After my last article on How To Dynamically Manage Your Career, I have received some messages (by the way thank you for them! Text me always and don’t hesitate to comment right under the post!). You were asking why is it so important to manage your career if you just pursued your degree and How can you know what’s right if you still didn’t have work experience.

That is THE most important time to create a plan for your career, set the direction that you are going to follow. Cuz you know: failing to plan is planning to fail.

Discover core interests

When at the beginning of your career you make career decisions look to satisfy your core interests first.

Why? Research shows that a strong “interests match” with a job generate the greatest likelihood of satisfaction. You will learn needed skills; it’s a way harder to build a sense of connection to work that doesn’t interest you. A job that addresses your core interests will keep you motivated and resilient.

What are core interests? Core interests reflect how you engage with the world. For instance, you may have a core interest in creative production like I do, and spend your free time drawing or writing music. You may love to influence people through ideas — and run a blog 😉

Exercise

When making a career change or setting it up for the first time, your interests, more than your skills or experience, should determine your direction. Use this exercise to assess where your interests lie. You may be motivated by more than one of these.

Rate how strongly the following core interests describe you: 1=does not describe me at all, to 5=describes me perfectly.*

I like to figure out how technology can be used to make life better. I am curious about how things work.

  1    2    3    4    5

I see data and numbers as the best, and sometimes only, way to figure out business solutions.

  1    2    3    4    5

I enjoy developing theories and thinking and debating abstract ideas.

  1    2    3    4    5

I love to turn original ideas into something tangible. I flourish in seeing and acting on possibilities.

  1    2    3    4    5

I find nothing more enjoyable than teaching and helping others.

  1    2    3    4    5

I thrive on dealing with people and enabling them to produce results.

  1    2    3    4    5

I prefer to be the “one in charge” and the decision maker. I like to be the final authority in the situation.

  1    2    3    4    5

I flourish in communication—whether written or spoken. I love to express ideas and to persuade others.

  1    2    3    4    5

*Career Management topic, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017. Harvard Business School Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

The previous eight statements match up with the following eight core interests:

1. Technology application 
2. Quantitative analysis
3. Conceptual thinking
4. Creative production
5. Counseling and mentoring
6. Managing people and relationships
7. Enterprise control
8. Influence through language and ideas

List the two core interests for which you gave yourself the highest ratings.

Answer the following question: How might you better tap into those core interests in your future job?

Why Manage Career

I have attended a personal development event in Manchester last Saturday and there was a girl who has almost pursued her Ph.D. and she wasn’t happy with her choice anymore. She wants to change her career now but she feels obligated to finish what had been started years ago and she refuses to think that she has wasted so many years on something she isn’t interested in. Unfortunately, I hear this story way too often and by the way, I have experienced it on myself as well. But, guys, trust me, it is up to you right now in this second to take your life under control and start doing things that you love.

Cheers,

~NJ