Career #Selfie: Take Assessment Of Your Professional Goals

Originally published Jan. 15, 2014

Everyone loves a good selfie.

Who needs someone to hold the camera for you when taking your own photo is so simple?

As addictive as they are, physical selfies aren’t the only pictures young professionals should be taking. For future business leaders, self-assessment of career goals is vital to success. By taking a snapshot of your current professional situation and comparing it to your ideal career, you can make adjustments where needed if the comparison is not on target.

Not sure where to begin with your career selfie? The following three questions will help you analyze your current position and provide insight that will reveal if you and your career are on the right path:

Are you happy?

Do you find yourself unable to sleep at night because you’re excited about what the next workday will bring, or do you miserably count down the time as soon as you arrive in the morning? Your happiness is most important when deciding what profession you pursue, and it should never be up for negotiation. If you aren’t thrilled about the work you’re doing, it may be time to explore other opportunities. Spending 40 hours of your week working in a field that you don’t enjoy is not cool. Instead, you should use that time to maximize your full potential and do something you love.

Does the company culture fit your personality?

Choosing a place of employment is similar to deciding who you date. Much like the qualities of a person, it’s always best to select a company that embodies the values, beliefs, and habits that align with your thinking. If you love sharing your ideas with others, focus on places that foster a collaborative environment. If you are a creative person, the last place you want to be is at a conservative organization that always sticks to the same processes and rejects out-of-the-box ideas.

Are you being challenged?

Like the exercise motto “no pain, no gain,” you are minimizing your shot at bigger and better opportunities if you aren’t pushing your skillset past its comfort level. Always make sure you are consistently expanding your knowledge. In today’s professional world, and many thanks to Google, there is nothing that can’t be learned.

Over time, career selfies are a great way to gauge your evolution of style and age. Similarly, you should regularly do a snapshot of your career to see how it is evolving.

Written by Jaimee Ratliff