Time for a Career Checkup?

Smart people know preventative health care today provides the foundation for a healthy future. It just makes good sense to take better care of yourself. You may even decide that this is the year to finally pay closer attention to exercise, nutritional eating and stress management. The problem with good intentions, however, is that they often run amok when the going gets tough. Nasty obstacles can raise their ugly little heads and thwart even the most dedicated among us. Stumbling blocks such as conflicting priorities, too little personal time and just plain too-pooped-to-care are typical of ones we all face from time to time.

It’s the same principle when it comes to career health. Somehow we get stuck in maintenance mode when we know there are better jobs out there. If you’ve been in the same job for more than five to seven years, you risk becoming trapped in a career rut. Even if you’ve been in the same job for only a few years or even months, it’s not too early to start thinking about your next move. Companies today can restructure or downsize at the drop of a hat or the drop of a share price. Losing a job is bad enough, but being caught flat-footed can be devastating. These days everyone needs a back-up plan.

So here’s my list of the top ten questions you should be asking yourself as you conduct your own annual career check-up:

1. Based on your job description exactly as it stands how excited would you be about applying for the job you have if you saw it advertised?
2. How well does your current role suit your lifestyle (commute, hours, income)?
3. What are your real strengths and how often do you get to use them?
4. What learning opportunities have you had in the last twelve months and how can you leverage them?
5. If you could change one thing about your job what would it be?
6. Realistically speaking, how accessible are lateral or upward moves for you in your current company?
7. How well do the values of your current employer align with your own?
8. What are your relationships like your boss, colleagues and co-workers?
9. If there were no limits on your resources what professional development would you like to pursue? How might your current company support you on this?
10. Thinking long term, what do you still want to achieve in your career?

So there you have it; questions to get you started examining where you are in your career and where you might want to head. There are likely others that will come to mind as you work through the checklist that will also help you evaluate the current state of your career health. Oh, and while you’re at it, don’t forget to schedule that physical check-up you’ve been meaning to book.