PRG&Me Insights

The Right Career Path – a Guide to Career Self-Reflection

The Right Career Path – a Guide to Career Self-Reflection

As a professional in the staffing industry, I see, first-hand, the importance of a candidate finding the right opportunity, rather than just another opportunity. Many who graduate from traditional four-year colleges and universities are left with staggering debt and, sometimes, underwhelming or unfulfilling jobs. While I believe it’s okay for one to start “at the bottom” and work their way up, I suggest that folks evaluate which corporate ladder they are climbing to ensure that it’s the right one.

The self-reflection exercise begins with two salient questions: (1) what are your strengths? And, (2) what are you passionate about? These questions are the cornerstones of a theory I unveiled in a lecture series a few years ago at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I coined the lecture series “The Anatomy of Greatness.”

The Anatomy of Greatness is a four-factor professional development analysis meant to put students, and other working professionals, on the path to achieve “great” career results and maximize their positive impact in the market. The Anatomy of Greatness suggests four elements to achieve great results in one’s career: (1) hard work; (2) passion for the work being done; (3) competency in mastering the rules within the chosen career field; and (4) capitalizing on one’s strengths.

I have seen too many people choose careers based solely on fleeting factors such as financial compensation, geographic location, family pressure, societal expectations, etc. While these drivers are real, if the four “greatness factors” above are not present, a candidate may not be realizing their professional potential. And, of the four “greatness factors” listed, I believe that identifying one’s passion(s), and identifying, and capitalizing on, one’s God-given strengths (i.e., one’s “propensity”) are the most important components in the analysis.

Finally, after a person’s passion and propensity have been identified, a candidate is better-able to assess whether their current company and/or current position is the best career fit moving forward. In other words, is their company’s vision statement, core principles, and strategic plan aligned with the candidate’s passion? And, is a candidate’s current company allowing them to capitalize on, and showcase, their strengths? If not, perhaps it’s time to evaluate whether another company and/or different position should be pursued. The goal is to land in a job, company, and career where a person can flourish, not just survive.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a PRG&Me Talent Advisor, please reach out to us. We would welcome the opportunity to chat with you!

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