Career Building Tips

When I was in the fifth grade, I knew a girl named Christine who wanted to be a doctor. And I discovered, just the other day, that Christine had become a doctor – a very good and respected one. But what about the rest of us? Have we grown to achieve the career that we dreamed of when we were young (like astronaut, doctor or firefighter)? Or have we settled for the career we thought we should want? Equally depressing, have we taken what we believed was the only thing we could get, handicapped by the negative expectations of not only others, but ourselves? I believe that poor career karma (cause and effect) can be changed into something very rewarding for ourselves, by basic recognition of this state and the intention to change it into something more fulfilling.

Learning to disregard what others tell us a fulfilling career should be is vital. Others’ expectations can be good things – when they concern truthfulness, a good work ethic, or reliability, for example. But I have done many readings for people who are very unhappy because of what their families, in particular, expected of them. Whether it was just comments like “You should be a teacher, teachers will always be needed” or “You’ll be a doctor, just like your father and grandfather,” many people fall for the predictions of their future made by the people they think know them best. They disregard the opinion of the one person who matters above all – themselves – and let others dictate their path.

There are also many people in the world doing what they feel is the best they can hope for. They are capable of much more than their current employment, but feel that they don’t deserve better. This could be as a result of expectations from others, as well. (“You’ll never amount to anything, you’re dumb, just like your brother.”) Unhappily, they settle for second-best, as that is what they have been conditioned to expect. They deserve more than they are getting.

How do we change our career karma? By realizing that we merit the best career that will utilize our potential. By realizing that we are not bound by the expectations of others, only our own. Whether it’s through counseling or self-examination, we can change our jobs into fulfilling careers – into something we enjoy doing every day, work that we feel contributes to not only our own lives, but the lives of others. Beginning with recognition of poor career karma, we can, with intention, change this into good career karma.

Where have you set your sights – and where can you set them next?

2 thoughts on “Career Building Tips

  1. Annette

    I am 64 years old and live in London. When I was at secondary school I wanted to be a nurse. My mother wouldn’t let me as she had had a close friend who had been a nurse in the 40s and who had contracted TB as a result, from which she subsequently died.

    There were very few career choices available in those days for ‘bright’ young ladies! You either went to university or into teaching or nursing. Anything else was frowned on.

    Following the family tradition, I became a teacher. The discipline which I had to impose and the regime necessary in the early 70s never suited me. However, after time and having started a family I had the opportunity to do ‘home tuition’. This work necessitated my forming closer relationships with the students and thinking about them as individuals rather than just as a group. I trained to gain a qualification in counselling. From there I went to work in an ‘off-site’ provision for students with behaviour problems who had been excluded from mainstream. From there to working with students whose behaviour problems were to do with their weak basic skills in reading and number work. From there, ultimately, I work for 2 days a week in a special school. Students there can either have complex learning or physical needs, be autistic ot have hearing or visual handicaps or any combination of these. My work is challenging but I greatly enjoy it.

    I feel that, ultimately, I have come back to where I wanted to be. Maybe I am writing this because I know that, if you want to do something enough then you will, subconsciously at least, look for ways to create it in your life.

    May you all achieve your goals.

    Reply

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