Have you ever heard that old saying ‘a career is for life, not just for Christmas?’
Probably not, but with the length of time that most of us take to break into our dream careers, they should start printing that on bumper stickers!
After all, far from just stumbling into a job, most of us take years on education, progression, and more to enter our so-called ‘dream’ careers. And, if we’re investing that much time, most of us would like to know that it’s going to last.
Of course, career changes can be great and, if you aren’t happy where you are, all power to you for making a much-needed switch.
But, if you love a career that you’ve worked your butt off to break into, the risk of losing it can be crippling, not to mention that it can feel like a massive waste of time.
With that in mind, it’s worth considering whether your career of choice is one for the long haul before you put all your eggs in that basket. The question is, what exactly are the factors of a career for life?
Factor 1 – Development
Careers for life are great, but static job roles certainly aren’t sustainable. As such, the first way to determine whether a job role stands to offer you a long-term place is to consider what that particular role means for your future career prospects and general growth.
Most importantly, anyone in the market for a career that lasts needs to look for at least a handful of progression opportunities that keep the ball rolling, and keep that career fresh for the longest time possible.
Factor 2 – Retention
Even the chance to develop isn’t going to get you anywhere if your industry itself changes or disappears. Unfortunately, as automation comes to the fore, this is a reality in many industries.
Hence why, if you’re looking for a job for life, it’s always worth studying in areas that you know are going to last. Options like construction, for instance, are always going to rely on some human input.
Equally, even changing sectors need accounting services, meaning that studying how to become a certified QuickBooks expert guarantees you can be pretty sure of work that keeps on coming.
Either way; check the retention capabilities of your career, and your role within it, before dedicating years of your time to a field that doesn’t need you by the time you qualify.
Factor 3 – Passion
We’re often so caught up on experience and qualifications that we forget the single most important factor of a lasting career – passion.
After all, if you’re intending to stick at a job for the rest of your days, it’s fundamental that you love it, otherwise you’re opening yourself to a world of burnout that simply isn’t sustainable.
So, if the advancement and retention are there, you simply need to ask yourself one question – do I care about this enough to do it for all those years? If yes, then you might just have found your career for life after all.
