Why You Need the “Right Job”
Here’s a story for you.
I’ve spent most of my life feeling confused about my career. I’ve held 9 different jobs, had 3 career changes, and moved 7 times in 5 years. Most of these were life circumstances being married to an active duty service member, but it really got me thinking about what my career could look like given our unpredictable circumstances.
While we were stationed at Ft. Carson, CO, I finally gave myself permission to take a step back and really think about what I wanted out of my career. Could I make a traditional career path work for me as a military spouse? Would changing jobs every few years look bad on my resume? Would the gaps on my resume concern employers?
When we landed in CO, I decided to go back for my master’s degree in leadership and pursue a career helping people with just that, their career. My husband was deployed at the start of my master’s program which allowed me to really dig into what I loved so much about the career development world. I found that the more I learned about it and practiced my skill set, the more engaged I was in the work.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself stepping into a full time Career Counselor position at a new organization. At 31, after almost 13 years of exploration and experimentation across different roles and industries, I finally found my career alignment- a rare convergence of values, interests, skills and personality traits.
This position became more than just a job for me. It was part of who I am and helped me discover what this new version of myself could look like. I had just become a mother and was trying to align my personal and professional identities in a way that would help me feel more balanced. I found true career alignment in this role because:
My departments values and my values were very similar. As a new mom, work/life balance was a priority and a non-negotiable for me. I can’t even tell you how many days I missed work during my son’s first year. But with every sickness and change to my schedule, I was met with support and trust.
My personality was a good fit for the environment. I have a very strong introverted personality and was taking on a position where I would need to extrovert daily. Individual coaching sessions, presentations, team meetings etc. would easily pack my day every week. But, in this environment I was able to have control over my schedule and determine when I needed some extra introvert time to recover.
My strengths shined in this position. I am an incredibly empathetic problem solver. I love to listen to people, their stories, their struggles, and help them find a path forward that is clear and direct. I not only identified my strengths at the start of taking on this new role, but then was able to lean into that and find ways to utilize them in my work.
My interest in this work was unparalleled. I wasn’t just interested in this work, I found my flow here. I had peak engagement and motivation in what I was doing which made every day at work fun.
So why am I telling you this.
I’m sharing this because I hope it provides a picture of what career alignment looks like. Your day to day feels so much different when you find a role that clicks. When my career is aligned, I feel happier, I’m more engaged in my relationships, I’m not as tired, and I’m excited to go to work every day.
I’m sharing this because I want you to know that feeling fulfilled in your career isn’t a myth. It isn’t something that only a few special people get to experience. I’ve helped hundreds of women land their dream job and finally feel like they are living the life they always wanted.
I’m sharing this because career alignment doesn’t have to feel out of reach. It doesn’t have to feel like this daunting thing that you will never accomplish or never be able to figure out. The reality is, more and more people are chasing after it but aren’t quite sure where to start. This is normal, and sometimes we just need a little help getting there.
Lastly, I’m sharing this, because I want YOU to experience this with me. I want to help you increase your career alignment so that you can also experience:
· Increased self-confidence
· Identification of your skills, attributes, and unique value proposition
· A more defined career path
· Stronger relationships
· A better work-life balance
I can tell you from my own personal experience, and from working with hundreds of clients that career alignment is finding true career happiness. Life is too short to spend 40 hours a week unhappy in a position. If you don’t feel like your current job is the right fit, it’s probably not. Now my only question is what’s holding you back?
To get started on your career alignment journey, check out the Career Alignment Workbook at www.cocareeracademy.com!
