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Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about careers. It’s just natural for someone 61 days from graduation to think like this. I, myself, am not that concerned with having a “career” the way most people view it. I have my own business, albeit, a part-time business. I have a job lined up with a small business in town and I’ll be more financially secure than if I were to be a “career” man at a large corporation. I consider myself very fortunate in this area and I want to tell you why.
For 14 months now I’ve worked for Wells Fargo Financial Bank (WFF) on a part time basis. I needed the money because my tuition increased by over 400% when I transferred from the University of Iowa to Drake University for my last three semesters. The are a few good things that have happened as a result of my work there.
- I will NEVER work in a cubicle again. I’ve learned what life at a large company is like. I personally know Senior VPs at WFF and THEY work in cubicles. Granted they are larger than the ones I had sat in but seriously! Cubicles are the bane of my existence and sticking around with WFF or working with any large company would result in eternal, personal degeneration.
- For the last two months I have been a “flex” employee which meant I didn’t have to work at all and as a result I’ve been able to work on my business and have only worked at WFF for a total of maybe 5 hours.
- Most importantly, I’ve learned how to build a real career and not just work at one.
From working in this environment and learning things, I’ve come up with things you should do if you want to BUILD a career and not just work in one.
- Don’t become content. So many workers become relatively content with where they are. Their company offers learning & development programs and great benefits. Sounds pretty good, right? Wrong! These things are good but they often inadvertantly lead many (not all) workers to become satisfied with their job and promotion every now and then for a 5% raise, if that.
- Define what your goals are! To me a career is not a job in a certain industry or doing a certain thing. A career is a means to an end. The end may be to become a millionaire, or CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It’s just like starting a business. You need to know your exit strategy, or goals, in order to identify the means to get there.
- Don’t work for someone just because they are a great company. Identify the experience you need and select work that falls in line with that. It’s simply developing a strategy. Strategize how you will accomplish your goals. Be general and specific. You don’t have to follow this strategy step by step but you do need it to plan where you are going and to help you make future decisions.
- Realize that the size of your cubicle doesn’t represent who you are. Most companies offer square footage as a way to represent their hierarchy. There are companies out there that actually have the amount of square feet a cubicle should be for any particular position. Often workers aren’t looking for a raise, they just want more space.
- Don’t deviate from the path. Your position may change, your strategy may change, but NEVER compromise for less. You know what you need to do to get where you want to go. Stick to your values, stick to the path.
Life is business and you should treat it as such. Think “personal continuity” and work to reach your exit strategy.
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Comments
03.18.09
I think most students aren't focused too much on a career as much as getting a job. Still, many want something they enjoy that provides a strong foundation for a career.
03.18.09
Pretty good advice. I would add that there is a CAREER and then there is a career.
For a CAREER you need to take into account all the things you mentioned above. A CAREER is when you are actually working in an area that you are passionate about, or you are working toward your passion.
However, a career (lowercase) is also just an accumulation of work experience. It still requires attention and upkeep, but there may be no overall goal other than to remain employed.
I just want to give a shout out to those of us building the latter career. We may find our work interesting, but it's not our passion. Our passion is something we do on the weekends or after hours. This passion is something which may never pay enough for us to eat or support a family, so we work to pay the bills, and have fun afterwards.
So if you are panicked because everyone around you is telling you that you must find your passion in life and set goals so you can build a career you are passionate about.... relax! It's OK to just work for a living. Just keep your skills updated, save a few months of salary in case you lose your job, and keep up your network.
And have fun during your off-hours.
03.18.09
Another Iowan. Being originally from Iowa myself, I'm constantly amazed at the number of people on here from Iowa.
One idea that has been resonating with me lately is, don't look to your job to fulfill your emotional needs for excitement. That's what your personal life is for. Business is business. It's not to say you can't enjoy what you do, but it needn't necessarily fulfill your mission in life.
Another idea that has been guiding some of my decisions is choose what lifestyle you want first, then figure how work fits into that lifestyle. Varying levels of time and commitment will be required to achieve different lifestyles.
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