Get Your Students Hired
The first step is not to be complacent. If you accept the status quo of the job you are in and it is not rewarding, you lose effectiveness as an employee in that position. Striving to learn new things and search for new opportunities within your organization may give you that "bonus" job or move you up the ladder or across the lattice.
Valerie ,
and then the next step I would suggest is developing an action plan for achieving those goals.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree.Knowing yourself and what is is you enjoy doing is most important. Then you need to set goals in order to acheive the developemental plan your seeking.
Michael,
this is a great example & sometimes as you point out we need that kick in the pants to get moving.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I was in a company that I loved to work for, but there was not a lot of room for advancement. it was a small shop with no where to go. I enjoyed the work so much that I stayed for fifteen years. that is fifteen years I can not get back. As one of the others said "If you work at something you love, it does not feel like work". I realized one day that I was still doing the same work that I was doing fifteen years earlier. I needed a change but it took something to push me. I came back from a two week vacation to a shop with no work. My boss was telling me that he was going to layoff a couple of workers because of no work. I decided that I wanted out. and asked him if I could leave instead, and he could keep the younger workers employed. He thought I was nuts. Two weeks later I was working for a large technical school teaching what I loved. ten years later I have a wonderful career still doing what I love. P.S. Better pay too!
Ryan,
yes, this echoes Stephen Covey's idea of beginning with the end in mind.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that the most important step is to look to your "ultimate goal" and draw a path on how to accomplish that goal. Until a person knows what they want to work toward they are floundering. Maybe they'll luck out and find that what they've been doing directly affects their ultimate goal, but often if you don't know what you want you end up spinning your wheels more than is needed.
David,
yes, the self-awareness & personal evaluations are key to success for career goals & advancement.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics--your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. Once you have determined your skills, strengths, and interests, you can use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that "fit" your profile.
Ruth Ann,
yes, so true & so key that we be willing to learn, grow, and adapt.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I feel that the first most important step inc areer management is the willingness to obtain new skills. As a Program Director, I have had the opportunity to learn many new skills and obtain different certifications. This has given me some career stability and the ability to teach in a wide variety of classes and courses. I tell my students if you are willing to learn new skills that makes you a more valuable employee and if you move on then you have more skills to take to a new employer.
I also go out of my way to assist my colleagues and my boss in projects, etc.
jon,
this is very true & by knowing what I enjoy & like I can make sure to find those right fit careers.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I feel the most important step in career management is to pinpoint what you enjoy about your job and focus on moving in that direction. If you enjoy what you do, it doesn't feel like "work" and you don't have that "Is it Friday yet?" mentality of a job you don't truly enjoy. You look forward to going to work.
The most important step is to figure out what you enjoy about your career and try to head in that direction. I feel if you enjoy what you do, it doesn't feel like "work" and you have a desire to come in to work every day. You then don't have that "is it Friday yet" mentality of a job you dislike.
Farley,
this is great advice & taking the time to remember why I like the job is a great way to get reengaged.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think the most important step in personal career management is identifying what part of your current job motivates and inspires you. Then move on to what aspects you wish you could implement into it. Sometimes we find ourselves in a rut and need to be challenged in areas we haven't thought of yet.
Rose-Mary,
yes, one of the keys is to write out those things that are important to us as individuals. This is important to help us clarify our own direction.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first step and one that I was reminded of in this course is to write out goals and what is important to you as an individual. Obviously compensation is important to most but many times that is not the most important item on one’s list. Once I wrote my list out I realized that time was most prized. Learning to discover more about myself through the eyes of others was also rather helpful because there were so many positive attributes I can transfer to another line of work I had not even noticed in myself.
The first step and one that I was reminded of in this course is to write out goals and what is important to you as an individual. Obviously compensation is important to most but many times that is not the most important item on one’s list. Once I wrote my list out I realized that time was most prized. Learning to discover more about myself through the eyes of others was also rather helpful because there were so many positive attributes I can transfer to another line of work I had not even noticed in myself.
Knowing yourself well enough to understand your strengths and weaknesses and what will be best for you. This is important because if you don't understand yourself you may not be able to find something that will fit your needs.