What do you value?

“We work not only to produce but also to give value to our time.”
- Eugene Delacroix

When many people start out looking for a career, they begin by doing an inventory of what they are good at doing; mainly looking to their obvious skills. They might do a skill assessment that they find online or in a career book and use that as their road map for starting out on their career path.

What most people neglect to think about when deciding on a career are their values. Our values are the things that are most important to us in life and our career. They are formed throughout our life by our experiences, family, friends and our feelings. Over time, what we value changes simply due to life changes. They are our personal preferences, priorities and motivators for most things that we do. So when you are deciding upon a new career path, it is of utmost importance to take into account your values.

So, what do you value in life? in a career?

In general, society tells us that we should value money, power and respect, especially when it comes to choosing a career. I challenge you to begin thinking about what you value in a career from a broader perspective. Start to think about what you value in the work itself, the contribution to society you make, how your career effects your family and what satisfaction you get from your career.

Personally I believe that your values are the most important thing for you to consider when choosing your next career path. If your career does not align with your values, you will not be happy in your job, you will experience burnout and will most likely not be satisfied with your career. When I meet with someone for the time to help them figure out their career path, I always start by asking what are the three to five most important things for them to find in their next job. Some people can answer this question immediately and others are not really sure.

A good way to figure out what you valued in your past jobs is to start by making a list of EVERY job you have ever had. And I mean EVERY job. From the first $2 that you made to present day. Also, if you have done any extensive volunteer or committee work, include that as well. Next to each job, write down the three things that you liked the most at that job. This could be anything from the people you worked with, to the salary you made, to the mission of the company, to the autonomy you had. Think back to the happiest times you had at each job and why you were happy there.

Once your list is completed, look at what patterns you see. What were the things that repeatedly came up? This is a good start for determining your values.

Stay tuned for more information and ideas on figuring out your values!

Is this the right time to change careers?

You may be wondering "is now is a good time to make a career change?". Many people will tell you that you are ready for a career change include your lifestyle has changed, the job outlook in your field is dim, you are experiencing job burnout, your job is too stressful, you find your job boring, you want to use a particular skill / talent that you have, or you need to make more money. Some people expereince multiple signs that they need a new career, and others might just have one thing that drives them to a new career.


I will tell you that ANY time can be a good time for a career change, as long as you go about the process in a systematic way. Before jumping into a new career take a moment to step back and reflect on why you want to change careers. Write down all the reasons you come up so you can reflect back on them throughout the process. This can be done by hand in a notebook or journal, or you can do it on a computer. Questions to ponder include:

• was there one moment when you decided that you needed a new career?


• how will your new career fit into your lifestyle?


• will changing careers have an impact on your personal and/or family time?


• what is it about a new career that intrigues you?


• what are you looking forward to most in a new career?


• what are you happiest about leaving behind in your old career?


• are you ready for a BIG change right now (entirely new career)? or a small change (a new place of employment within the same career)?


• or are you ready to begin a process that leads you down the path of a long-term career change?

For now, start by getting organized and set aside time each day or week (depending on how quickly you want to change careers) to work on your career change. Put that time in your datebook and make sure that you keep it as time for you.

Starting on the path to a new career....

Are you the person who wakes up every morning and dreads going to work? Do you day dream about a new career? Have no idea where to start?

The first step to finding a new career is simply deciding that you want to change careers or jobs! Maybe you are in the career that you want to stay in, but the company you are working for is not a good fit for you. Maybe you love the company you work for, but not the day to day tasks that you do. Maybe you love your job and company, but you know that your job will be eliminated in the next few years. Maybe your life circumstances have changed or you need to make more money. Maybe you have been laid off. No matter the reason, changing careers can be a stressful process if you do not have any support. Join us here for support throughout your career changing process now!

Making the decision that you want to change careers is a big step, and once you have made the decision I can help you to start to put your plan in place. Where is your career path going to take you this year?