As all of us who have done it before, whether for only a few months or for several decades, we know that entering and succeeding in the working world is a complicated labyrinth of hard work, people skills, intelligence, and pure dumb luck. Even though we may know this intuitively, it’s difficult to completely understand that building your career over time takes, well, a lot of time. Here are a few tips so that you can stop worrying about the future and learn to love the journey.
1. Doing what you love is largely a myth.
As mentioned in a recent BNET article, getting paid to do what you love sounds great in theory, but there are definitely some drawbacks to aiming for making your passion and career coincide. Not only can it be unrealistic, making you feel depressed if you don’t get that dream job, but it can actually serve to turn you off from your genuine interests if you do land a fun gig. Why? Because when you are materially rewarded for your job, you can sometimes forget the intrinsic awards that truly motivate you.
2. Setting up milestones in both career and life is a double-edged sword.
Although career news websites all agree that younger generations of workers are avoiding typical milestones, it may be good to take a leaf out of Gen Me’s book. If you plan to get married by a certain age, buy a house shortly thereafter, achieve partner status at the firm, etc., you may be in for a disappointment. Take things in stride, do what you have to do, but don’t push these supposed milestones just because everyone has achieved them before you have.
3. Doing well in your job and overall career is a lot like golf.
I know, I know. Sports analogies and career advice are way overdone, and if you’ve been exposed to too many of these metaphors, then I apologize. But this one makes sense. In golf, if you take one shot as it comes and don’t think about your game overall, you often end up doing significantly better in the end. Do the same with your career take one day at a time, and treat each project or task as the only thing you have to do and your life depends on it. Doing well in the long-term is always the result of putting effort into the little things.
4. If you’re a go-getter, try to tone down the type-A personality. It might get you further.
Although this advice may sound a bit counterintuitive, a new study on which the Wall Street Journal reported shows that so-called “slackers” actually often end out on top. Why is that? Because they don’t who face problems by withdrawing and relaxing are often less stressed and take the necessary time off to approach solutions in a more clear-headed way.
Although we all can completely understand stressing out about your future job prospects, life is simply too short to make that the focus of your worries, especially when seeking work. You have enough on your plate as it is.
This guest contribution was submitted by Pamelia Brown, who specializes in writing about associates degree. Questions and comments can be sent to: pamelia.brown@gmail.com.
I couldn’t agree more on putting effort into the little things. It all adds up, and often, the more you put into each project, the greater the end result
All these tips are really acceptable and really
like this example ” In golf, if you take one shot as it comes and don’t think about your game overall, you often end up doing significantly better in the end”. Do the same with your career.
Colette Knight