Career development is continuous throughout our lives and this includes regular reflective practice in order to stay attuned to our experiences, our growth, our evolving interests, the impact that issues and contexts in the broader world have on our career lives, and how our different work experiences shape our skills and overall value.
Reflective practice is important whether you are a young adult just starting your working life or you are mid to late career and contemplating change.
Reflective practice is more than habit or strategy, it also activates our creativity and imagination.
Try this career reflective exercise.
Creating a role
Think about the experiences you have had thus far. Think about the perspectives you have gained, the knowledge and wisdom you hold. Think about your aspirations, what you have learned, and what you want to commit yourself to at this stage. Think about your skills holistically, your innate skills, the skills you have carried forward from one experience to another, the skills that may be more prominent at this stage of your life, and the skills you may want to develop. Think about your evolving interests. Think about the value you embody at this stage of your career life.
Let your creativity and your imagination take flight as you design a work role (the role does not have to exist currently).
As you begin to design this role be as descriptive as possible and write out your reflections. Here are some sample questions to get you started:
What are you doing day to day?
What is the field, profession, area, and/or subject matter that you are immersed in day to day? Is this something completely new, or is it similar to your previous work experiences?
What responsibilities do you have?
What are your specific contributions to the role?
How does this work make you feel? What is personally significant, important, and/or meaningful about this role?
Where does this role potentially take you? Does it lead to other opportunities in the future?
Is the role related to a personal interest, does it meet a current need or issue in the world, or perhaps a combination of these?
What does your work environment look and feel like?
Where is your job geographically located?
How do you work – in person, remotely, or a hybrid? Are you working full-time, part-time, or contractually?
Are you working on a team, are you working independently, or a combination of the two?
Is your work flexible, fast-paced, or is it more structured with specific tasks to be completed each day?
What skills do you currently have to do this role? Are there further skills or knowledge you will need to develop for this role?
What unique perspectives, knowledge, and value are you bringing to this role?
What experiences have you had that you could combine to take on this role?
Re-read your reflections and the role that is taking shape
What additional questions came up? What surprised you?
What themes did you notice? What stood out?
What information did your created role reveal about your current interests and/or any issues in the world you gravitate towards?
What information did it reveal about your motivation at this stage in your life? What did it reveal about the way you want to work going forward and how you want to contribute?
Is there something tangible from this created role you might like to pursue or gain experience in right now – training, certification, a course of study, direct work experience?
Is there a specific area, or topic, you would like to research further?
Are there people in these areas you might want to speak to or have an informational meeting with?
Is there something from this created role that might help you set a small goal and take one small step forward? What would that be?
Interested in a career conversation focused on YOUR career life? Career Counselling can help at any stage of your career life. Contact [email protected] for more information or to book a consultation.
