More often than not, our work / career forms a significant part of our lives, even our identities. So it is definitely something to pay attention to – whether it is a trajectory we always knew we wanted to follow, an ‘accidental career’ or a work history of many varied chapters!
A career for life?
In my Facebook group this week I asked what people’s views were on a ‘career for life’ – did they feel it was any of the following, or something else:
- Outdated?
- Planned out?
- Irrelevant?
- Not possible to combine with having children?
- Desirable?
- Dull?
- Safe/ secure?
And I asked if anyone had one, or had changed, once or more.
Just to recap my own work history to date: I fell accidentally (and I think luckily) into HR. I didn’t know it was a career path really, but got a short term contract for Debenhams (back in the day!) and that was the start. At this time, in the early 2000s, it was like a foot in the door that gave me my next opportunity, and so on. I also studied for my professional HR qualification whilst I was working, and achieved my MCIPD in 2010.
Some 17 years later after that first role at Debenhams, nearly all in HR, and you’ve probably guessed, it was all change for me - to self-employed life coaching after retraining. And the occasional bit of work or volunteering in school.
So my experience was both an accidental career and ‘for part-life’!
How can work, work for you?
From my own experience, and the responses from others, the main thing that stood out was this:
when it comes to our work / careers, on balance, is it in your favour (working for you if you'll excuse the pun!) more than against - and enough so?
Whether it is long term or not ('accidental careers' seems apt for many of us) isn't really what matters. My parents were both teachers – pretty much from start to finish of their working lives - the concept of training for a career and sticking with it was very much the norm.
But it doesn't have to be ours - if we don't want it to be, and we feel the 'in favour' scales are tipping the other way.
Are you happy (enough) in your work?
Another key part really is your measure of contentment in your work - it was so lovely to read people saying they loved or enjoyed their jobs!
If you don’t feel this way, might it be time to reassess? It may depend on your view of work, how does it fit in with your life, how does it reward you, financially and otherwise, etc. … but if there is a chance for more enjoyment from the working part of your life, wouldn’t you want to take it?
Sometimes when we are so close to an issue, we can’t see the wood for the trees, we only see a narrow range of options, and it feels like there’s no viable choices for a way forward. Through coaching, I love to support my clients to see more options available to them, and, most importantly to help them ensure it isn’t self-doubt putting the brakes on their career choices.
We don’t have to have a career for life. You can choose something different and are capable of it.
We change over the course of our working lives, so maybe it makes sense that our work / careers also change too – our strengths, priorities and desires probably look different in your 40s to what they were in your 20s!
In my work as a coach, I don’t think I’ve had a single client where we have not discussed work, in some capacity or another. My specialty is to support people consider this work part in the context of their whole lives, the stage it is at now, and where they want to be. And sometimes we have what I call ‘an interlude’ before the next chapter starts to take shape – with change there is always a bit of uncertainty, but it’s not forever!
· I’ve helped clients stay in their industry and find their love for it again;
· I’ve helped clients move industry altogether;
· I’ve supported clients to aim high for a role they thought they wouldn’t get (but did!)
· and one I particularly loved was supporting a client formulate a brilliant combination of different part time roles, each bringing something different but important to the table, in her own unique winning blend.
If your accidental (or non-accidental) career feels like the scales are tipping out of your favour, please get in touch and we can have a no-obligation chat, I’d love to see if I can support you - https://calendly.com/kbmindfulcoaching/clarity
Let’s see what wood we might find for you among the trees!
Ps you can join my Facebook group here: