I understand that the most important step is to take the time to understand what you like and you enjoy doing daily. It is too important - and I would say VITAL for people working with others (customers, clients, students)- to enjoy what you do so you are able to deliver your product in the best way possible.
Not understanding yourself and then not enjoying your job, compromises your identity, your ethic and also your company.
I feel that the first and most important step in personal career management is to know myself. Knowing my strengths and true interests are also important for personal enrichment, because it can give me more confidence and lead to more options.
I like what you said about knowing your interests & strengths for personal enrichment & how it builds your confidence.
Ryan
So true & we want to make sure to identify both areas so we can continue to develop in both areas & be even more capable.
Ryan
Yes, as you pointed out we are the mercy of constant change but so true that by being flexible & adaptable we can better steer ourselves in general directions & be better able to ride the waves.
Ryan
In my mind the first step is to have faith in yourself which parlays well into knowing yourself. Being passionate and doing what it takes to be certain that your interest and values are met is a key to ones future.
So true. Self-confidence is a huge aspect of achieving your goals. Not arrogance, but confidence in the abilities, skills, intelligence, etc you have & have developed.
Ryan
I feel that the most important step in personal caeer management is assessing professional values and interests, followed by where do you see yourself in 5 years. Each of us is responsible for assessing our indivdual goals to create a professional development plan. It changes over time.
You are right that we have to first see ourselves in our desired future state & then we can start to lay out our plan for how we will get there.
Ryan
I believe that having self awarenes of my own personal work values, strengths and challanges and keeping a list of both short term and long range goals are the most important steps in my career management. Without that self awareness, I would be adrift in a sea of career apathy and could never attain success.
Denise,
Great points. I would add that taking the time to examine & explore how your personal work values, strengths & challenges are met in your short & long term goals is an important step as well.
Ryan
I feel the first step is to figure out what it is that you want to do. What are you passionate about? Is it something that you will someday be able to support a family? I have found that for me, my passion has changed as time passed. I am not disappointed in my career but feel I am too old to get the training I need to change my career to what would excite me now. Research everything you can about your career and set goals.
Steven,
Great comments. I think one of the important things is ensuring that your passion can provide a support for you & your family. I know a couple people right now who are purposefully unemployed because they are waiting for that dream job. And they're not providing for their families in the meantime.
Ryan
I think the first step is knowing yourself and what it is you enjoy doing. I know I am passionate about and enjoy helping people, training them, and watching them succeed in thier own lives and careers. That is why I teach and run the ICBS program. I also know I enjoy working for this company and would like to grow with them. Once I analyzed what I wanted, I decided to return to school to further my education which in the end will further my career.
This is so true & making sure that you discover what you enjoy doing & not what someone else wants you to enjoy.
Ryan
I think the first step in personal career management is to take an inventory/assesment of your skills, interests, and core values. This is important because it will help you determine if you are in the right position at the right company, and if not, gives you a great starting point to begin to implement changes in your career path.
George,
You are so right. Getting a good feel for what you do well & what your interests/passions, etc are can really help you determine the best fit for you.
Ryan
I agree, the most important step would be determining what inspire and motivates you the most. You can balance your skills, strengths and weaknesses to come to a conclusion. Having an open mind about change can help too. Especially as motivation and stuff that satisfy us can change over time.
Cesar R.
I completely agree with you. I like your point about being open to change. Sometimes we are blinded to new opportunities if we are not open
.
Ryan
I kind of get the feeling like I'm putting the cart before the horse here, but I think that experience is an important step in personal career management. I think many people, unfortunately, start their careers in the wrong field. When deciding what to get a degree in, individuals are often mislead as to what a certain profession will be like. Only after spending a few years working at a company and seeing how the entire company operates and getting a feel for what others contribute to the company, does one realize what exactly they want their day to day life to be like, what they truly are passionate about, and what they value both in and out of the workplace. In summary, I think people really need to 'get their feet wet' in order to know how and in which direction they want to manage their career.
