If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t relish the idea of washing the windows in your house to remove the ‘stuff’ that has accumulated over the winter months which is blocking the sunlight. But, alas, being able to see the world outside that is slowly coming to life after a long winter is motivation enough for me to get out the glass cleaner.
Cleaning windows is something like doing a spring cleaning of a person’s career. As most professionals are inclined to do, we get immersed in the day-to-day demands of our positions, and don’t perform a current reality check of our careers.
When I interview a person who is considering making a career move, I ask them to reflect on their priorities. In my 30 years’ experience, I have noticed that the following items consistently show up at the top of most professionals’ lists of “what’s important” in their careers:
Challenge: How challenging is my position?
Advancement: How much opportunity for advancement is there in my position?
Security: How secure is my position?
Environment: What is my company’s culture and how does it fit me?
Location: Where is my position located?
Money: How much am I paid?
While all of these items are important, their order of importance shifts throughout a person’s career. If you are experiencing some “dis-ease” in your current occupation, it’s likely there’s been a shift. If you want to clear away the ‘stuff’ that may be accumulating that is blocking you from seeing your career in an accurate light, you may consider doing a career check-up. Check out the form below. See what emerges. Is the picture what you thought it would be? Or is there some work to do now that you have a clearer perspective?
