Annelie Näs

I have been looking at different career alternatives recently as I am leaving my temporary position in Washington D.C. in the end of April. Thinking about the different opportunities I have, and how they might affect my career I began comparing it with marketing. It’s kind of like choosing your niche.

I can either focus on a very small segment and become an expert of it or I can choose to not take a niche and try to do everything. If I chose to become and expert I will work to become the first choice in my area and the one you ask for expertise. That might close a few doors but it might also open a lot of others. If I don’t choice a niche can be a somewhat good at a lot of things, but rarely the one that is needed for a specific task.

Thinking about it like this make me realise the difference, in my perspective it is more about what I do than where I do it. Thus in if I was a business I would rather focus on service than location.

I would not say that it is a bad thing to keep doors open when you are choosing your career, but if you do, you have to explain to yourself why you keep them open. Trying to apply for jobs in all different fields just because you are afraid that you wont get a job in your preferred category, might actually make things harder. Think about it, if you write 10 applications for the same kind of position, I think the last letter will be a lot better than the last of ten for different kind of jobs. You cannot be good at everything, so pick your path.

For me I have realised what I want to do, but don’t have a big preference on where to do it. Preferably I would stay in D.C. but as long as I am working with the things I like, I think I could work from anywhere around the world. You might not be that flexible, but have some desire to try a new position in you industry or work category, and that might be enough. You are sticking to what you know and are profiling yourself as got at that.

My guess is that this is mostly a problem for younger people with less experience. Since we don’t have a ton of experience in anything, it is easier for us to try to do something else just because there might be a possibility there even though it is not what we want to do. I don’t believe in that kind of thinking even though I am tempted to. Stick to what you want to do even in hard times and you will reach your goals!

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