By Maggie McCormick, MA, LPC, MCC
The phrase “Live long and prosper,” a popular Leonard Nimoy quote, has gained renewed attention recently as the public remembers the late actor. If you are one who is intentional about living a life of good health and prosperity, you probably focus on nutrition and exercise and carefully manage your finances. But how’s your career health?
In Well Being: The Five Essential Elements, authors Tom Rath and Jim Harter describe overall well being as including career well being along with social, financial, physical, and community. And, according to Gallup research, these elements are not weighted equally in assessing one’s health. Career well being accounts for a whopping 40 percent of one’s wellness in relation to the other elements, and can significantly impact other areas of health.
Understand that your current career may or may not come from paid employment. The term “career” is broadly defined as an individual’s life journey through learning and work. Career development professionals believe that it encompasses all the ways we engage our talents, interests, values, and experiences to do work that is purposeful and meaningful. Like other aspects of your health, optimal career health requires that you assess your current state and be intentional about developing healthy practices for managing your career.
So how do you assess your career health, and what can you do to maintain or improve it? How might you SOAR with career well being?
Self — The essence of career well being is to know your strengths and work values, and have the opportunity to use your strengths daily in an environment that supports your values. What do you do best? What skills do you enjoy using? Do you value structure and predictability or do you prefer the freedom to exercise creativity? Do you thrive in a team environment or do you prefer to work alone? If you lack regular chances to use your strengths in a supportive environment, what changes can you make in your work to bring more meaning and to be more engaging?
Others — Even if you work alone, are in business for yourself, or do not have paid employment; your career health is enhanced through connection with others. Your workplace, organizations, community, family, and friends all offer networks to broaden your world and expose you to opportunities to contribute as your best self. And, relationships boost your physical and mental health as well!
Action — What actions do you take to keep current and expand your knowledge and skills? “A commitment to lifelong learning” is an essential component of most career management models. There are a number of both formal and informal options for professional and personal growth — vocational and academic education, community education classes, internal training through your employer, professional organizations, reading, mentoring, and of course, “learning-by-doing.”
Responsive to change — It’s no secret that the pace of change in today’s workplace is rapid and seemingly increasing. How do your skills and experience translate across various jobs, volunteer work, or hobbies? Having a clear picture of your transferable skills and the nature of the changes around you can give direction to your career planning. Managing your own career helps you stay relevant, engaged, and marketable in the work that you do.
When you recognize the impact of changes in your own interests, values, priorities, and life circumstances, and respond accordingly, you will be able to embrace change with greater resiliency throughout the seasons of your life.
Maggie McCormick holds credentials as a licensed counselor and master career counselor with 20 years of experience in career development. She teaches several community education courses at Heartland Community College, including “Autumn Harvest,” “Cultivating Happiness & Meaning for Retirement,” and “Changing Seasons: Navigating Through Career Transitions.” For information on these classes, contact Community Education at 309-268-8160 or visit their website at www.heartland.edu/communityEd.