[custom_frame_center][/custom_frame_center] What makes your career amazing? Maybe you haven’t thought about that for a while. Maybe you don’t have time to think about it. Either way, you should. Like any relationship, your career needs nurturing. A career is a multi-faceted relationship; between you and your boss, you and your co-workers, you and your clients. That’s a lot of people in one relationship! That can get complicated. But like any one-on-one relationship, your career should have healthy boundaries, expressed expectations and lots of love.
Let’s evaluate your career relationship:
Do you know the boundaries and expectations?
Are you clear on your job expectations? Do you have a written job description? This is more important than you may think. If you have ever been told, “We don’t really have job descriptions here. It’s just not really necessary because…” then you know what I mean. You have probably been caught in a “duties as assigned” nightmare. According to Susan M. Heathfield, writer of “10 Top 10 Employee Complaints,” one of the top employee complaints is workload overload. It happens all the time with layoffs and then no rehiring, poor training, ambiguous task assignments…the list goes on like a list of exes. Boundaries and communication are a must.
Can you talk to your boss?
This is huge. Most of Heathfield’s Top 10 list could be linked to this question. Communication is the be-all-end-all of your career. Whether it is about salary, job expectations, company policies, it should all be fair game to discuss. Make it a priority to learn how to communicate with your boss. Every one has a different style, so learn his/her preferred form of communication and use it. Maybe a weekly status meeting will keep talk flowing. Maybe your boss is an email bullet-point person. It is your responsibility to keep the communication lines open.
Is your Human Resources Department open for business?
Your HR person isn’t only the person who did your orientation and gave you forms to fill out. He/she is a valuable link to one of the biggest perks of your job – your benefits. Health and dental insurance, retirement, paid time off – these are on the top of most people’s lists of must-haves. Questions about these important topics will arise at any time, including when you don’t expect them. Did you bring your kid to the ER with a broken arm and forget your medical card? We’ve all been there. Establish a good relationship with your HR person and you might even be able to call her when your son puts a bead up his nose in the middle of the night.
How is it going with your co-workers?
Do you have good friends in your workplace? I mean friends (not commiserating partners–there is a difference) that share common goals? Having positive peer relationships in the workplace makes all the difference in day-to-day activities. Having someone who challenges you, is a brainstorm partner, or is up for a relaxing lunch once in a while may be key to a lower-stress workday.
What are your goals and desires in your career?
It’s time to re-evaluate your career and see if some of the passion is missing. Only you can determine what you need from a job and if your job is meeting your needs. Like any relationship, if you don’t step back once in a while, things can get stale. Are you still working hard to keep the excitement and creativity alive? Maybe it’s time to spearhead a new process project at work or engage in a new research program. Or maybe, it’s time to move on.