Identifying and Defining Your Career Values
More than 50% of workers in the U.S. are unhappy in their jobs. Choosing a career path is one of the most important life decisions. Choosing a career path is more than simply deciding what you will do to make a living. Your career choice will impact almost every other area of your life including your personal & professional goals, expertise, and specialization.
The right career choice will help instill you with purpose. Your passion for your work can have a significant effect on your life. When people are happy with their career, they are more satisfied with their life. If you’re feeling lost in your career, a career coach in New York City can help you define your career values and provide you with guidance.
What Are Career Values?
Your values are your fundamental beliefs that guide your attitudes or actions. Your values can change over time.
Your career values are the subset of your beliefs that are related to your career. When considering a career, your career values are one of the most important factors that will guide your choices. Determine how your values and career choice align.
Before evaluating your values, identify them. Some common career values include: autonomy, adventure, bravery, growth, happiness, high income, collaborating with others, work-life balance, and popularity.
Identifying Your Career Values
When evaluating your career choices, ask yourself important questions, such as how would you describe your ideal workday? What work responsibilities excite you the most?
If your current job does not satisfy your career values, don’t worry. This does not mean that you are in the wrong career. Rather it is an indication that you should make a conscious effort to change things about your job. Talk to your supervisor and propose some changes to your job that you believe can have a huge impact on your productivity and focus.
For instance, if you want to be more creative at work, but are always performing tasks rather than helping develop solutions, talk to your supervisor and see if you can become involved with creative projects.
Types of Career Values
Core career values can be divided into four categories: intrinsic, work content, work relationship, and work environment.
Intrinsic Career Values
Intrinsic career values are intangible motivators that make people love their careers. Some common intrinsic values are achievement, commitment, contribution, equality, honesty, independence, respect, responsibility, power, and status.
Before you accept a job offer, it’s important that you determine if the job will satisfy your intrinsic values. Read company reviews on Glassdoor to develop a better understanding of company culture. Ask the right questions in your interview to ensure that you will be fulfilled by this line of work.
An example of someone who is likely to be intrinsically fulfilled by their career would be a teacher.
Work Content Career Values
Work content is the work intrinsic to a position. Many job postings define the work that needs to be performed in the role. Work content career values can be defined as things about a job you find exciting.
Some common work content career values include advocacy, research, variety, helping, organizing, public contact, risk taking, and problem solving.
Work Relationship Career Values
Work relationship career values are the type of relationships that are important to a person in the workplace. These relationships can be between coworkers, managers, and clients. If an employee does not feel supported at work, their satisfaction will take a dip.
Some examples of work relationship career values are fun, harmony, caring, competition, loyalty, individualism, trust, recognition, support, cooperation, leadership, and friendship.
Work Environment Career Values
Work environment career values are the specific things in their workplaces that are important to the employees. These values can vary from employee to employee, so remember to ask questions about the specific work environment career values you care about in your job interview.
Some common work environment career values are benefits, learning, location, excitement, autonomy, structure, security, predictability, and sense of security.
Steps to Defining Your Career Values
Create a List of Career Values
Do some self-reflection to identify and describe a time when you were the happiest and a time when you were the most dissatisfied, unhappy, and unmotivated. What were the factors at play? What were you doing? Who was there?
Identify the central themes in these situations to create a list of your core career values.
Refine Your List
Think about the different ways you can group similar values together. For example, values such as thoroughness, accuracy, and quality-orientation can be grouped under the heading of perfection.
Your definition of a career value can differ from that of someone else’s and does not have to match the official definition. Describe in a few words what each value means to you to see if one value transforms in another. Think about 5-10 core values you can relate to everyday thinking.
Test Your Career Values
Think about the examples you considered determining your core values. Did you engage your core values in these situations? Were any of your values violated? Consider testing your career values in your everyday decision making over several weeks.
Apply Your Career Values to Your Career
When searching for a job, eliminate organizations with core values that don’t match yours. Ask yourself important questions such as:
➢ What is your preferred work schedule?
➢ What types of employee benefits are you looking for?
➢ What are your preferred industries and companies? Do their core values align with yours?
➢ What types of work relationships do you value?
Are you looking for career coaching in NYC? Look no further than Cooper Mental Health Counseling. We will help you find a career that excites you. To make an appointment, contactour office at (347) 244-7873.
