HOW TO MOVE FROM A JOB TO A CAREER

FROM A JOB TO A CAREER

The complexities in our lives including survival, responsibilities, uncertainties, adequate provision, security, knowledge, capacities, pressure and happiness many times leave us confused about what our lives truly represent, what we’re doing, what we should be doing, why we should be doing it and for how long we should remain at it.

I’m specifically talking about our employment today. Many of us start off in employment with high expectations. We want to do what we love and enjoy, and in return, be adequately rewarded. We want to do well, be paid well, rise fast and be comfortable in life.

Many start off with tall dreams of becoming a senior personnel or even a director in the shortest possible time. We all start off our employments looking forward to an exciting rewarding career future.

There’s a level of confidence and determination we all have at the initial stage, there is this belief we can do the work and deliver on our career dreams, we’re just sure all we want from employment is all we would get, nothing will and can stop us.

If you’re lucky to get employed in a well-established organization, a reputable organization, a world class establishment, your satisfaction with employment is usually higher. You don’t see or treat that employment as a temporary option, you rest and relax in it, and then position yourself for the very top of the organization.

Many of us, perhaps with the help and guidance of our supervisors, bosses or HR advisers develop for us a career path; a road map to the top of our careers, and with this, we believe shall get here, happily and in good time too.

However, when the work really begins, when we begin to really get entrenched in our day to day work activities, the realities of being employed begin to stare us right in the face. Many of us begin to face tremendous work pressure. Capacity competence and efficiency limitations tend to make us appear ill equipped or inept for our roles and responsibilities.

With intense work pressure, we surprisingly begin to fail on deadlines, can’t deliver efficiently on tasks, we make several mistakes and start experiencing relationship issues with colleagues, bosses, subordinates, clients an customer. We subsequently get into many troubles with our immediate bosses, subordinates, clients and customers. We subsequently get into many troubles with our immediate bosses, supervisors or even directors.

Mails upon mails, memos upon memos, lamenting, complaining and threats begin to pour in based on our inability to live up to expectations on our jobs, we consequently begin to doubt ourselves; fear gradually creeps in and with fear comes anxiety and with anxiety comes more mistakes.

Subsequently we get an average appraisal and we become even more afraid, we begin to see ourselves differently from how we used to, we begin to wonder if we are capable of dealing with the pressure, the people, the politics and uncertainties that come with our employment. We become discouraged, distracted and desperate and suddenly, all we just want is to retain our employment. Our thinking and orientation is readjusted from a point of service and value creation in the organization to pleasing and impressing the boss and decision makers. We become afraid of our employment.

We feel insecure and begin to see our employment as a privilege not an opportunity to manifest our great abilities. Many of us, losing faith in ourselves and what we can actually do sadly, via into office politics; playing games and trying to impress the powerful people, hoping and believing they’ll have our backs when push comes to shove. Eye service, blind loyalty, snitching, gossip, boot licking and manipulation become our tools in employment.

Suddenly our bright career degenerates to the level of an ordinary job; ordinary employment. Unfortunately many employees today are this way and believe it’s the way to succeed in career. So sad.

Dear friend, permit me to highlight the difference between managing your career and keeping your job. I believe from the following juxtapose, you’d know if you’re managing your career or retaining a job:

1. People with jobs work for income. Their drive and motivation to wake up and go to the office daily is income, regular salary. People in career however work for purpose. They wake up each morning thinking of what to achieve, deliver and conquer at work. Career people are purpose driven. Job people are salary driven.
2. Employers determine the income and salary of people in jobs, people managing their careers however, negotiate their salaries and demand what they want from their employer and they get it.
3. People with jobs are told what to do, they just follow instructions on what to do, no initiative; don’t engage in creative thinking. People in career however, advice leadership on what to do, they create solutions. They use their initiative, they’re thinkers; they have answers, they have superior solutions and reason logically and confidently.
4. People with jobs are uncertain about tomorrow, they’re not sure if they’ll still be employed if anything happens in the future. Career folks however have their journeys mapped out. They determine where to work and for how long and the next place or stage they want to move to. They control their career future.
5. People in jobs follow the trend; they go for MBAs because everyone’s doing it, they go for project management because everyone’s doing it, they do things because it’s the reigning thing. People in career however have a planned out career path. They know what to do and what they need for their journey, they make their choices not on what is popular but what they need. They don’t move with the trend, they set the trend.
6. People in jobs keep working until they’re fired or retired. People managing careers remain relevant even after retirement from paid employment. Companies, institutions, want them for lectures and on their board. Even the government offers them responsibilities and appointments at age 70 and above. They become consultants.
7. Finally people in jobs are dominated and controlled; weak anxious and fearful, people in careers however dominate and take charge, very confident; they make things happen.

Dear friend, do you just have a job, are you just retaining your employment or you’re still in charge of your career?

Think about this. What you really need is a career not just a job. Move from a job to a career today.

HERITAGE BUSINESS TRAINING INC. offers the following training;

• Business Development Training
• Professional Speaking Training
• Corporate Human Resource Training
• ICT Resource Training
• Event Facilitation Training
• Innovative Facilitation Training
• Corporate Presentation Training

     
With company Executives, CEOs, scheduled to hold on Thursdays of every week for prospective PARTNERSHIP into different organizations that offers Executive Training on Corporate Presentations and Motivational Speaking.

LOCATION: Airport Road, Ikeja. Time: 9am prompt. Ensure you come along with 2 passport photographs.

Training Registration: N5,000

To Qualify, Text or Whatsapp: “Business Career Training”/Phone Number/Location/Email Address to: (+234-8163154120) for Reservation.