Career Management Tips – Smart Lemming – Career Management Guide

Mindfulness is the practice when a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, in a non-judgmental manner. Self-awareness or mindfulness isn’t easy. It requires us to look at ourselves with an open, non-judging mind. You can meditate or reflect on questions like: Why did I do that? How can I be better? What really happened in my last job? Was I betrayed? Why did I feel hurt or angry? Did I damage a great work relationship? How I mend the damage?

By asking ourselves these difficult questions, we get equally difficult answers. Only when we practice mindfulness or self-awareness, do we grow as individuals and in our career. Career mindfulness can you remove the barriers that may be preventing you from moving up the career ladder.

12 Questions for Career Mindfulness

Below are 12 questions to help you reflect about the course of your career. Perhaps once you see your answers, you’ll see patterns or maybe you won’t. These questions conjure up memories of jobs that may still create some undercurrent of discomfort. I hope some questions validate your strengths or your weaknesses, while some questions provoke a memory that you thought you forgot.

1. How was the first day of your last job? How was the last day of your first job?
2. If you wrote an email to yourself on attitude adjustment, how would it read?
3. What things did you do or love as a child that explains how your work today?
4. Write about a phone call that changed everything in your life.
5. Write about the book that changed everything in your career.
6. If you could ask a former boss a question you wanted to ask, what would that question be?
7. Have you experienced a painful loyalty?
8. What happened on a workday that was different?
9. How did it all go wrong so fast?
10. What if you didn’t get that job?
11. What is the elephant in the room?
12. What if you finally get to do what you always wanted?

I’ll post one question on career mindfulness per work day for the rest of the month.

12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #1 How was last day of your first job?

Our first job and our last job were probably years ago or just yesterday. Between these two jobs, we have evolved, as our skills have grown. We’re more experienced, more polished. Consider the last day of your first job.

The last day of my first job was one of excitement and anticipation. I had worked for my employer for six years. During that time, they helped grow me up. They accommodated my return to college, by giving me the flexibility in my work hours. They celebrated my admission into my number one graduate school. The CFO tried to convince me to stay. I remember telling him, “I can’t give up on this opportunity. Do you realize that only 3.4% of Alaska Natives/American Indians attain a graduate degree? I want to be in that 3.4%. I’ve been accepted into the one the top three schools for Healthcare Administration. I can’t pass that up.” The last day of my first job will always be with me.

How was the first day of your last job?

The first day of my last job was also one filled with excitement as well. My last job was my best job ever. I clicked with the CEO when I first met him. I enjoyed every one-on-one, team meetings, and social discussions with him. I also enjoyed my management team peers. I adored my direct reports. The management team helped through the sale of Erosion Media properties to MTV Networks. They were supportive and excited for me. I stayed as long as I could with in this job, before I had to move to Manhattan.

Have you changed since your last job? I have. Since leaving my last job, my life has been surreal. I never expected to part of the AE team, making appearances in Paris, Lyon, and New York. I never thought I would be attending public events and meeting different people in the entertainment industry. Meeting actors, such as Maeve Quinlan, Maile Flannigan, Renee O’Connor, Christina Cox, or Liz Vassey, is far cry from my days in healthcare technology. Becoming friends with some of them is even more surreal.

After answering both of these questions, I realized how fortunate I was to have these two particular jobs as bookends of my career. I’m pleased that I have fond memories, not regretting the last day of my first job or the first day of my last job. If I would have stayed at my first job, I may not have attained my MHA degree. I would have remained in Indian Healthcare, but certainly not with the knowledge and skills that only a master’s degree can give you. I may not return to Indian Healthcare, which is something I’ve had to come to terms with. I often feel guilt, knowing the small percentage of Alaska Native and American Indians that achieve this level of education. Over time, I’ve made peace with my decisions, but it’s taken a long time to get to this point. I’m looking for creative ways to contribute to Alaska Natives without having to work in the Indian Healthcare.

How about you? Do you have any regrets? Do you wish you could have done something different on the last day of your first job or the first day of your last job?

I’ll post one question on career mindfulness per work day for the rest of June 2009. For previous entries in this series, click here.

Similar Posts:

• 12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #9 How did it all go wrong so fast?
• 12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #4 Write about a Phone Call that Changed Everything
• 12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #10 What if you didn’t get that job?
• 12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #6 If you could ask a former boss a question, what would you ask?
• 12 Questions for Career Mindfulness: #11 What is the elephant in the room?