Do What You Are! Tips for Career Planning
My twins are starting the college and career exploration process. I’m helping them think through things and figured I’d share the same information with all of you in case you are thinking about your career trajectory. This information will be relevant if you are just starting out or if you are further down the road and would like to make a career transition.
The above quote gets at one part of the puzzle. The other two critical parts are to do what you are good at and also what you can get paid to do. When you get all 3 right, then you are in the best spot. This is an image that captures that idea:
This is important because I might be good at strumming the guitar and I might love it, but it is very unlikely that anyone would pay me to do it. Playing the guitar would be a good hobby for me.
Another key thing to consider is your personality type. If you haven’t yet, take the MBTI here. It is free and it has a section on careers. After you take the test and you have your 4 letter combination, check out the book “Do What You Are.” It is an older book, but chalk full of insights. It has life examples and lists personality specific career ingredients you need to be fulfilled.
My daughter read the chapter on her type - ESFJ - and it helped her better understand that working alongside others and towards a common goal is important for her. This wouldn’t have come up in another assessment instrument. She now has more options / possibilities available to her that she can pursue.
A third thing you can do is take a career assessment. These help you find specific jobs that will likely be a good fit. Soulfully recommended the RIASEC which you can take at no cost here and Hope recommended the Truity test that you can find here.
We also talk extensively about career development, personality type, and the Big 5 in our Leadership Development Program which I highly recommend. It can help you better understand yourself and help you develop key skills for college and job applications. You can apply here or message @hope with any questions you have.
The last thing to keep in mind is that you just want to be directionally correct. For example, you might think you want to be a therapist now, but as you go through school or job shadow people you might find out that you really like being a nurse. Both of these are helping professions and in the same direction. Any career path that is focused on helping people will likely be on the right track.
Life is full of twists and turns. I don’t think there is any one path for us individually; I think there are many options. I wouldn’t get too caught up on one school, one job, or one career path. That old saying, “that life happens when we are making plans” is true.
Please help me by sharing other ideas and recommendations that have helped you. For those of you who are further along, what tips do you wish you knew if you were just starting out? If you have found yourself in a less fulfilling career and made a jump, what helped you make the jump?
I think it helps to look into different careers that exist and see if any of them feel like something you could do. You should also consider all of your own weaknesses and strengths. If there’s some things that will not budge, it is important to narrow out careers that wont suit you. Also, if struggling, talk with a career counselor! They can help talk through weaknesses, strengths, your personality results, and help narrow down a list together and be overall very motivating. Most colleges have career centers students can check out.
@HopieRemi Excellent recommendations! Thank you for adding!
Of course! And if anyone ever just wants to bounce career ideas with me I can try to help. As part of my program, I had to do a course on offering career counseling. @GlenM
A generous offer! See below comment :)
My job ends February 25th. My employer, a medical device and consumer electronics manufacturer who's name you'd recognize, is moving this particular location to India. I'm 54 and thus too young to retire, and I couldn't afford to anyway. I don't relish the idea of being on the job market again. Plus, who'd hire me with so many younger, healthier and more energetic people to choose from? I really don't think that there's much left to look forward to, not just carreer wise but in life in general.
I’m rooting for you and hoping you find an even better match that is more fulfilling. The resources - especially the tests - outlined above can help point you in the right direction and @hoperemi might be able to help too.
Thank you, Glen. I will definitely check those out.
hey @scaryperry1 (thanks for the tag @glenm ) I know it can be scary when your current reality is crashing with your job moving countries. Question, is your current Job offering any type of relief packages to the employees that are suffering from their move?
I also know it can be a real struggle to find a job when there are so many younger candidates but it is not impossible. How long have you worked with this current company? Your level of experience might be valuable else where. I recommend looking at an employment starting agency in your area and provide them with any and all credentials and experience as well as let them know how far you want the job search to be. These places can usually help set you up with interviews.
also did you know you don’t have to tell someone how old you are when you apply? You can omit certain information. The point of an application is to include what you feel will sell you to them.
Great points !
Thank you :)
Thanks for responding. My current employer is doing everything right, basically going above and beyond all that they have to do legally according to the FDA regulations in regards to relocating a medical device manufacturing facility. I've worked here 2 and a half years. I was at my previous employer, also a multinational corporation, for 21 years and they didn't even give a single day's notice. Just showed up one morning and was told, "Thank you for your service."
As for "selling myself", that doesn't feel right to me, doesn't feel natural. I'm not ashamed of my age and not telling a potential employer my age seems to me a little underhanded. Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. I consider myself a man of integrity, knowing that sometimes there's a price to pay by having integrity.
@scaryPerry1 2 and a half years is good experience. Have your employers made any recommendations? Sorry to hear about your previous employment. And I can understand your reluctance to omit information about yourself if it goes against your core beliefs. I strongly recommend an employment center that can look at all you have to offer and place you somewhere you’d fit.
@GlenM
There is a Japanese word for it, "Ikigai"
It is related to the diagram that you have shown above. The intersection of our passions, our skills and productivity.
I feel career planning and choosing is more complicated than it should be.
If our curriculums are made based on "learning by doing" methodology, it will be easier to find our Ikigai and follow it.
Let's hope the world adopts to newer and easier career selection methods for our future generations.
@GlenM love the post!
"If you do what you love, you never work a day in your life." Couldn't agree more!
Life is full of twists and turns. Yes, yes, yes... it is full, indeed! 😅 I guess, just try best to fit yourself (behaviour & thinking) with your dreams. If life is not the ideal (it rarely is), adjust and make the best out of it.
What I wish I knew much... much earlier in life: The better and earlier you are aware of your strengths, weaknesses, temperament, passion and core values (may change from time to time), the easier your life can be.
There are so many personality theories, and I talked to Glen the other day about The Four Temperaments theory.
Maybe not as accurate, but I found this faster and easier to observe & understand employees' temperaments for teamwork purpose and career planning (I'm in HR field now). I believe everyone has potential.
btw, my MBTI personality is INFJ-A what's yours?
Cheers!
Couldn’t agree more but never too late.
I actually find a good starting place is a job that works with limitations. No point in trying to fit yourself in somewhere that will just force uou into the hospital after a little while.
It's ok to not love a job, as long as it's not hated. Many people do great with jobs they like and other activities they love.
I am actively avoiding a field of work I hate despite the potential to never have to worry about money again.
It sounds insane, and sometimes I think I *am* being insane, but I my brain will literally rot into mush if I settled for it. Specifically, I have a cybersecurity/tech background. Trying to find some way to utilize that experience in a way that doesn't bore me to tears/goes against some of my core principals.
Uhm, that being said, thank you for this article. I especially appreciate the book suggestion -- I will definitely give that a read.
@Amumununu
I just realized you were also asking for some additional input or tips. Sorry about that.
I really love the resources you've been provided, and I truly think these are great to work with! I actually sent them all over to my niece who has just started attending university and has absolutely no idea what she wants to do with her life. I'm almost 30 myself and I'm only just now starting to figure myself out.
I found myself in a career field I had zero passion for because I, like many others, felt like it was most important to go the route that would likely pay well (which is not a bad thing to consider, to be fair), but neglected completely to consider at all what my actual passions were in life. If you're good at something *and* lucky enough to also enjoy it, then that's something you should hone in on and give serious thought into thinking about how you can turn it into a career or your vocation in life. I don't have any resources to provide myself, unfortunately, but you can never tell someone enough that they should never just settle on something they don't particularly have much love for. If you're like me you'll find yourself scrambling and trying to escape. Luckily it's never too late to find a better way.
@GlenM
I learned what I was good at, what would pay well, what was useful and good for employment and in demand--things that fit this that I also liked. After years, I found that what I/us are, is entirely different all together. Yes, the same focus, strong drive to do and succeed is still there as it always was, but what is really, really important has become so obvious over time. It wasn't so obvious many years ago, but I wish it was. But maybe life would not have turned out as it has. I now value many things that I thought I never found even remotely important and now find extremely important. I wish I could do a lot over and differently. But here is today to make the best of it and tomorrow!!!! I am grateful for so much and am blessed to be where I am now.
@GlenM
I guess though to get to the "meat" of your post, education/university degrees can be achieved, but it all depends on what you want and value. But it all does change, usually over time. What I now value, want, and wish to achieve are not related to money, material things, what I can get out of life or have, it is about the opposite of all of that. I could not have told myself at a young age this or probably could not even make sense enough to of this to someone else young. I understand how this would not make sense. But for now, I value and want to love others, be good to others, care about others, and more I cannot go into here. I understand many that may read this will laugh and feel this is a pile of crap. I understand that. I get that. I just hope that one day, they can feel beyond what they feel.
Hey @IcedCoffee211109, i appreciate you sharing for your thoughts and experience. I'd say, I'm thoroughly impressed, and feel pretty close to what you do and believe in what you do. What you shared, is certainly not something to laugh at, it's insightful, it's thoughtful, it's how your thoughts and opinions have shaped over the years, and so it matters and is valuable. Thankyou. ❤️
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
@Sunisshingingandsosareyou, it is nice how you can understand this. That shows what you've been through yourself and where you are also, in your own ways.
It am grateful how you realize this is real, not a laughing matter even though it is still so hard for so many.
thank you for your kind, understanding words and your time you took to read, think agout this and comment.
@IcedCoffee211109 aw ofcourse! Hugs, if y'all consent. 🤗
@GlenM
Thanks for sharing the insight! The point about being just "directionally correct" is one I wish I had been told when I was starting out myself. Adding to this idea, I remember an advice which was something along the lines of "follow your contributions, and your passion will follow you". I think it's important to look back and see what the achievements are that you've already made by the end of high school, what you have done that you have been recognized for and what people have told you that you are good at too. Sometimes, you can't calculate the answer but have to go by your intuition (which may be based on an unconscious analysis of your life experiences so far). Another thing, to keep in mind, is having a good self-assessment in terms of intelligence and capacities or aptitudes. One thing I would do is read the syllabus or curriculum of the courses to get a summary of what to expect. I have seen that only until a few years after high school is the mind still open and thirsty for bookish knowledge and reading while in the later years, you can feel more inclined to put to work what you have studied and to just start working. It gets harder and harder to do that much bookish study so best get it done earliest possible than take gap years. Lastly, as a young person I wasn't very conscious of the important role money had to play in the planning, but it is important to plan in a way that you have to be under debt, if any, for the shortest time possible- that really helps to not get too stressed or demotivated in the early phase of the career. I hope this was helpful. My very best wishes!
xoxo
