“One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks” Jack Penn
Blog
Which Job Should I Choose? A Common Career Conundrum Solved
By Paula Gregorowicz, Now What?® Facilitator
Imagine you have more than one career direction to choose from but you’re not sure which one to choose. Whether you’re 19 or 59 years old the circus in your mind might sound like:
- Do I choose the one I love? Yeah, but it pays less. Yeah but it has a killer commute. Yeah but it means I’ll have to relocate to the middle of nowhere.
- Should I choose the one that pays great? The pay and benefits are really great but it’s not very interesting work to me, it’s more of the same old, I can’t really get jazzed about this.
- Everyone else thinks I should choose this job, and they probably know more than I do, so maybe I better make that choice…
And around and around and around you go…
(Cue scary sounding carousel music)
Have you ever done that?
How great did that feel? (NOT)
I know I have sure been there. It’s a form of self-torture that feels like there is all this chatter going on around you from people you respect or love (I think you should do this, or I think you should do that, or wouldn’t it be a better, safer, more responsible choice if you did this?) coupled with the madness in your own head trying to weigh all the options. It’s an absolutely horrible feeling. It feels like the weight of the world, your entire future existence rests on this one decision. You feel immense pressure to make the right decision.
I recently watched a family friend walk this path of self-torture regarding the choice around her first job out of college. I can remember those days and how overwhelming the decision seemed. For all intents and purposes you never really outgrow what feels like the enormity of a decision when it comes to career (whether you own your own business or work for someone else). However what I know for sure is that the way the cycle plays itself out by default is not the path to the best decision. How could you possibly make the best and wisest decision for yourself with all those voices clamoring at you (both inside your head and from those around you)? It’s too damn noisy and confusing!
I can remember the fall semester of my senior year of college. I interviewed for and received a lucrative job offer. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) told me how I had to take it. I’d be set and could enjoy my senior year! The salary was great! It was a reputable company! Great experience!
I felt so conflicted I could (and did) vomit on more than one occasion as I considered my decision at the ripe age of 20. So what did I decide? I chose to turn down the offer gracefully much to the chagrin of parents and advisors alike. It was not easy and frankly looking back was a bold move on my part for which I am eternally grateful. Why? Because I trusted my gut and the intuitive wisdom I was receiving. I knew deep in my heart I didn’t want a job that was 95% travel and I wasn’t about to put my life on hold for several years under the guise of “getting experience” for a career field I already knew was a dicey fit at best.
What I know for sure, from all my own experiences plus that of my clients is that there is no such thing as the “right” decision. There is only the wise and best decision for you at this moment in time. No decision is final or forever.
The secret to making a wise decision that you can feel confident about is quieting all the noise. You actually don’t need to think harder or analyze more. This only results in analysis paralysis as you listen and try to sort through the myriad of internal and external voices telling you what you “should” do. Paradoxically you actually need to think less and feel more. You do this by welcoming silence into your mind and heart and truly reflecting on the choice at hand. You use powerful and specially designed questions to help guide you so you can separate the noise from the wisdom. For example, ask yourself: How do I most want to FEEL as I navigate through this decision and once I’ve moved ahead with my choice? Hear the difference between your intuition and story-filled mental tapes.
When you choose from this state of being, this deeper knowing rather than the “oh my god I am stuck in a blender on high in a state of conflict and need to come up with an answer (as you hear the clock tick down to zero as if on a nightmarish episode of Jeopardy)” approach, you know you can always count on yourself. You experience certitude in your choices. You ultimately create the experience and the future you most desire rather than expending all your energy hedging your bets trying to avoid having your worst fears come true.
Today’s Quote: Reach for the Top
“It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top.” Arnold Bennett
What Makes A Job Satisfying?
Here’s a list of 10 factors that psychologists correlate with job satisfaction. Which ones stand out as important to you? How does your current job or previous jobs you’ve held measure up when these factors are considered? Are there others you would add? Some that come to our mind are: Values (how your values line up with those of your employer), Passion (degree of interest in the work), Creative Expression (getting to put your own stamp on things), Purpose (whether the work is meaningful to you). While some of these may overlap with the list provided, it’s an interesting exercise to come up with your own unique job satisfaction barometer. What would yours look like?
Today’s Quote: Vision
“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs. “ Vance Havner
The Paralyzing Fear That Can Stop Your Transition in Its Tracks
By Jill Berquist, Now What?® A-Team Coach
Fear is the number one obstacle in a career transition. It comes in many forms and they are unique to you and your situation. That said, there is one particular fear that I have seen as one of the most pervasive and most impactful, when it comes to the fears that can bring several transitions to a dead halt. Simply put, it is when you say to yourself:
“What if I lose what I’ve worked so hard to establish?”
Fear that your transition will chisel into your long established identity or your earnings is incredibly real. Your status and reputation will likely carry weight for you personally, within your profession, family or in your community…or all of the above! And you’ve worked hard to get where you are. Making a change can absolutely force you to weigh in on tough status and salary questions. You will need to assess if you’ll be able to earn the same level of financial success you have established to this point or ultimately, decide whether it’s truly a deal-breaker if you do not.
To help get through this fear, do a soul-searching analysis of what you are willing to risk and for what gain. Specifically a few things to help mitigate this fear are to:
Do a money evaluation. Whether on your own or with the help from a financial advisor, calculate what you want or need to earn. Sometimes you find once you research the career you are contemplating, you can still get into your desired earning track. If you cannot, you may need to be creative with how you make your desired earnings happen, such as considering how you can earn additional income on the side, or rearranging your wealth management plan.
Keep your day job. When I was getting into coaching, I did it the following way. After some dabbling in it, I told my boss about my interest in coaching, and he agreed that it was okay for me to explore it, because as it turned out, he really wanted me to stay with the firm. I was supported in doing this, as long as there was no conflict of interest and I made sure there wasn’t. (This meant I couldn’t help our employees leave the company.) I began some training on the side and started coaching right away. It would then be a year and a half later before I left the firm. I left with a better foundation and less “neediness” in my energy. This is really important for starting any business or interviewing for a new job.
Consider compromising. That’s right. How are you willing to compromise for the career and life you really want? It may involve readjusting what you are willing to earn, leaving behind your old vision of yourself that may no longer work, or adjusting to the new level or role you are willing to work within, in exchange for the really “right” path. In the end, to claim some of these priceless life riches, it may be so much less of a compromise than you even think.
At the end of the day, you also have to ask yourself what will make you smile when you go to sleep at night and jump out of bed to start your day: Is it the lifestyle you have established, or the incredible life you get to live?