Yesterday, I got the question “why do you blog?” of course I had around a million answers to respond with. Then I realized that the reason the person asked was not to find out why I blogged but to see if there was any reason to why he should blog.
This got me thinking about what [...]
Posts Tagged ‘career’
Get better by saying NO and succeed
Posted By Annelie Näs on October 5th, 2009
I am one of those people who have a really difficult time saying no. Especially when it comes to things I enjoy, but also when it comes to doing people a favor. My problem is so big that the parents of my friends started telling my mom that I would get burned out when I was only 14. I am still not close to burned out and I will not be as long as I remember how and why to say no.
But I’m not supposed to talk about me; I just want to remind all other people like me why it is sometimes better to say no.
Many students who have shown their capability in the beginning of their study program start getting a few or more offers as they reach graduation day. By this time they also start feeling the pressure of having to find a job and mange to support themselves after school. Thus it is easy to begin accepting every offer, take extra classes etc. To make sure, that you have done your best when it is time to graduate.
Of course this might be the best you can do and it could open a lot of opportunities. But it could also mean that you are taking on too much, and that is the danger of it all. If you start taking on too much you cannot longer perform the best at everything you do, and will have to start compromising to have time to get everything done.
This mean that you can end up on the “okey” pile in a lot of what you do instead of the “excellent” pile in everything you do. And which one of these piles will matter in the end?
Surely this is not only a problem that students face, but that all human who strive to be the best and to succeed. You can be at many stages in your development, sometimes you have to get better at your weaknesses and other times you should focus on what your good at etc. But either or you should never take on too much at the same, time leading to not succeeding in anything.
Because after all people like successful people and head hunters want the best! Show yourself that you can do a few things great and believe in what you do and they will see it as well.
Pick a path and stick with it!
Posted By Annelie Näs on March 29th, 2009
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!
Posted in Career development
