Maybe when you were a young entrepreneur, writing your first code, you probably saw yourself becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg. But now you have cleared your adolescence and your dreams are turning into a more underwhelming reality. Before you are placed in what the Wall Street Journal calls a “workplace U-turn,” it’s time to learn how your childhood goals of making an impact in the industry can still be achievable, with a little self-reflection guidance from yours truly.
If you are top talent but don’t feel you are making the most of your current skills in your role, don’t fear the unknown or the process of deciding to take on a new opportunity! According to Dana Levin-Robinson, Chief of Staff at VirtualHealth via the Muse, she came to the tech field from advertising and she attributes her career satisfaction to persistence and awareness of the kind of career she wanted. It’s never too late to apply your skills to a company that aligns more with your career goals.
So how exactly can you decide if your skills are best being used in your current role?
The first step in figuring out which way to go is to…
- Open up your mind.
- Self-reflect on your reality
- Weigh the benefits of finding something even better.
Forbes provides an excellent list of the 10 signs you are in the right job and the 10 signs you aren’t. Read more about those signals here.
To make your reflection simpler, here are a few questions our talent advocates recommend considering when you think about your career optimization and choosing that perfect gig:
- What do I naturally excel at doing, within my job?
- What would I not mind doing all day if money did not play a role?
- What are some things that I realized that I know I don’t enjoy?
- Which of my talents would I like to focus on more?
- What exactly do you envision as my dream job?
- What topics or issues that I am passionate about in my personal life? (even Zuckerberg makes time to consider this in his career!)
- What do I like in my current job that I would want to follow in my next job?
- How can I give myself permission to live the life for the position that I want in my life that I deserve?
- What kind of managerial do I want to be or work under?
- Is there room to get promoted?
Asking yourself those questions helps you literally admit some things that you may have never said out loud. This opens your mind and gives you the ante you need to weigh the benefits of a new role.
We definitely don’t think that all talent could benefit from changing roles at all times! Our talent advocates work every day to help top talent analyze their current career position, assist in making decisions about a time to move, and offer a place in the marketplace to remain anonymous and inactive. This way, talent can still benefit from the career resources available in the Skillgigs app, without actively looking for a new job.
If you feel you’re at the right job at this point in your career and just need a few confirmations to make sure that you are where you need to be, check out the following list:
- You lose track of time while you are at work.
- You are fulfilling tasks that you would do, regardless if money was on the line.
- Your boss is smart and forward-thinking.
- Almost every week, you are challenged and find yourself experiencing something new.
- When people ask about your job, you don’t dread talking about it.
- The company’s mission aligns with your beliefs and what you look for in a job.
- You vibe well with the company culture.
- You feel you can rely on your team and you know you can count on your co-workers.
- The pay reflects your real market value. (Unsure what that is right now? Audit your RMV here – https://app.skillgigs.com/RealMarketValue)
- You have mutual respect with your supervisors
- Your overall confidence is increased, the longer you stand in your current position.
