It’s importance to realize the difference between the job you have currently, and your career as a whole. If you are like most professionals, you will work for at least several companies over the course of your career, move into different positions and accept unexpected responsibilities, and probably finish your working life someplace you never expected to be. Career paths have a way of winding in unexpected directions like that. So where are you going, where do you want to be, and how will you get there? Answer these questions to get your journey started.
What Level of Responsibility do You Hope to Attain?
This question is especially important for STEM professionals, because moving into executive and management positions often means leaving behind the technical work that drew you into the field in the first place. When you finish you career, do you hope to be a top-level executive, a mid-level manager, a productive team member, or perhaps an independent entrepreneur?
What Results do You Hope to Achieve?
This is another important question, because it essentially asks “what are you working for?” For some people, the goal is to make the most money. For others, it is to be innovative and to make a lasting mark on the discipline. And for most, it is some combination of the two. Figure our your own answer, and then angle your career choices to meet that goal.
What Type of Company do You Want to Work For?
Large or small? Laid back, or fiercely professional? Well established, or just starting up? Everyone has preferences, and a key part of long-term professional satisfaction is working for companies that reflect your own value and priorities.
What Level of Compensation do You Require and Desire?
First figure out how much is required, because you don’t want to make career decisions that compromise you quality of life or jeopardize you family’s stability. Then determine how much you would like to make ideally, and get as close to an actual number as possible. Keep that number in mind as you consider any career choice.
What is Your Ideal Work/Life Balance?
Some people work to live, and others live to work. Neither path is the wrong one, but it’s important to figure out which one you belong on. Some companies/industries are able to offer more of a balance between work and life than others.
Now you have a better idea of where you want to be. But how do you get there? Work with the career counselors at The Squires Group to help you further refine you goals and find realistic strategies for obtaining them. For 20 years, we have worked with countless professionals to assist them with their career growth. Let us put our expertise to work for you. Contact us today!
