3 Keys to Transform Your Career

3 KeysToday’s post was provided by Lori Howard, who will be our guest on the next “From Corporate to Creative” radio show. Visit “Transform Your Career & Love Your Job” to learn more & join us for this episode.

 

By Lori Howard, Career Transformation Coach, CPRW

 

Have you ever felt trapped in your current job or career? I know I have felt that way in the past.

 

I met Jane at one of my career transformation workshops a few years ago. Jane had just turned 40, and was recently laid off from work. Jane was an engineer who had built her career working in technology companies. Jane didn’t like her job. But she had invested so much of her life into her career that she felt obligated to stay. She thought it would be too risky to even contemplate a change. So she had resigned herself to the idea that she was stuck there. She was never going to be the person who loved her job. It broke my heart to hear the disappointment and resignation as Jane talked.

There was a time when I, too, believed that it was too late to change my mind, and change direction. I now know that it is never too late for anyone to make changes to find happiness at work. The average person spends more waking hours at work than any place else, including time with family and friends. At the same time, the average person spends very little time thinking about how to love their job.

If you’re going to spend so much of your life and time at work, wouldn’t you prefer to enjoy that time? What if you could get up in the morning and look forward to going to work?

 

Here are 3 Key Elements to Being Happy at Work.

1. Daily Activities

What do you do at work? What are your main tasks and activities in an average week? Are you using your strengths? Are you using the strengths you love to use? Many of us fall into a job or career path, and find out as we do it that we don’t really like what we do. It takes far more effort to get out of bed and go to a job where you don’t enjoy the things you do every day.

Jane began her career as an engineer, and then because of her experience, she moved into project management. Jane loved the hands on problem solving work she did as an engineer. But she hated managing projects and people. She felt removed from the work.

If you are no longer doing work you enjoy, then it’s time to re-evaluate your career and look for work where you get to do the things you are great at, that you enjoy doing.

 

2. Core Values

This is one of the most overlooked or ignored elements to job happiness. What are your values at work and in life? What are the values of the company you work for? Your values don’t need to match, but they do need to be compatible. If your values are in conflict with those of the organization you work for, you will never be happy there. You will always feel conflicted in some way. And you cannot change an organization’s values, nor should your try to change your own just to fit in.

In Jane’s case, she valued risk-taking and trying new things. She worked for a company that did not like to take risks on any project. They only wanted to follow the tried and true, proven methods. Neither value is inherently wrong, but they are in conflict. Jane wanted to try new approaches and solutions on her projects, and she was not able to do so. This left her feeling extremely frustrated about her work.

If your values are in conflict with those of the company you work for, then it is time to move on. And in order to increase your happiness at your next job, be sure to research the company values before you accept an offer.

 

3. Roles You Play

Are you part of a team? Are you the expert in something? Are you a manager or team leader? What roles do you play? And what roles do you want to play?

Jane loved being the expert on a team. She loved being part of collaborative team. In her last job, she was the project manager on the team, but she wasn’t involved in the project. She felt like she wasn’t contributing because she wasn’t in the role she loved most. She felt separated from the team, rather than part of it. In order for Jane to be happy at work, she needed to be a contributing part of the team, not managing it, but doing part of the work. That is the role in which she thrived.

If you find yourself in a role you do not like, that is something you can change by speaking with your boss. Let her know what you want, and ask her how you can move into a position where you serve in that role. If your boss says nothing can be done, consider transferring to another department.

As Jane began to use theses 3 keys to finding happiness at work, she was able to transform her career into one that she enjoyed. She is now employed at a company that she likes in a job she loves doing. Once you start asking the right questions, you too will discover what you can do to improve your own work experience.

 

About the Author 

Lori HowardLori Howard is a Career Transformation Coach, Certified Story Coach, and Certified Professional Resume Writer. And she is on a mission to help you love your job and thrive in your career. She wants EVERYONE to be happy at work! Lori has an amazing ability to help you figure out what you really want from a job, and how to get it now.

Experience in a variety of corporations and industries, including IT, financial services, and theater, combined with her personal journey and a passion for helping others embrace what they uniquely offer, have created a have created a skill set unlike any other.  A balance of pragmatism, process, and knowing how to love your job and thrive!

You can learn more about Lori at www.UnearthYourWorth.com.

About the author, Kelly

Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.

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