YOU, YOUR CAREER AND MONEY

It is and will always be debatable which of the three, You, Your career or Money should come first. In my opinion, and despite the obvious correlation between career and money, only you will be the determinant of the direction your career takes and the financial and intrinsic rewards derived from it. I strongly believe that the more you know about yourself, the better your career choices are likely to be. How well you know yourself is also a big determinant of, not only where you want to be, but where you will end up, in terms of your career.

 

A combination of motivation, expertise and personality characteristics are certain to determine success in any job. Few people discover what they are good at before they embark on their careers. It is only after you take the big leap into the unknown that you will discover, at times with the help of superiors or colleagues, what you are good at. At other times, we discover what we are good at the hard way, where continuous failure results in personal reflection, and hopefully, change.

 

We are often told to think big. In terms of career planning however, it is always good to start small, all the while retaining our aspirations to become big. Unfortunately, but quite naturally, social and economic factors tend to determine the career choices we make. We will always have financial obligations to meet, and no amount of money we could ever make could fulfill all these obligations –because they grow and change, just as we do. On the other hand, we have nagging family members or friends who will loudly voice their opinion that you would be better off in another career, or that the career you are currently in does not reward you as much as another would.

 

As much as it is important to identify our strengths in the early stages of our careers, it is important to identify our weaknesses. It is in our nature to be defensive about our weaknesses, and the impact they have on the overall effectiveness of the tasks that we perform. However, in respect to our careers and aspirations, they themselves should actually be our area of concentration, as putting greater emphasis on our strengths and ignoring our weaknesses may eventually result in personal failure.

 

Our career choices are influenced by multiple factors such as family, friends, upbringing, education, personality and, as much as I hate to say it, the potential for money. A career should be fulfilling in all senses of the word. A good way to begin one’s career is to look at recognition, respect, congruence with your personal aspirations and yes, the money -in that order. We should go to work because we enjoy it, and not because we have bills to pay. I admit that this is easier said than done, but trust me, it is an excellent goal, and will aid in the very important area of self development.

 

Money, Money, Money

Some call money “the root of all evil” while others use the phrase “more money, more problems” to describe the impact that money has on our lives. As mentioned earlier, I am of the opinion that the career choice you make should determine the money you earn and not the money you could earn influencing the career choice you make. The simple reason for this is that, although you might earn a lot of money… is it truly healthy for it to be the only reason that you wake up in the morning, drive through the sluggish traffic and tolerate multi difficulties with annoying bosses and colleagues? It doesn’t seem so. This does not describe every situation, of course, but it probably is the case where money is the sole determinant of your career choice.

 

Jobs are hard to find, however, and in many situations, we end up taking up any job on offer without a second thought… and this usually marks the beginning of an unfulfilling career. Acknowledging that desperate situations may call for desperate measures, the taking up of such a job should be viewed only as a tool to fuel your aspirations to a better and more fulfilling career. This takes us back to the importance of knowing yourself before embarking on a career. You must know what you are good at, what you need to work harder on, and actively plan what you need to achieve during your lifetime -and then focus your energies on achieving these goals. The qualities of efficiency, effectiveness, willpower and perseverance are very likely to see you rewarded with your choice of career, complete with its complementary perks.

 

There has to be a balance between who you are as a person, what you want to be (your career) and your remuneration. To sum up, “find out what you like doing best, what you are good at and try your best to find someone to pay you for it.” Then, and only then, can you say that you found a truly fulfilling career.