to be random and unplanned jobs and your personality, interests, natural abilities and values? These connections might help you understand your career path with more insight, as well as assist you in making more conscious choices in the future.
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Barbara is currently accepting applications for her ninth annual Women's Retreat in Provence. Click on the link for photos and more details!
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Barbara and Heart At Work associate, Amy Jaffe, will co-present a workshop:
"Averting Quarterlife and Midlife Crises in Your Workplace: 5 Key Retention Strategies" at the 2008 Annual Human Resources Convention in Rockport, Maine on May 8.
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