Starting a successful career can be fraught with challenges. Since we tend to judge success in varying terms and often we don’t even know what success means for us. We tend to compare others’ success with our situation and come up short when in reality what you need to do is to have a definition of success which fits us individually, develop a plan to move towards that definition and move towards that definition consistently.
The first step in choosing a career is to determine what success means for you. So the first part of this article will deal with how you can define what success means to you. There are many definitions of success which are generalized. Such things like a high income, freedom of daily activities, fulfilling and valuable work and social status have all been written about ad nauseum. The problem is that all these definitions are generalizations which do not transfer well to individual circumstances.
To have true success you first must have a definition of success which suits you and your individual circumstances. To do that you will have to spend some time defining what success means for you today, realizing that it will change as time passes.
To have a definition of success which can point you in the right direction you need one which is personalized which leads to the first four steps of starting a successful career which fits you.
- Know what is important to you
- Know your personality type
- Identify your interests
Why knowing what is important to you imperative for success
If I was a betting man I would wager that financial success is high on most people’s list when it comes to their definition of success. This is why it is a prominent feature in most articles about having a successful career but for most people it is not the most important feature of how they would consider themselves to be successful. Other things like life balance, enjoying their work, and having a positive impact on society can be higher on their list than financial rewards.
Don’t believe me then consider Mother Teresa. I think you could not contest that she was wildly successful in her career (the care and feeding of the desperately poor). She started and developed many care centers around the world, starting in Calcutta India. She never had any form of wealth, spending everything she was given in the support of her mission.
Now before you think that financial success is somehow immoral you need to understand that financial rewards have been the driver for many great improvements in society. The point here is everyone has a different value system and when determining your definition of success you need to take into account those things which are most important to you rather than trying to fit yourself into other people’s definitions.
When you are working on something you feel is valuable you will be in a better position to maintain concentration, energy and interest levels. You will have the advantage of being interested and therefore able to pay attention to the work you are doing.
There are some studies which indicate that physical and mental health is better for those who do what they consider meaningful work. There is less absenteeism, attrition and unproductive activity for those who believe they are providing a valuable service to themselves, their community and/or society in general(1).
Why knowing your personality style is important to career success
Your personality style has a great effect on your effectiveness on a chosen career and should not be ignored. Although there are several variations of personality style tests which can be taken they mostly revolve around the big five personality traits:
- extraversion
- agreeableness
- openness
- conscientiousness
- neuroticism
Everyone has a combination of each of these traits to a greater or lesser degree and they influence your ability to perform well in any career(2). Some careers are highly creative which require a constant flow of new ideas and creative solutions while others require diligence to detail and consistent actions over extended periods of time for success.
There are several studies which are focused on which personality trait is most correlated with success(3), with the idea that you should develop those specific traits to be successful. This is wrong. There have been some studies(4) which indicate that personality traits are mutable to some degree but it takes extended periods of time, effort and dedication to accomplish.
It is unclear if those who have developed skills in areas which they are not naturally competent are more or less successful than if they would have taken advantage of the traits they started with or if the trait changes are permanent but unless you have some external reason why you should spend the time and money in this effort, consider the type of career you could have with the current traits you have.
How knowing what you are interested in improves career success
Consider the last time you sat through a very boring lecture, something which you were not interested in. It does not matter what the lecture was for, it only matters how you felt as the lecture progressed. The way time seemed to slow down to a crawl as you looked repeatedly at it several times a minute. You find it hard to stay awake or maintain a calm exterior.
Now imagine that you have chosen that subject for your career. Just how successful will you be in your chosen career? Will you be excited to get to work everyday or will you dread every workday and live for your time off?
Now consider the last time you spent time doing something you were interested in. How often did you look at the clock and wish it would speed up? If you looked at the clock at all you most likely wished it would slow down so you could have more time doing what you were interested in.
A career takes time. You will have to spend time gaining the skills and knowledge needed to perform your duties competently and much more time to excel at them. Do you really want to spend all that time learning things you are not interested in or would you prefer studying what you are interested in?
Having an interest provides the student with a better outcome for learning subjects (5). This means that you will be more likely to succeed in a learning task if you are interested in the subject than if you are being forced to learn it.
If you have chosen something you are interested in you will need much less emotional energy, discipline and encouragement to remain engaged in it. This will provide you a great advantage in becoming highly competent in the industry.
