Our Careers Are Always A Work In Progress
What are your career aspirations or goals?
Have you figured it out?
Have they changed over the years?
words CHERYL GUZMAN-NG
I remember having all sorts of career aspirations when I was growing up. They were largely informed by what I saw on TV and who my ‘idols’ were. One of them was a very popular news anchor, hence that was one of the aspirations I had which was a much better alternative than wanting to be a pop star when I was a pre-teen thanks to Britney Spears. My parents must have breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until I started my first proper job at a young age (part-time waitressing aside) that I started to think about my career on a longer-term basis and what I really wanted to do. I have been working for close to 16 years now and I thought I’d share what I have learned and come to realise over the years upon reflection.
1. Decide for yourself
For most people, before we embark on our careers or a new job, we talk to people. From our friends to parents, relatives, or teachers/professors. We get different perspectives and in-depth or first-hand knowledge from people who can help us make a better and more informed decision. But I’ve learned that people have their own unconscious bias, which could influence how they share information with you.
Some people hate their jobs, so they may highlight the negatives more than the positives, and the same goes for people who really love their jobs to only highlight the positive aspects. Also, people make career decisions based on different reasons. Some are motivated by a higher income, some are looking for shorter hours, some want room for creativity, some prefer structure etc.
The important thing is to listen to advice and opinions with balance and be discerning so that you end up making the decision on what you want, and not because of what someone else said based on their own experiences.
2. Your personal values matter
Closely tied to point #1 above, we are all different. We have different goals, motivations and values. If teamwork is something you value a lot, then the role you take should allow you to exhibit that and in turn have a strong culture of teamwork.
As much as you choose a job based on your skill sets and experience, you will learn that when you identify what values matter to you, you will not only be able to filter out unsuitable roles but also ask the right questions to ascertain if the role is right for you.
3. Your relationship with people matter
We meet all sorts of people in our careers, some good and well, some not so good. As much as we judge how others treat us, it is also as important to reflect on how we treat others in the course of our careers.
One piece of advice an ex-boss told me at my very first job (after we saw an incident of a manager going on a power trip and started yelling at his young executive) was “The toes you step on today might be the a** you have to kiss tomorrow”. So don’t be an a**. True enough, three years later that executive switched jobs and became a client of the company which the overbearing manager now has to service.
Treat people you work with (up, down, and laterally) with respect and fairness because your actions will come around to haunt you as industry circles can run small.
4. The Ups make you feel good, but the Downs make you better
Very few of us have smooth sailing careers. With varying degrees, we will meet with setbacks and successes. Success, everyone wants. Setbacks, not so much. But failures will happen at some point because it is part of growing and development.
You can’t get better at something unless you learn what you never knew, or grow if you never break out of your comfort zone even if it means encountering failure. So if you ever meet with a setback or a failure, don’t beat yourself too hard over it or wallow too long. Make it count by putting it to good use on how to be better from there.
5. Goals and priorities change, and it’s okay
I wanted to be a news presenter. Well, guess what, I didn’t become one (and I definitely did not become a pop star). You can map out your five or 10-year goal to a T, but there is a high chance that things may not go as planned (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst).
We grow, we learn, and we meet people. While it is good to plan your career and keep your eye on the goal, always leave room for some flexibility to adjust to changing circumstances. But if your goal changes from what you had planned for previously, it’s OKAY too! Refer to point #1, you know yourself best to decide the best course of actions and changes that your career needs.