Don’t Always Do What You “Should” Do
Figuring out the big question of which career path to pursue, or smaller questions related to specific “next steps” in your career journey is daunting, with high stakes and much uncertainty. It can be extremely helpful to consult with people in your personal, academic, and professional networks, as well as with a career professional. The word “consult,” however, carries some subtly different connotations, and the one that you ascribe to can matter greatly! Webster’s Dictionary offers two, slightly different definitions of “consult.” The first, “ask the advice or opinion of,” is probably the way many of us, initially, interpret the word. However, I believe that the second, “to deliberate together” is, in the long run, a more useful perspective when it comes to making career decisions.
When we ask for advice, we solicit the other person’s opinion (personal and/or professional), about what we should do. The advice, whether it is based on objective data, personal experience, or a combination of both, may be informative and useful, but advice that is dispensed, no matter how wise or well-intentioned, lacks crucial information that is key to career satisfaction. One-way consultation, even coming from someone who knows you well, can miss or underestimate the significance of factors that are absolutely necessary for making good career decisions.
Consultation that involves deliberating together suggests a process that is bi-directional. The resource not only shares their expertise but also elicits and incorporates factors that only the seeker can truly identify, yet which may be difficult even for them to articulate. Deliberating together results in a shift from advice that yields one size fits all “shoulds” to a path that aligns with a unique individual’s innate skills, talents, passions, values, and information gleaned from lived experience.
Deliberating together requires a process that is respectful, non-judgmental, and collaborative. Career Companions was created with just this process in mind. We have spent many years in our respective fields gaining knowledge and expertise related to careers, the workplace, decision-making, communications, and other topical areas. However, rather than giving pat advice and recommendations, we are committed to working collaboratively with our clients, seeing our clients as the experts in their own lives. and helping them to craft careers where they can thrive. The outcome we seek is for our clients to move beyond the “shoulds” and to support them in crafting careers where they can thrive.