End of the Year Career Audit

The New Year is fast approaching, and it's as good a time as any to re-evaluate your mental commitment with your employer, regardless if there has been any major changes in your career.

Like most of us, our organizations have experienced changes over the past year.  You may have experienced downsizing, rightsizing, reorganization, new owners, higher expectations, a new boss, a new team or perhaps a merger...  Any one of these changes can impact dramatically your work environment.  We all have an unspoken contract with our employers, and when there organization shifts, you need to decide if want to continue trading your performance with your employer for a fee.

Even if you have not experienced any of these changes, and your job is running smoothly along the same path, day after day, month after month, year after year, take a moment right now to examining your job and perform a career audit.

Doing this will give you the opportunity to sort through any changes, keep you from becoming complacent, and keep you in control of your career.

Each year, ask yourself:

•  What four things did I really enjoy about my job last year?
•  What percentage of the total job do they represent _____ %?
•  What four things did I really dislike about my job last year?
•  Why do I dislike these activities?  What or who did they negatively affect?  Why?
•  Will I have the opportunity to do more of the things I like in the future? yes/no/some
•  Are they the kind of things that really motivate me? yes/no
•  Do the things I dislike violate my beliefs, principles or values? yes/no
•  What percentage of the total job do I spend on things I dislike? ______%
•  Are you excited about going into work in the morning?
• Have I come home with stories that often begin with "You would not believe what happened at work today, this place is a zoo? yes/no How often? ____ per week.
• Have people suggested to you that you get another job elsewhere? yes/no  Who suggested it?
• How often do I agree with the decisions my manager made?  Less than 50% of the time? More than 50% of the time?
• Have I suddenly thought to myself while in a meeting or at the office "I don't want to work with this group any longer? yes/no
• Do I feel a huge sense of relief on Fridays? yes/no
• Does my stomach tie up in knots on Sundays just thinking about work on Monday?
• How many new things did I learn this year?
• Did I enjoy my job? Or do I say things like "At least I still have a job, I should be grateful with so many people unemployed?
• Will the skills I've learned at this job be marketable elsewhere? Are they transferable?
• Has what I learned last year in terms of skills build my credibility and has it sharpened my technical specialty? yes/no
• Has my personality changed for the better or worse in the last year because of this job?

If you answers reveal a deep dissatisfaction with direction that your current job is taking you, perhaps it is time to find somewhere else to work.  Get your career back on track!