Another year is about to end. If you’re like most people, you will be unable to resist the urge to assess the last year as it pertains to your career, family life, social situation, and health. Here is a simple guide to help you assess your career situation.
First, you will need to prioritize what is important to you in your career. Start with a list of 5 to 10 items of your ideal job attributes. Here are a few of mine: intellectual challenge, team environment, sense of accomplishment, financial reward, manageable workload, and schedule control. You should start with a long list and then narrow the focus. Then (perhaps most difficult) force rank them into your priority list.
Now score your current job from 1 to 5 as it pertains to these factors. Where is there the greatest mismatch between your ideal job and your current job? Is it something that can be fixed within your current job? If so, try to find ways to get the scores higher, and set goals for the next year. Otherwise, can you accept the mismatch? If not, then maybe it’s time for a change.
Come back to your list every 4 to 6 months, with your previously identified plans for improvement in hand, and rescore each item. Did you accomplish your goals? Why? Why not? Are there other ways to improve the situation that did not occur to you the last time? If there are, give it another try. It’s probably worth the effort.
Next year, on December 31st, 2008, reassess where you are. Maybe your situation will have changed? Your priorities may have even changed. Hopefully you will find yourself in a better career situation as you head into 2009.
