Written by: Mikaela Contreras, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Did you know that 83% of the world's workforce are thinking about career advancement or career change? This means that most of us are thinking about something new or something better than we have.
However, when looking for something better, the success factor will depend on your clarity on what you want and how to get it.
We have all been bombarded with information on career change this past 18 months but I find that there are 3 questions we forget to ask ourselves that will make tremendous impact on the direction we take our career.
What we tend to focus on: – salary, title, flexibility, or benefits.
That’s all good. Those questions are important. But don’t forget to ask these questions too:
What impact will I have in this role?
9 out of 10 people are prepared to take a lower salary to do more meaningful work. Now, I don’t think you should settle for less financially, money does matter in this world, and doesn’t lower your worth. But this is a clear indicator that we want to make sure that the work we get out of bed for every day, actually matters.
Don’t be afraid to ask these questions in an interview. It shows the employer that you want to make meaningful impact and that you are not prepared to settle.
What kind of people will I work with every day?
I have interviewed countless of people and I have trained almost as many. When I ask why people stay in a role they like – it’s always the same response: The people.
We severely underestimate the impact our future colleagues will have on our lives. These are the people we will talk to more than our family, collaborate with and share the majority of our hours with. We will bounce ideas of these people. We will influence each other’s careers. We will celebrate successes together and we will battle the challenges. Do not forget how important the people you have around will be to your career happiness.
Is this job/career aligned with my core values?
No factor will affect your career satisfaction as much as how aligned your career is to your values. You need to be completely clear about your own core values and how they take form in your career to be able to make the best career decision for YOU. It’s easy to get side-tracked by what your family wants you to do, what media says is cool and what your friend thinks you are suited for. Listen to YOUR voice instead.
Failing to align your values with your career results in poor motivation, decrease in mental and physical health and deep job satisfaction.
Important to mention is that it’s not just about getting clear on your values and looking at the company website to see if they align. But to understand what each value represent to you in a work environment and research the company by reading articles, talking to employees, follow the company online and ask relevant question to assess if this is the right place for you.
If freedom is your value, and it means freedom to work where and when you want, freedom to share your opinions, freedom to decide which projects to take on – then you need to find out if this applies to the role you are interviewing for.
The market has never been so hot, people are moving, shaking, and changing like never before. We have re-evaluated what is important to us. We have decided that we want more, different and better. Let these questions be your guide to pursuit what You want.
If you are unclear about your true values (don’t worry, most of us are!) then you can find my Values Workbook here (It’s based on NLP principles and has helped me and all my clients get clarity).
Mikaela Contreras, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Mikaela is a career and leadership coach specialising in empowering the careers of impact-driven HR and People professionals. After graduating from university with a degree in HR she spent a decade working across multiple HR functions across 3 countries. She discovered that most HR and People professionals are so focused on other people’s careers and development that they forget to nurture their own. After digging deep into her own values, vision and superpowers – she decided that her effort were best used for coaching and supporting people professionals on their career journeys.
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