HOW DO YOU
TURN YOUR JOB
INTO A CAREER?
On trend magazine readers are invited to submit
their career related questions to Dr. Ron Shapiro to
be addressed in subsequent issues of the
magazine. This month an anonymous reader asked
“How Do You Turn Your Job Into Your Career?”
First, you need to decide if you really want to make
your job into your career or if you would rather be
doing something else. Think about the work you
do, and assess how much you really like it and how
passionate you are about your everyday tasks and
in your communication with others about your
work. If you're passionate about your job and
foresee yourself in the same field for quite some
time, you're on the right track to turning your job
into your career. If not, consider other avenues of
work such as:
Opening a small business and growing it until you
reach the point that you are spending so much
time in your small business that it is time to leave
the full time job.
Obtaining education or training that will equip you
to move into a profession or a vocation that you
would really enjoy.
Second, you need to determine if your business
supports growth of internal employees or if it is
even possible to grow in your present job. If you
are fortunate to be in a business which does
support growth of internal employees be sure that
you are an excellent performer in your current job,
have expertise that others seek out, and are all
around viewed as a leader by colleagues and
management alike. Assuming all of the above are
true, ask your manager to schedule a career
discussion with you.
Prepare for the career discussion by realistically
viewing your strengths and weaknesses. Think
about the job you would really like to have. What
are your strengths that would make you the best
possible candidate for the job? What are your
weaknesses and knowledge gaps that would limit
your chances of being successful in the job? Think
about ways to close the gaps. If, for example, you
are a high performing cashier in a grocery store and
aspire to be a store manager, perhaps shifting jobs
from cashier to grocery to bakery over a period of a
year or two would provide you with a great
background to become a supervisor or team lead.
Similarly, a year or two as a supervisor might
prepare you for an assistant manager position. If
you do not have a college degree (or a high school
diploma) think about closing this gap over time as
well (your employer might even pay tuition or give
you some other support as well). Just be careful.
As Dr. Dick Granda, my first manager at a major
corporation, says “be careful what you ask for, you
might just get it.”
At your career discussion let your manager know
about your career aspirations. Before your
discussion, document the work you have done and
accomplishments you have achieved, and be
prepared to tie them into your future plans. Share
your thoughts and plans to achieve your
aspirations.