Fix It Friday! Is It Me or Is It the Wrong Career Choice

Fix It Friday! Is It Me or Is It the Wrong Career Choice Making the wrong career choice is a huge fear many transitioning job seekers face. Heres how to assess career fit early in the decision making process. Fix it Friday is about answering your questions! Thanks for this readers question (which I have edited for brevity): I went back to school to get a Masters in research science, convinced that I would absolutely love it. I did like the school, but I have now had 4 experiences in the last 2 years in research labs which were all rather negative. After the first couple, I thought it was the lab. Now, Im thinking maybe I made a bad decision? The last job was such a horrible fit, I felt the need to quit. All the jobs seemed ideal at the interview. I have a couple part-time jobs to help with income, but I really need a full-time job. Do you have any suggestions for career guidance?   Fit Means Many Different Things Many factors go in to a job and career being a good fit. These are the things I think are important to take into consideration: interests skills company culture personal work style emotional intelligence It sometimes takes soul searching, assessment and pen and paper to see whats not working. And quite honestly, when you think about what it takes to find a good fit or better yet, the perfect job, it is amazingly difficult! The wrong career choice can make you unhappy and not allow you to perform your best. Before you go leaping into another job that may not be a good fit, pleaseconsider these things! Skills Are the skills you are using the ones you enjoy using? We all have the capability to do lots of things, but if you dont enjoy what you are doing, then theres a problem. It could be, in your case, that you loved learning concepts in the classroom, however, doing them on the job is a different story. Make a list of the times you were happy in your jobs and specifically what you were doing and who were you helping. Interests Do your interests align with what you are doing? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing during your free time? Again, it could be that you dont care much for lab work or maybe there isnt the greater intrinsic motivation behind what you are doing. In other words, you dont see the value in the work you are doing. Company Culture The culture of a company (including management style) can make or break even the best job. If you have ever had a wonderful boss, make a list of the things they did that made working for them a great experience. These are the qualities you should be looking for during your interviews with future managers. Company culture can be hard to pinpoint during the interview, but asking questions can help you. Create a list of what you are looking for in your next job! In case you need a definition, Wikipedia defines organizational culture as:   the organization values, visions, norms, working language, systems, symbols, beliefs and habits. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviors and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling. Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.   Your Personal Work Style When are you at your best? In the workplace, how do you perform? Are you great working by yourself? Do you like to take on new challenges and projects? Are you a self-starter? Do you crave great work instructions? There are many assessments that can help you pinpoint your preferred work style. Myers-Briggs, DISC and Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II) are several I am familiar with. Though they cost money to take, your career center may be able to administer them at no cost. Emotional IQ At the end of the day, your success is largely dependent on your emotional intelligence. Self-Awareness is how accurately you can identify your emotions in the moment and understand your tendencies across time and situation. Self-Management is how you use awareness of your emotions to create the behavior that you want. Social Awareness is how well you read the emotions of other people. Relationship Management is how you use the first three emotional intelligence skills to manage your interactions with other people. The good news is that you can develop your emotional intelligenceif you want to. Leadership IQ conducted a study which found 46% of new hires were no longer employed after 18 months due to a lack of emotional intelligence. Find the Intersection Take a good hard look at what is important to you and what you LOVE doing! Thats the foundation of making a smart career choice. Be honest with yourself or get outside help if you need to. When you dont take time to evaluate all these things, youre more likely to make the wrong career choice or one based on things that really arent that important to you. Got a job search question? Would you like an answer to your job search question? Add it here and chances are really good that Ill answer it! Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Enter your questionWebsiteSubmit