As 2021 kicks off, many of us are feeling a particularly strong need to both move ahead and move beyond 2020. One way that’s manifesting with individuals we work with is questioning career direction--for some, looking to build future success and impact in a vastly changed economy and, for others, fundamentally questioning the purpose of their daily professional lives and the mission of the companies they serve (or run). Every year offers the opportunity to pause and reflect, but we can’t help but feel like this year is a bit different, and career planning is more essential than ever.
In our coaching work with individuals, we move through a career transition process that includes a Strengths and Interests Audit, in which we use a series of questions combined with assessments to help get to the “what” (What are some options moving forward?) and the “why” of career pathing (Why do certain paths appeal more than others?). The process prompts self-reflection and exploration, and a lot goes into the conversation, but we wanted to share a few questions we ask that we’ve found to be particularly powerful relevant to the career decision-making process as well as affirming of an overall sense of professional self. Tip: take a few minutes to jot down your initial responses to these questions in a career journal, and once you’re done, read through all three to identify a pattern that might provide clues for your career planning moving forward.
#1: How do you define career success?
The key to this one is to not overthink it. What comes to mind first? How does that inform or explain decisions you’ve made in your professional life thus far OR Is that consistent with decisions you’ve made in your career thus far? Coming up with your own definition of career success (which may be different from how others may define it-- and even from the way you may have defined it in the past) is crucial to planning a career that’s ultimately fulfilling, building toward an ultimate sense of: I did what I set out to do in this world.
#2: When are you “in flow”?
We find Marcus Buckingham’s idea of the “flow state” helps us play to our strengths, and guide us toward the work at which we’ll excel and be happiest. What does that look like and feel like? Consider the tasks you do where as he describes it, “You look forward to it, time flies by, you’re in flow, you’re energized.” You look up at 5pm and say “Woah! Where did the day go?” Rather than considering the title or job function, consider the activities you do and the parts of your day you enjoy more than others--what are they?
Think of a person you know who seems to have a job that perfectly fits them. You wonder: How did they find that? How did they find that unique fit for them, their lifestyle, and their individual strengths? I’m going to tell you their secret: They didn’t find it, they built it. Little by little, they took the best of their job and made it the most of their job. They took the role they started in and molded it, day by day, to fit their strengths. We know that 73% of the American workforce believe they have the opportunity to modify their job to fit their strengths better, but only 18% say that they play to their strengths every day. So, while the majority of us know that we can mold our current roles – most people still don’t. -Marcus Buckingham
#3: How would a manager describe you? A co-worker? A person you manage?
As in Question #1, that which comes to mind first is probably worth paying attention to. Ask yourself to come up with one word for each of these categories (manager, co-worker, employee), and then ask yourself why you think each one would describe you accordingly. These words tend to connect back to your strengths, and, holding up the mirror to you, they tend to provide clues for future career path ideas.
There is so much more to career exploration and self-reflection, but if you start with these three questions, you’ll be off to the races. If you’re interested in scheduling a career coaching session with us to explore your own strengths and interests as they relate to future career paths, contact us directly at cynnie@cfwcareers.com or rachel@cfwcareers.com. One of our recent coaching clients said it best: “For me, coming from a place of slight disorientation, the Strengths and Interests Audit was foundational. It gave me the confidence and grounding to gain from subsequent sessions.”