When thinking about your dream job, you might think that you are invincible and can do anything. However, while confidence is important when you are planning your career, you also have to be aware of your limitations.
How much are you willing to travel and stay away from your family? Are you ready to stand up in front of people and deliver presentations? Would you be able to grow under pressure? Are you ready to push yourself further every day? If you don’t ask the right questions before you choose your career paths, you will end up being disappointed.
Your Lifestyle
One of the things you have to consider is your lifestyle. If you are not a morning person, working early shifts all the time might not be for you. If you would be happy to work part time, you have to check whether or not you will be able to achieve your career progression goals that way, otherwise you are just wasting your time. Your lifestyle will have a lot to do with the work you choose; sometimes people who are dealing with pressures at home are looking for an easy job to make the most out of their lives.
Family Life
In some cases, timing is important. If you have a young family at home, it might not be the right time to focus on building your career. You will have to balance things and ensure that your family is OK. In case you are looking to relocate, you will have to look for a position with an international or nationwide company that will provide you continuous employment and security. For many people family comes first, but you can align your personal and career goals if you plan ahead.
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Work-life Balance
There are a lot of people talking about work-life balance, but it is not a rule set in stone. According to some people, work-life balance doesn’t exist at all. In fact, it is what you make out of it. If you don’t have time to grow and develop professionally, you will not get on the career ladder. If you cannot relax and focus on your personal growth, you will be more likely to break under pressure instead of handling it in a healthy way.
Travel
If you would like to land in your dream job, you often need to make sacrifices. You might become a leader of a group, a national manager, and this will come with a lot of traveling. Leaving your family for days or even weeks might not be for you, so you will always need to consider this aspect of the job before you sign the promotion papers and accept the offer. You also have to make sure that you are getting compensated enough for the time away from your family.
Your Experience
You need to be realistic when it comes to choosing your next career move. If you have gained experience in one industry, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stick with the same type of company. You can start fresh and transfer some of your skills and experience to another business area that will provide you with better training and development packages. You might not need to make a full U-turn, just steer in a slightly different direction.
Dealing with Pressure
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The majority of mental health issues people suffer from today are associated with work pressure. Before you choose your career path, you need to know exactly what you sign up for. Being responsible for hundreds of people or the safety of the public comes with a lot of stress. While the title might look good on your CV, you should not go for the money and the formal recognition only.
Disabilities and Personal Limitations
You might have some personal limitations you have to consider when choosing your dream job. If you hated driving, you would not be a bus driver or join a taxi firm. The same applies to disabilities. If you know that sitting by the computer is causing you lower back pain, you will need to choose a more active role. If you have mobility issues, however, you can get in touch with Disability Employment Providers helping you find the most suitable roles.
Career Progression
It is also crucial that you focus on the long term goals in life instead of earning enough money now and being stuck in a dead-end job. If you would like to provide for your family long term, you have to focus on pension savings, health insurance, and building your professional profile, too. Look at the reputation of the company you are joining to make sure they will still be around when you apply for your next promotion. It might be better to start at a lower level and getting the support to progress your career.
The Industry
When you sit down and write down the characteristics of your ideal job, pick your industry as well as your role. Make sure that the industry is developing constantly and your job is not going to be replaced by robots. There are several things to consider; future regulations, the number of professionals being trained currently, the competition for jobs, and the work environment. You might be an experienced project manager, but standing at construction sites all day might not be your ideal work environment.
Your Personal Values
If there is one thing that people forget about when choosing an industry or a company to work for and build their career in, it is the value alignment between their personal beliefs and the company’s mission. If you are in the financial sector, for example, you might come across an ethical dilemma when selling insurance or other products, and this will make you feel like you are displaced in your career. Find out as much as possible about the ethical issues that might arise, so there will be no value conflict later on.
Work Culture
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We spend more time in the workplace than we usually spend at home awake during the week, and this is why you need to consider the workplace culture when choosing your career path. There are certain things you need to check; the atmosphere of the office, the benefits that come with the job, the collaboration between colleagues, and the support offered for your career progression. The workplace needs to be professional, but if it is too competitive and there are a lot of conflicts, you might not be able to stay too long.
Challenging Yourself
An ideal workplace should also challenge you to become the best version of yourself. Whether you are looking to improve your skills, increase your professional reputation, or transform the company, you will need the support. If you land in a job that is too easy for you, and you feel like you are completing finger exercises all the time, you will never be able to grow professionally or personally. Don’t go for a role you are already perfect at; push yourself further and create your personal challenges that will land you in a higher role or with more achievements to be proud of.
When it comes to choosing an ideal career, it is important that you choose carefully. Consider the industry’s future, your long term career and personal development goals, as well as your lifestyle and family commitments. Ask people who are currently working in the role or in the specific industry or company about the culture the work-life balance, and the growth potential before you commit yourself.
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