Is a « career » still relevant to today’s employee/employer?

The word "career" has taken up a very different meaning nowadays. 

A career today may involve taking on several jobs with different employers OR it might mean that you will use your skills in various ways and in various environments throughout your work life.

I can already see you nodding your head! 

This is definitely NOT something to be looked down on or seen as negative. I can tell you now that my various employments have given me extensive knowledge and insight on how offices function (or don't function), how communications benefit the organization, or how client relationships are key to successful services. 

There are many perks to having multiple jobs, various experiences, and working under different leadership styles.
To the young ones and not so young ones in the job market, trying to find jobs, or pondering employment, I offer you these 10 tips:

1. All job experience is relevant in some way to the career you are looking for;

2. On that note, you might not have a “career”, as defined by our previous generations;

3. Stop waiting to find something “in your field”;

4. You will benefit from finding jobs “outside your field” in ways you couldn’t even imagine;

5. You might only start working “in your field” (if you do) in your 30’s or 40's (you may never define your field); 

6. Being employed makes you employable; 

7. Networking and paying attention during meetings and in office spaces are often times more important than the resumé or education;

8. Learn from the experiences, not only from the tasks, the data, the research or the job material... Learn how people do their jobs, learn the office etiquette, learn the strategies, the non verbal, the verbal, learn from the interactions between people; 

9. Explore the current job you have from every angle: yours, your boss’s, your clients'. Get to understand WHY you do the job and WHO it influences, who it affects, who your actions have repercussions on. (If you're daring enough, you might want to share your findings with management!);

10. Everyone starts somewhere. Even seasoned employees, when entering a new position, must still learn how to do the job. Ask questions, don’t pretend to know how to do something if you don't and get the help you need;

If you're looking for guidance or looking to see how you can develop these tips to achieve even MORE from your work experiences, send me a message (here).
We’re all just trying to make it happen and there is always a benefit to brainstorming these ideas!

Cheers!
Lynne

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