Finding A Good Career Fit
Kent R.
Q: I was very interested to read your answer to the question from the 27 year old who was concerned about having numerous jobs in a short period of time. Well, I'm 29 and have had 5 jobs in a variety of industries from Retail to Accounting to Hospitality. I'm afraid that potential employers think I'm a mess. Any advice?
A: Great question - and I was thinking of this when I responded to the question you refer to. I work with a lot of individuals who are still in the early stages of their careers. Many subscribe to the notion that you have to have "it all figured out" on the day that you graduate from college. People are reluctant to be friendly with the idea that it's actually a good thing to explore a variety of pursuits in order to find the right career fit - one where what you do is infused with passion. I encourage clients to get comfortable with the idea of exploring a variety of interests. No, this doesn't mean that I encourage mindless job-hopping. It simply means that it's very unlikely that you'll quickly fall into the "right" job and/or career. I work with many later-career clients who are trying to recover from the downside of staying with a job because "that's what you're supposed to do."
Allow yourself to grow into whatever is right for you. Eliminate counterproductive thinking that keeps you doing something that makes you miserable. Trust me - it will never get better. Don't let what a potential employer might think keep you from doing what makes sense for you. The payoff will be worth it.
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