Career Evolution – Get You Some!!
Growing up I was a mullet wearing (business in the front, party in the back), Camaro driving (white, with mag wheels and chrome tip exhaust), cow tipping country boy from Alabama. Although far removed from those good ole days (would not trade them for the world), those early years formed the man I am today. Fast forward 20 years later and I can see how my early years as a recruiter formed the business man I am today.
Life, just like careers is an evolution of events and decisions.
2010 is a year of many decisions in the evolution of your career. Many people are taking jobs they “have” to take (which is 100% understandable). Some are staying with companies because they “have” to work (again, 100% understandable). However, you must continue to evolve professionally! How?
- Determine and map how you want to evolve as a professional over the next 3-5 years. Granted it may change, but having a plan in anything is the first step!
- Speak to your company/boss openly and honestly about your career evolutionary goals. This may be easier or harder for some, depending on circumstances. If your current career does not line up with your future aspirations, it is not evolution, it is a change (this is a different situation).
- Know how you are going to evolve. I have conducted many interviews and the “long-term goals/aspirations” is a pretty standard question. What always gets me is when I hear, “I want to be ___”, then when asked “what are you doing to prepare for ____ ” 95% of the time I get the silent treatment or a 1/2 thought an out answer. C’mon, I will accept, “reading a book on__”, or “taking a class”. I want to say “TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CAREER!!!”
- Which is my last point, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR EVOLUTION! Read books, join communities, network with people already in the role, but take action. Looking back you have evolved in your life and career due to events and decisions. Take charge of those events and decision and guide them (versus them guiding you).
Today I am absent the “party in the back” hair style, traded the Camaro for a 4-door (still a cool 4 door, but a 4 door nonetheless), and the cow tipping has been replaced with Jenga at family game night (except that one time…). My inspiration for this post came while driving home from work and listening to a new(er) song called “Hillbilly Bone”. I realized that we all have certain traits deep down, no matter where we come from that forms us in life and career.
As I use to say growing up (and still say in certain company), GET YOU SOME! The evolution of your career and what you will be in a few years depends solely on you, no matter the drawbacks or circumstances. Plan your career evolution for tomorrow and today will be a distant yearbook memory.
