I’ve been providing
career & life coaching to creative professionals for more than 15 years.
I’m always looking for a clearer way to describe concepts like career planning
and career development. Then, on a recent early morning walk, I had an
epiphany!
There’s a clear, simple
way to think about Your Ideal Creative Career. Here are the Top 3 components of
your Ideal Creative Career:
Your Ideal Career = The Right Work + With The Right
People + With The Right Working Conditions
There are other
factors. And, when I do career coaching with you, you and I will examine them
in depth. Curious about these other factors? Watch this blog, I’ll be writing
about them. For now, I want to take a brief look at the Top 3.
#1 The Right Work
Nothing brings more
satisfaction and happiness than doing
the work you love. That’s why I’ve listed “The Right Work†as the number
one factor in your Ideal Creative Career. How can I help you identify The Right
Work? I primarily use 2 industry standard career instruments: the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and the Career Direction Inventory (CDI). Sometimes, I
will have clients complete the Career Values Scale. Additionally, I would have
you work through exercises to identify your Vision, Life Purpose, and Gift(s).
#2 The Right People
Doing the right work is
critical to your satisfaction and success. But, if you’re working with toxic
coworkers or clients work won’t work. So, when I work with clients we focus on
identifying the kind of people they want/need to be with.
Here’s an example. I
coached a colleague who is a communications and IT professional, writer, and
aspiring novelist. She needed to return to ‘real’ work and was looking for a
part-time job. I had her complete the CDI to identify her top 3 interest areas.
And, we did some careful work to specify the kind of people she wanted to work
with. These factors focused and shaped her work search and she found just the
job she wanted! She loves the work and the people in her work group – oh, and
hubby loves her having a steady pay cheque.
#3 The Right Working Conditions
You love your work. You
love your coworkers and clients. But, you hate the conditions at work. There
goes happiness out the door. I’ll give you an example. I have a brother-in-law
who loved being a mechanic in the Canadian Navy. But, he’s over 6 feet tall and
work sucked every time he was assigned to submarine duty. Small bunks, low
doors, and tight workspaces did a lot to make his tours of duty less than
satisfying.
Here’s some homework you can do, if you choose.
Spend some time thinking about the 3 factors I’ve outlined and what they are
for your Ideal Creative Career. Then share your Ideal Creative Career here at my
Blog.