Why having a well written definition of success improves career performance
Without a specific, well written definition of success you will not have a track to follow. Every success guru will stress the idea that you will need a well laid out track to follow if you want to achieve success. This leads them to a long dissertation about the importance of goals.
Although goals are an important piece of the puzzle the first thing anyone needs to have is a goalpost. In football the goal is to cross the goal line with the ball as many times as possible or to kick the ball between to goal posts as often as possible but what happens when there is no goal line or goal post?
To have a chance of success you must know where the goal post is and what it means to score. This is where your definition of success comes in. You have to use your own definition of success to truly ‘score’ in the game as achieving goals defined by others often leads to frustration and unhappiness, not a good definition of success.
Research professions which fit into your definition of success
Now that you have your definition of success you can start to research professions which would fit into that definition. Do some brainstorming and come up with a list of possible professions you think might work.
Once you have a list of professions, do some research on each. If you know anyone in any of them ask them what it is like, what they enjoy and what aspects they don’t. This will give you a good idea of some of the things you haven’t considered. Other resources include job descriptions, HR professionals and business owners themselves.
Consider your situation
Everyone’s situation is different. You may be young with adequate access to financial resources or you may have dependents which rely on you for support. These considerations are important as they affect your choices for education, employment options, job opportunities and a variety of other things which are unique to you.
Before you decide on a career path you need to determine what your situation is. You may need to maintain or increase your income rapidly or you may have time to develop your career at a steady pace more conducive to long term success.
Another consideration is your education options. Statistically only 60% of university students graduate with a four year degree. Those who don’t finish their university degrees are then straddled with debt which needs to be repaid without the benefit of the higher income which often accompanies a degree. To learn whether or not you should consider a university degree or not read this article here for an in depth explanation of its pros and cons.
You will be able to eliminate several careers simply by talking to those in the industry.
Determine the education requirement
If you want a professional career you will need some form of schooling. Whether it is a short training program or a university degree or higher some schooling will be involved. Before you make the decision which of the options you have left on your list consider how much schooling you will have to have before you can enter the profession.
Once you know the schooling requirement, consider your situation. Are you willing to undertake the amount of schooling for each of the options you have remaining on your list? Eliminate any you feel are over your schooling commitment level.
Consider your skills and abilities
You may want to have a particular career but is it really possible for you? You have to ask yourself are you able or are you willing to acquire the skills necessary for the work you are going to have to perform?
This includes things like physical actions, accelerated learning and social skills. Each career has a set of skills which are needed to be successful so be sure you are willing and able to perform these skills before you invest your time and money in pursuing it.
Abilities are different then skills. Abilities are tied to your physical and psychological being. You know what your abilities are. Consider the demands of the professions you are interested in and eliminate any which are beyond your ability to perform comfortably. You may be able to augment your abilities with accommodations, if this is the case then consider what accommodations you will need and make a note of its cost and availability.
Narrow down your options and look for similarities
By eliminating options from your list you may feel you are limiting your career options but in fact you are improving your chances of having a successful working life. If you eliminate options which you are not greatly suited for at the beginning of your search you will not waste time on career paths you will not be successful at, enjoy in the long run and be able to maintain over the long haul.
To narrow your options, review your three lists you made in the first three steps. You will have already consulted these lists to look for similarities between the three aspects of your personality. You now need to eliminate options. By removing options from your possible list of careers you will be able to focus your time and energy on. This will increase your chances of success.
Once you have narrowed down your options, look for similarities in the remaining ones. This will help you to start on a career plan without limiting your options dramatically. By looking for similarities you can devise a plan which will enable you to have several career options once you have completed your education and training.
Decide on a path
It is time to decide on a path to follow. Are you going to go to university, trade school or some other training program? With your options in mind, what type of education do you need, and how long will it take for you to get it?
Depending on your situation you may have to get a basic education which provides you with the opportunity to earn some income while continuing to educate yourself or you may have the opportunity to work and go to school simultaneously. These types of decisions need to be made depending on your specific situation which include your school grades, financial condition and abilities.
Begin the implementation of your plan
To start a career you have to start! The making of a plan and the implementation of the plan are two very different things. You will have to put action into your plan if it is to succeed. This means that you need to stop reading online content and start putting action into your plan.
To make it easier for you to follow these steps to starting your dream career, one which will provide you with all the benefits of success (as you describe it) click here for a free worksheet which will lead you step by step to a finished plan.