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Your Career is a Road Trip: Who’s Giving you Directions?

February 13, 2009 | Author: Jessica Howard | Filed under: Setting Goals

When you’re thinking about how to get what you want out of your career, it helps to look at it as a road trip.

Where are you today? Cruising or meandering? Stalled? Stuck in a dead-end town or on the outskirts of the big city?

Everyone’s trip will be different, but there’s a starting point and an end point. There will be crossroads and breakdowns in between. The good news is that there are new tools to help us reach our destination.

GPS devices help keep many drivers (and marriages) on track, with reassuring directions at every turn. Why not apply the same concept to your career?

Do you need a career GPS? Ask yourself the following questions about your road trip:

Do you know where you’re going?

Whether you’ve had your head down in the same job for years,  or have been recently laid off, it’s easy to get disoriented. Remind yourself regularly where you want to be, and map out a plan to get there.

Can you describe where you’ve been?

Think about how what you’ve seen and done along the way. What are your best souvenirs? When you’re telling people about your trip, pull out your best snapshots. The ones that illustrate who you are and what you’re capable of.

When you get lost, how do you find your way?

Some of us ask for directions and others go in circles. Chances are, you’ve been happy to help someone else get back on the highway at some point, so remember that others are likely to want to help you. Let others know who you are, where you are, and where you want to go.

Do you know how to change a tire?

When you’re forced to pull over, is there someone you can call for help? Who’s on your roadside assistance team?

Do you know when it’s time to get out of Dodge?

If you’ve been there, seen it and done it, you’re not learning any more. Don’t get stuck in mediocrity-ville. If there’s nowhere else for you to go here, it’s probably time to hit the road.

Who are you listening to?

Lil Wayne? NPR? Deepak Chopra? There will always be voices (including your own) telling you that you can’t. Tune into whatever and whoever keeps you motivated, educated and inspired.

Related resources:

10 Signs Your Career is Heading Off Track

Mentorship: Are you lucky like Carol Bartz?

Great Career Advice, Courtesy of Hollywood

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