Careers

I recently listened to a podcast that was fascinating to me. Andrew Huberman was interviewing Robert Green on our innate purpose and calling. It was fascinating to me, partly because I’ve been beating that drum for years and I love to hear others in the research world talk about it.

From birth we are completely unique. No one has ever or will ever be born with our exact DNA. When you add to that our different experiences growing up-where we lived, how often we moved and where, who our parents are, our upbringing, other family members and our relationships with them, our interactions with teachers and friends, it further adds to our individuality. No one has our exact DNA, experiences and thoughts.

What you and I have to offer the world is uniquely ours. 

When we are very young we are often drawn to interests that are consistent with our innate design.  Einsteen was given a compass at a very young age and was fascinated by unseen forces being able to move the needle. Steve Jobs walked by a store with his father that had all sorts of tech devices in the window and he was mesmerized by them. Often writers were fascinated with words and letters as a child.  My 3-year old nephew loves letters.  His favorite pastime is lining up plastic letters.  None of my children were ever super interested in the alphabet.  His parents are both avid readers and lovers of words. This love is innate in him. I find this fascinating.  Will his best career options have to do with the written word?  A strong maybe, other factors play into it.  More on that below.

As we get older outside influences are vying for our interest.  Well-meaning teachers, parents, and friends influence us. We are told what we need to do well in, what things we should be interested in and the best ways for us to make money.

As a result we often chart a course away from what we were designed for and often away from what we really want to do and instead follow other’s advice.  We push through classes that we aren’t’ interested in, spend chunks of money on obtaining degrees and we twist ourselves into a career that others chose for us.  

I get a lot of calls from people who went into tech because it seemed like a sure way to always have a job that paid well. They quickly found that they were miserable in their tech job and felt stuck.  It is effecting their health and their personal lives.  And they know it’s time to choose a different path.

 

A common question that I ask clients when we have a career discovery session is “What did you like to do as a child?”. And “what did you want to be when you grew up?”  Often it gives us clues.  

I have a practice of asking strangers about their jobs and what they like and dislike about them. Often when I ask why they chose that occupation I hear, “I always knew I wanted to be a ___ and I love it. “

When we work in areas that align with our personality, our interests, our skills and our values we find fulfillment in our jobs.

For most of us it wasn't so easy to find a great path.  Here are the 4 most important aspects to consider for a career that we will enjoy and excel at long-term.

There are no “bad” or “wrong” personality factors.  In society and in the workplace we need all varieties.  But some jobs are a bad fit, just meaning it is not aligned with our make-up.    

Someone who is a strong introvert who is stressed by conflict will do best in a harmonious, supportive, non-competitive environment where they don’t have constant interaction with others.  They need time alone in their occupation to perform at their best.  

When they are put in a work setting that is not a good fit for them they can feel like they are the problem.  Others do well, they don’t so they “should” be able to handle it. This lie they tell themselves grows and spills over into their personal lives. They “aren’t enough”.

Alternately, when we find the right fit for our personality we grow in confidence and expand in our sense of self.

Maybe this person has an interest in education and it aligns with their skills and values.  Being a school teacher and working around others all day could be very stressful for them.  But creating educational materials or recording online courses might be good options for them.

It’s also possible that education is just a hobby interest of theirs.  Other interests might be better for a career, based on their level of interest and other areas of their make-up.  Weigh your interests and ask yourself "is this an interest I would like to become my career, is it something I would like to use as part of my career or is it purely a hobby? "

 

Although we learn and develop skills throughout our lifetime, take note of the ones that seem to come naturally for you. Working in careers where we can use and develop these skills give us greater job satisfaction, we excel faster and tend to be recognized for our work, which all contribute to our sense of worth

Some of us are quite at home in an office environment, we don’t mind long hours and what is most important for us is career progression.  This is important to know and align our career with.  Others want to have flexible hours, work outside and be able to have a lot of free time for friends and family.  This is best realized before we pursue a career to make sure it aligns with our values in the areas of work environment, work outcome and life purpose.

Most of us, especially in our early years of choosing careers don’t take all of this into consideration.   And often we don’t have access to the questions that will reveal the truth in these areas.

This is where a career coach can be extremely helpful.  Career coaches use a variety of methods to help discover best career paths. I have found the Career Direct Assessment to provide the most accurate evidence-based insights. With over 700 questions, it takes about 75 minutes to complete. It generates a 30-page detailed report that measures a client’s make-up in all 4 of these areas.  We meet for 2-3 hours to dive into the report and understand what it means for choosing a career.

Are you considering changing course?  Or maybe you know a high school or college student who would benefit from the valuable insights of this data-driven report.

To book a call with me: https://lindagall.org/scheduler/book-your-discovery-call

To sign up for the assessment: https://lindagall.org/page/career-coaching

How did you decide on your career?  Is it a good fit for you?  Let me know in the comments!