Career Choices and Signs of Success or Failure

This past weekend a good friend of mine was in Santa Barbara, CA for a job interview. On Friday night I drove up to to meet him and spent the weekend exploring Santa Barbara. Over the course of weekend we chatted quite a bit about the job opportunity and the factors that determined whether or not he would accept the job.

At the end of the weekend, after going back and forth quite a bit, he was still undecided. But, he had managed to isolate the only factor that was an issue. Did he want to move to Santa Barbara from San Francisco? While it is a move to a small town, it’s not exactly a place that sucks. As we talked more about whether or not he should take the job, I started to isolate the factors that would make somebody fail or succeed in any role.

Signs of Failure

It’s a paycheck: If you have the mentality that “it’s a paycheck”, there’s  a good chance that you won’t be successful at the job. If you are a paycheck player then you are not going to find the position that you take rewarding on any level other than financially. So, be careful and make sure you don’t fall into the “it’s a paycheck” trap.

It’s temporary: One thing my friend said about another opportunity that he had that really struck me was “It’s not like I plan to be there for that long anyways.” In that moment I kind of knew that he should consider making the move to Santa Barbara because he had already talked himself into leaving his other job before he even started. If you are entering a new job with an exit plan, then it’s probably not the right job for you.

Lack of Excitement: If you don’t have any excitement about the role that you are in, that’s another sign of failure. The “at least it’s a job” mentality is also another sure sign that you won’t be successful. You’ll do just enough to keep your job and never go above and beyond the call of duty, which is necessary for success.

Feeling Uncomfortable with your Boss: A few years back I interviewed at two different companies. One company grilled me, considered not hiring me, and gave me an overall feeling of discomfort. The second company turned around an offer in 24 hours and kept increasing the offer in the hopes that I would take it. I even liked the manager at the second company better. But, I chose the first company. In the end, my initial instincts about the first manager were dead on. He ended up being a difficult manager and almost fired me. Fortunately he didn’t get that opportunity thanks to my departure to business school. The lesson I learned from this is that it’s important to trust in the connection you have with a potential supervisor.

Signs of Success

Camaraderie with Coworkers: One of the most important things I find in any working environment is camaraderie with coworkers. I’m not sure who wrote about it, but I remember an author saying that people with friends at work are much more likely to succeed and be happier in the work place.

Long term thinking/Presence: When my friend talked about his new opportunity in Santa Barbara he talked about 5 year time frame. That’s very different from the mentality of “It’s temporary.” The other thing that is important is that you are focused on what it is you are working on in the moment. Ironically, too much focus on the future and promotion/career growth will actually slow your progress.

Creativity: Creativity is something most people tend to thrive on. One reason I’m confident that I’ll be successful in my new role as a social media strategist/blogger for Chepair.com is that I get to constantly be creative.  If you are stuck in a routine where everyday is exactly the same, then you are likely to start hating your job.

Thirst for knowledge: A genuine thirst for knowledge is another sign of success in a role. If you are constantly reading upon industry information, looking for opportunities to develop yourself, and grow your skills in your particular role, then it’s a great sign of success. For example, I’ve been consuming a ton of social media material (blogs, books, podcasts, etc.) This desire to further my knowledge is another clear indication that I am likely to succeed in my role because I’m going above and beyond what’s required for my role.

Choosing the right job is a daunting task. There are so many things that are difficult to predict, but trusting your instinct is the best advice I can give about a job search. If you trust whatever makes you feel the best, that’s likely the right decision. You might be pleased to know that this post was written a few weeks back and my friend is moving to Santa Barbara.

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