1-Minute Mentor
When people ask for career advice, here’s what I tell them.
First, decide what work will be in demand and what you want to do in 5 – 10 years. To paraphrase Wayne Gretzky, go where the puck will be, not where it is or worse, where it was. Identify the competencies (knowledge, experience) that will be needed for that type of work. Make investments in learning to acquire the necessary knowledge, and take jobs to build the necessary experience.
Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough to take the next step. As you progress, you’ll gain information that helps refine the objective and the plan. Adaptability is essential because the future is uncertain.
Second, life is a series of decisions to meet immediate and long-term needs. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating a job opportunity:
1. Location – Will you be happy living there?
2. Partner and Family – If you have a partner or family, will they be happy living in that location with you doing that work?
3. People - Who will you work with, and who will work for you? Most important, who will you work for?
4. Work – Do you like the work? Is it a step towards your objective? Does it improve your plan?
5. Money
Turns out that (almost) no amount of money can compensate you if you don’t like where you’re working, your partner is unhappy, you’re working for a jerk and with jerks, and doing something you don’t like to do. You probably won’t succeed either, which stunts career growth. It also turns out that if you’re happy where you’re working, your partner is happy, and you’re doing something you like with people you like and respect, you’ll succeed and the money will follow.
Finally, life is a journey and you can’t predict the future. You can set a direction to a better place, and take steps to get there. As a friend once told me, work is something you do to fund the rest of life. You should enjoy the journey, and make sure you have a life to fund when you arrive.