How satisfied am I in my career or job? 

The average person will work from the age of 25 to 65. They will work around 48 weeks each year and 37.5 hours each week (probably more in today's working climate). During that time the average person is likely to:

• Spend 40 years at work
• Work 1,920 five day working weeks
• Spend 9,600 days at work
• Work for around 1,800 hours each year
• Spend 72,000 hours at work during that 40 years

In comparison during the same period the average person will:

• Have 3,840 Saturdays and Sundays (or 4,160 for the full year)

With all that time at work - are you doing what you really want to do?

It is true that we all need to make a living but it seems as though some are enjoying the process more than others.

Fortunately, job  and career satisfaction is dependent on a variety of factors, many of which are within your control. With a little effort, you can either find the job that is best suited to meet your individual needs or learn to find fulfillment in the one you already have.   In this newsletter we thought it could be a time for winter reflection about  career  and life planning so we will look at some of the important factors to evaluate your own situation.....

Here are some questions you could consider as you review your career

• What is most important to me at this point in my life?  What are my top 5 values?  Is the work I do in line with those?
• What do I feel passionate or excited about?
• Why am I thinking about making a change?  costs? benefits?
• What skills do I enjoy using?                                                             
• What gives me energy/takes my energy?
• What are you motivated by in relation to work - ambition, fear of failure, money, relationships, loyalty etc
• How are you relevant to the market - have you kept yourself in line with what the market is looking for, up to date with your knowledge and skills?
• What are you most proud to have achieved in relation to your job/career? Why are you proud?
• What education / professional development is needed and how long am I willing to study in order to achieve my goal?
• What position would I ultimately like to have? Why?
• Will I be able to have enough work/life balance to do the things that are important to me?
• Would my friends and family support this decision? If not, will that stop me?
• Is the salary enough to sustain my lifestyle?
• Can I picture myself doing this job?
• What legacy do I want to leave in my life?
   

Remember EAPworks has a team of professional career practitioners that you can access though your EAP programme... we are here to assist you if you need a safe and confidential place to explore your career situation.

Self Assessment – “Who am I and What Do I Want”?
Using standardized and informal assessments, and in-depth discussions, we will help you identify your:

• Skills, accomplishments, talents and strengths
• Professional expertise
• Interests (Strong Interest Inventory)
• Your passions
• Work/Life values
• Personality type (Myers Briggs Type Indicator)
• Learning style
• Personal and financial considerations

Occupational Exploration – “What is Out There”?
Having completed the process of self-assessment, we will help you generate a list of occupations, and obtain valuable information about them. This process will include:

• Researching career fields and industries 
• Learning about duties and responsibilities, skills, training and education required, working conditions, salary, employment outlook, career path, and related occupations.
• Reality testing, including job shadowing, internships and volunteer work

Career Decision Making & Goal Setting – “How Do I Get There”?
Based on your personal and occupational exploration, we will guide you in narrowing down your choices and achieving career clarity and focus. This will be accomplished by:

• Enhancing decision making skills
• Evaluating career options
• Considering  self-employment and/or alternative work arrangements
• Clarifying and setting short and long-term goals
• Identifying  barriers for accomplishing your goals
• Developing coping skills to overcome your challenges
• Formulating a concrete and realistic plan of action related to your chosen career.

Phone EAPworks 080 735 343  or book online at www.eapworks.co.nz or via the free to download app.