Grow in Your Career
Where are you in your career? Have you taken the time to reflect on how this year is going for you? What’s working well, and what’s not working so well when it comes to your career satisfaction?
We recommend you evaluate your career experience and satisfaction and update your resume annually. It’s a little bit like going to your Doctor for a check-up on a regular basis.
Below are 12 questions to help you reflect on your career over the last year. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being very satisfied, rank your responses to the following questions.
- I love the work I’m doing. It’s interesting and utilizes my skills.
- My company values employees and recognizes my contributions.
- I feel overwhelmed with my responsibilities.
- There are good possibilities for me to advance.
- I am satisfied with the pay and benefits I receive.
- My boss is a good coach, and I can learn from him/her.
- The company is doing well and shares success with its employees.
- I often feel disconnected from the work I do.
- Our leader’s behaviors reflect the company’s values.
- I look forward to coming to work on Mondays
- I like the people I interact with.
- I know what I want to be doing 5 years from now.
Now that you’ve completed your evaluation, what is it telling you about your current level of satisfaction? If you rated satisfaction consistently in the 1-5 range, it’s likely you may want to consider other options, either a new role within your company or a move to another organization.
If you’re in the 6-7 range it could be a great time to have a conversation with your boss and explore some additional assignments that could be more satisfying.
A ranking of 8-10 would indicate that your satisfaction is good and that you have room to grow. That’s a great place to be. And it’s also an indicator that you may want to be thinking about other roles in your company that are of interest to you.
A ranking of 11-12 would indicate you are highly satisfied in your role; you likely have opportunities to grow, and you would be a great candidate for professional development. Have a conversation with your boss about the upcoming year and what the expectations will be. Ask the question, “What will it take this year to be a star player in the business”?
When you’ve gathered the information you need, develop a plan for yourself. What’s on your development list, who can you partner with, what resources will you need and what’s your timeline for achieving your development goals? Then schedule the time and resources so your development doesn’t take a back seat.
The world is changing, priorities are changing, and you may be changing in terms of your needs. Give yourself the gift of having a plan to continue your career.
At EXCELERATE we help people manage their careers,
leverage their skills, and improve their work experience
For a 30-minute complimentary conversation
Patricia.berg@exceleratemn.com | Robert.brick@exceleratemn.com
At EXCELERATE we work with individuals and organizations to help them solve problems, develop people, inspire needed change, bring strategic insight, and achieve business excellence.