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Why you should review your career now

Source: Cube Rules Newsletter, December 2, 2009

1. Your company goals for the next year are set

Most companies have to start working their budgets in October, above and beyond their normal work, to get ready for the next year. Budgets are stories about how you and your department are going to accomplish next year’s goals. Often as well, goals for you and your department are set during this time so you should have clear sight to what is considered important for the next year. You can determine now what work needs doing to get engaged in for next year -- and determine if the job is still right for you.

2. Your company has changed

During the Great Recession, your company has changed--most likely, from whatever it was to fanatical cost-cutting, bare bones-operating, and looking to minimize any risk. Assess whether or not your skills still fit a shrinking company and how that affects your performance, and decide if the company is still the right fit for you.

3. Your job has changed

Job descriptions become obsolete the minute management changes priorities -- and your job. When your job changes, with or without your input, what you brought to the work may or may not still apply. Your job has changed over the last year. Did you change with it?

4. Your manager has changed

The relationship between you and your manager is and important one in the company. Your manager has great influence on your job, selection of work you do, and what projects you are given. Your performance review rating -- and raise -- can be fought for or compromised away. It’s likely that over the past year, your manager has changed. That may mean the manager -- he or she -- has literally (physically) changed. Assess how the manager has changed, and determine how those changes impact you. Then decide if you’re still in the right job.

5. Your needs have changed

Looking at the job, you should have matured in doing the work over the year. Perhaps what was challenging at the beginning of the year is now very boring -- a recipe for disaster (boring work leads to boring results).

Perhaps, your life outside of work has changed. Now you are married to a career-minded spouse, and you’ve had aspirations to move across the country. It would be good to work through conditions that would be good for you both, before one surprises the other with an offer

6. You need control -- and perspective

David Allen in his book, “Getting Things Done,” is right -- you gain control by having a complete inventory of all of your tasks and projects. Getting control and staying in control is major work over the year.

But one also needs perspective to maintain sanity. You get perspective by reflecting on your life and your work. The end of the year review of your job and career is classic -- and necessary -- perspective so that you continue to point your work in the right direction. Get your perspective on your work right now. Set some quiet time aside and review your work, your job, and your career.

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