What exactly is career success and why do so few of us ever reach it?
It's all too easy to get distracted by the success of others and forget what success means to us personally. So, historically career success has been measured in terms of money, power, and job title But career accomplishments like promotions, results from working on a project or qualifications don’t always equal career success.
According to Forbes magazine “Career success is a combination of achieving a reasonable level of financial stability while doing work you enjoy and then finding that you are also happy and fulfilled with your life and career choices as well”. But think for a moment, are you missing the “happy” and “fulfilled” bit? As a woman how do you define career success and when was the last time you really thought about what it means to you?
Let’s face it, you give so much time and energy to work and your career, it makes sense to get clear and determine what success looks like in your own mind. But defining success is tricky and also deeply personal. Defining your version of career success is the first step in the process.
Why don’t we experience career success?
There are many reasons people don’t fulfil their potential or get to the end of their career feeling disappointed which is why it’s critical to understand what success means to you.
You’re not in the driving seat
Many of us fall into career paths that are driven by others (parents, society, past impressions, friends, etc) and what we feel others expect us to do. You may feel trapped by the expectations of others or realise that you never stopped to consider what you actually wanted.
Maybe you feel powerless to change your circumstances, you’re not making the time to assess or define what career success really means to you. Or you’re feeling stuck because every choice requires a sacrifice you don't want to make. Comparing yourself to others - you are living someone else’s version of success and not yours
You’re waiting for other people
Other reasons people feel dissatisfied in their careers are because they’ve been waiting around for others to create opportunities for them, whether that’s their boss or the organisation as a whole. They give up too easily in the face of challenge and failure or push away people that can actually help. They don't ask for help because they want to avoid appearing weak or feel like they should already have all the answers.
You attach happiness to your success
When your happiness depends on your career success, you often hold the belief that getting what you want from your career be it a better job, more money, etc will automatically lead to previously undiscovered happiness. Being happy becomes contingent on the next promotion, next goal, etc - in short, always chasing something that is to come in the future
So what are the essential aspects of career success?
● Feeling fulfilled
● Doing work that’s meaningful
● Being valued and recognised for your contribution
● Having the opportunity for growth
● Making an impact
● Maintaining good health
● Achieving financial stability
● Developing meaningful relationships
● A healthy work/life harmony
But you need more than just words to get really clear on how you find career success. To do this you need to think a little deeper with some prompt questions -
● What do you need to feel fulfilled?
● What is meaningful to you?
● What kind of recognition matters to you?
● What kind of growth do you aspire to?
● What do you need to feel financially secure?
Ultimately it's about seeking career clarity - how you think about tomorrow and what you do to stay connected with what matters most today.
How to find career success through clarity
Start by defining what it means to you and fulfilling your own needs. Instead of worrying about what makes others happy, work out what makes you happy and focus on that. “The big question about how people behave is whether they’ve got an inner scorecard or an outer scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an inner scorecard.” Warren Buffett
What talents and strengths of yours do you want to use most of the time? Whether it’s creativity, fixing problems, turning thoughts into action, or cultivating the potential of others. Your strengths have immense career value, even if they are different from those of others.
What kind of impact do you want to have? Is it improving processes, saving money, encouraging others, or solving specific problems? Get clear on what difference you want to make.
What are your interests? If you were asked to speak on a topic for 20 minutes without any prior preparation, what would you talk about?
What kind of work is closely aligned with your personality? Are you a risk taker or do you prefer a more structured environment? Do you enjoy meeting new people or prefer your own company most of the time?
What kind of lifestyle and work-life harmony are you searching for? Do you mind working longer hours? Do you want to spend your downtime with a work-free mind? There are no wrong answers here, just ones that feel like they will work for you!
Ask yourself if what was important in your earlier career still matters to you now. How has it changed over time? Taking the time to review this as your career evolves can be central to future fulfillment and happiness.
Actually achieving career success hangs on the goals you decide to set. Those goals should feel true to who you are and not what you have been conditioned to think success is or what others might expect of us.
I’m Amanda Owen Meehan, a Career and Leadership Coach who helps women get clarity and control over their careers to be more fulfilled and successful at work. If you’d like to know more about how I can help your organisation you can reach me by email at Amanda@amandaowenmeehan.com or drop me a direct message here on LinkedIn.