By: Barbara Bowes
Date: June 26, 2010
The Winnipeg Free Press

New graduates of all ages are spilling out of universities and colleges at a rapid pace. One benefit for businesses, organizations and the marketplace in general is that many of today’s students come with graduate or double degrees or diplomas, plus experience in co-operative or internship programs.

These qualifications are often complemented by several years of other work experience, especially in the hospitality, retail or food services sectors. As well, the customer service and computer skills of these new graduates and job candidates are often second to none.

Most of the students will indeed be successful in getting jobs in their chosen profession, but what happens next?

Quite often, to be honest, these graduates don't think about what happens next. Instead, they concentrate on doing well in their first job and proving themselves to their new employer. This is all well and good but at some point, you have to take charge of your career and my advice is to do it sooner than later.

If you interview a number of employees with 10-15 years' experience, most will tell you that they literally "fell" into their jobs. They didn't seek out their current role, but may have been recognized for their skill and asked to apply by their boss. Or, they may have developed a reputation and had been hunted by an executive search professional. But all in all, most people don't manage their careers. Not only that, these seasoned employees will frequently take themselves for granted and will have a hard time telling you what they are good at and what they like to do.

On the other hand, I have certainly met a number of young people who try to go too fast in their career or have high personal expectations that are unrealistic. Sometimes they come with degree or diploma in hand and want the same salary level as someone with 10 or more years' experience. They don't realize, recognize or perhaps accept that hands-on, day-to-day work experience with an employer has equal value to their education and in fact, sometimes more.

However, my approach is not to recommend that you sit down and carve out a rigid career plan that will lead you to the seven next jobs in your career, concluding with the dream of being a CEO. Instead, as a career coach with over 25 years of proven experience, I have always recommended a different and more comprehensive approach.

My approach suggests focusing on knowing who you are, what skills you have to offer, and to understand what truly motivates you. When you have this knowledge, you can then look for and take advantage of opportunities. You can take the time to focus on the right experience, build the right skills and place yourself in the right work environment where you can succeed and excel. You will be in charge of your career and will always direct yourself towards a job that fulfils your personal and professional needs. So, what does this approach to career management look like? The following guidelines will start you on your journey.

Understand your personality -- Personality refers to personal characteristics that lead us to behave and think in certain ways. Are you open to new experiences, are you curious or cautious? Are you well organized, easy going or careless? Each of these traits is important with respect to what makes us happy. They have an impact on what type of career is best suited to you.

Define your communication style -- There are three types of communication styles. Aggressive individuals are goal oriented and excel in fast-paced environments. Passive individuals are hesitant to speak up and require a less aggressive work environment. An assertive communicator, on the other hand, is non-judgmental and a good listener and needs an environment where he or she can be a good team player.

Know what motivates you -- There are eight different personal motivators ranging from the need to work independently to being in an environment where you can focus on a social service or a just cause. Your work environment must create satisfaction with your motivators or else, guaranteed, you will not feel like there is a good fit and you will not be happy.

Examine your best team role -- Today's work world requires good team skills balanced with your technical expertise. This requires you to understand which role in a team you are best suited for. Do you like to initiate and lead the startup of a project, but not be involved long term? Do you like to come into a project and fix or change the direction? Are you flexible and able to serve many roles on a team?

Know your skill set -- People take themselves for granted. They do not understand what they are good at and what they like to do -- they just do it. Examine when you were most happy. For young people without much experience, this might include examining what playtime they most enjoyed. Believe it or not, enjoyment from child's playing can demonstrate the same skills in a work environment.

Develop a "picture" of who you are -- Define all of these personal characteristics and traits, then sit back and ask yourself, "who is this person, anyway?" Develop a brief picture of yourself doing what you like to do, what you are best at and where the work is taking place. Once you know this, you will be able to better assess job opportunities that come your way. You'll be better equipped to know when that next new job is exactly right for you.

Stay on the career train -- Once you have a job, it's important that you stay on the career train. Avoid getting trapped in your current role and forgetting about yourself and what you can do with your career. I am not saying this from a selfish point of view, but you need to always focus on how your experiences and learning can help advance your long-term goal and, more importantly, your job satisfaction.

Develop positive work traits -- Good things will come to those who work hard. Be diligent in your profession, ensure you always engage in good ethics, be patient and show respect for others. Be consistent so that people can count on you. Reach out to help others, be flexible and accept new experiences with excitement and an opportunity to learn new things.


Barbara J. Bowes, FCHRP, CMC, is president of Legacy Bowes Group, Manitoba's leading talent management solutions firm. She is also host of the weekly Bowes Knows radio show and is the author of several books. Barbara can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .