Or, do you want to shift careers entirely? What might that look like?
Make A List (and Study It More Than Twice)
Start out by writing down yourvalues wish list, and spend a couple of weeks refining it.
What life experiences have shaped your values and beliefs? What do you want to fix or whom do you want to impact?
Think about the values you liked and disliked in previous jobs. Were there activities or responsibilities outside your job description you particularly enjoyed? What is missing now?
Are there things you never want to do again, and why? Are there words (innovative, fast-growing, creative, international, flexible, intuitive, honesty, respect) that describe your ideal career?
TIP! If you need more time, one trick is to send yourself some prescheduled email messages every few weeks (or months) with reminders to continue focusing on acareer that aligns with your values.
Get Real Answers
Once you’ve focused your list, then work to formulate questions around this list that help you probe the issues that are important to you. This is where an experienced executive recruiter can provide valuable and strategic guidance.
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to derive meaningful answers about a company’s climate by asking those questions directly — i.e. “Do you have a collaborative work environment?” A better approach is to come up with a scenario and/or find indirect ways to have them “show” you versus “tell” you the answer.
Consider: What is your typical cadence of interaction with your team and peers? How often do you have team meetings? What are you typically discussing? What would you expect in terms of team interactions with this new hire?
Would we be talking every day or meeting one-on-one once a month? What does your approval process for XYZ look like? (If they need to have six people sign off on something, then you’ve got your answer!) How long does it typically take?
Some factors, such as equity compensation, are either present or not, depending on whether you are going after a promising start-up or a publicly traded Fortune 1000 company.
But taking time to define your values at the outset will help you align your career with your life and make 2019 a year to remember.
Is 2019 an inflection point in your career? Has this overview reminded you to take some time to reflect and be more proactive with your career, so you can find your ultimate happy place? I’d love to hear from you!
