US News lists the five secrets of a rewarding career as follows:
1. It's better to take home less money, and enjoy what you're doing, than hate your job and live for the weekend.
2. Don't be afraid to move around and try different jobs.
3. Make the best of a bad situation.
4. No matter how brilliant you are, you need interpersonal skills.
5. Everyone needs some autonomy and the ability to direct their own work load.
Here's my take on these:
1. I call this "doing what you like." very few people can make a decent living doing what they love. For instance, I love sleeping in late, watching old movies, and playing video games, but those don't pay much. Instead I do what I like and generally enjoy (work in business) and am also able to make a good salary.
2. I have moved around a bit in my career as follows:
- Company #1 -- lasted 2 years in the same job
- Company #2 -- lasted 5 years in five different jobs
- Company #3 -- lasted 5 years in three different jobs
- Company #4 -- lasted 5 years in two different jobs
- Company #5 -- so far has lasted 8 years in the same job (and it's my favorite so far!)
That said, all of my jobs were in the same area of business so they were fairly similar. The differences were in the fact that they were with a variety of products and in different business situations.
3. Twice I've had a job that I HATED. And I mean REALLY, REALLY HATED. In each case I suffered through until I found a suitable replacement. I did NOT quit my job before I had another one since it could have derailed my most valuable asset.
4. Everyone has seen the guy who is a great performer but has no people skills and thus he gets nowhere in his career. Why? Because he has no interpersonal skills and people don't like him -- and being likeable is as important to career success as performance is.
5. Said another way, no one likes someone else breathing over their shoulders every day and telling them what to do every minute.
IMO, this is a pretty good list. What's your take on it?
I wonder how many people really find their careers rewarding. It seems that a lot of people stick with what they're doing even if they don't necessarily enjoy it. I somewhat enjoy my career, but I wouldn't say I love it. Unfortunately since I've stuck with it for so long, I feel like switching to another field would be a huge challenge. Maybe I need to work on my interpersonal skills too lol.
Posted by: Modest Money | April 04, 2012 at 04:37 PM
If I could get paid to sleep in and play video games, then I would be set!
Posted by: Rick Francis | April 04, 2012 at 07:19 PM
#4 is crucial. Being likeable can be the most important part of network building (the first impression!).
Posted by: HP | April 04, 2012 at 09:27 PM
I think that it does definitely come down to the necessity to have others respect you while you're doing your work. All of the 'real' jobs that I've ever had, I've left because of this one.
Posted by: Emily Hunter | April 05, 2012 at 05:09 AM
This list is right on the mark. I have moved around several times in growing my career. In 2006, I made a move to a company that I thought would be my final move. The company was privately owned and run by the 6th generation of family members. The family had no intention of selling the business, but that changed during the recession. They sold the company to a much larger company and I went with the merger.
I absolutely loved my job when the company was owned by the family. As time has moved on with the new company, I am finding that I no longer enjoy my work, despite the fact that I have an extremely attractive compensation package. I am fortunate enough to have been offered jobs at several other companies, including the ability to run my own company. I suspect that I will make a change in a year. I just want to make sure I select the right opportunity.
Posted by: JimL | April 05, 2012 at 07:13 AM
I agree with "doing what you like." Once I dabbled on the side in getting paid for doing one of the things I truly loved (painting pictures of classic cars) and I actually disliked having someone else tell me what to create. I suddenly became a procrastinator, which is something that I had never been before. Sometimes these types of things are better left as hobbies for your own sake-you'll enjoy them more.
I guess I could get paid for the other thing I really love, doing burnouts and accelerating fast. But I think I would have a hard time making the shift from being a consultant to being a professional drag racer, and my wife wouldn't like it!
Posted by: J | April 05, 2012 at 08:12 AM
I think the list is dead-on. My last job was a job that I HATED as well. I stayed until I found another one. Now I truly enjoy my job. Sure I would love to be able to sleep in and do whatever I want, but coming to my current job isn't depressing.
Posted by: MoneySmartGuides | April 05, 2012 at 12:45 PM
I'm one of those lucky people who do what they love AND get paid really well to do it. (I'm a contract corporate trainer, currently working as a medical software instructor.)
I'm not a brilliant person. I have a high school diploma, a few years of college and no degree. But the one thing I do possess is interpersonal skills. I can teach anyone from unskilled laborers to highly specialized doctors, and treat each with dignity that doesn't pander. Those people skills are one of the reasons students specifically request me as their instructor.
I did a job that I hated once. I lasted a week.
Posted by: Nick | April 07, 2012 at 07:32 AM
I hated my first job after college. However, I did learn a lot moving out of state for it (it was right after the dotcom crash so I wasn't too choosy on where to work). I learned about living on my own and how to make the best of a bad situation. When I look back at the job I hated, I realized just how much it taught me and prepared me for my current job which I love.
Posted by: Brent | April 07, 2012 at 07:06 PM
#1 is my mantra!
Posted by: EmilyInTheGreen | July 13, 2012 at 12:55 PM