How To Build a Career You Won't Want to Quit

Soumya worked as an ad-hoc lecturer at a university. Her parents were ecstatic and hopeful that in a few years she would get a permanent government job. At 27 years of age, Soumya was unsure, she did not feel equipped to commit to a lifelong teaching job in a university. What if she didn’t like it? Everyone around her assured her it is a good role, helps in balancing work and family etc. She started to teach as an exploratory activity and enjoyed her student interactions. Three years later there was a lifetime opportunity to join as a permanent faculty member. She took the plunge. She is 45 years old now and feels it was a wise decision. But when she was in her 20s and making career choices, she didn’t feel sure at all! Isn’t that something you are facing too? At the crossroads of what subjects to choose as some weigh better for a career you want to have, versus those which are lighter and will allow you to pursue your passion as well?

The Beginning Years

You are most likely in this phase of your life if you are reading this article. The beginning years are marked by making course and stream choices, working to get your professional degrees, and getting your first job or placement. A critical and exciting phase of your life as the choices you make at this stage can determine the direction and speed of your career for years to come. See this phase of your career like the “foundation” of your home. Make it strong and spend time ensuring you have the right foundation.

• Explore, engage, and understand yourself better. Awareness of your skills, talents and interests is critical so that you choose a vocation based on your strengths and inclinations.
• Explore, engage and understand the market and courses better. Understand the options available at the university and market so you can choose careers that align with your skills and talents.
• Create a learning mindset, life is not about rote-learning and marks. There are no mock-tests, no sample papers, so engage in deep learning. Invest time and resources in learning your subject area and focus on application and understanding.
• While you are studying, try a few internships in varied areas, so you get an understanding of how you prefer to work, your work values, how you manage your work relationships etc. For example, if you are a business student you may want to try internships in areas of finance and supply chain. You may also work across different sectors to get an idea of what suits you better.
• Most students focus on money and the materialistic aspects of a career. These seem the most prominent when you are in school and college especially if you have taken hefty loans. However, if your lucrative job leaves limited time for health, friends, family, you may regret focusing only on the money. Understand your preferred lifestyle and orientation towards money and luxury. Try to draw a realistic budget of how much you need to live a comfortable life and then buffer it by 20-30 per cent, so you are comfortable in tough times too.
• As a fresher you are likely to spend more than half your day at work. Make sure you like working with the people in your organisation. People and relationships are key in building a career you want to sustain. Check the vibe you get when you chat with your boss, peers, and colleagues, listen to your gut feeling about the quality of people and the culture.
• Understand your career ambitions realistically based on your family context, challenges, and circumstances as these influence job changes, career choices and life transitions. If the course you are undertaking is not something your family can afford at the time, do revisit and see how to make your dream achievable and realistic. However, if you feel compelled to do a course because of family pressure, it is likely to cause a lot of stress to all, so do stand up for yourself.

The Growing Years

Most young professionals with a few years of experience reach a phase of accelerated growth and development in terms of responsibilities, complexity of role, salary, people management etc. In the first few years, technical skills are very important to help you grow and establish yourself professionally. In the later years other aspects become more important.

In case you find that you are stagnating or not finding avenues for growth, check back on whether your chosen stream or career was aligned with your interests, skills, family context, lifestyle needs etc. A quick check within the first two years can be very beneficial in changing your career direction and trajectory and re-building your career foundation.

See your career as an expression of “who you are”, as a service or product that can derive a good monetary value and sustain you.

• As you grow in your career, your attitude towards work, people, new challenges, and your softer skills become more important in building your career. Focus on building your softer skills.
• Comparisons and inequities are a common cause for concern in this career phase. You may feel that some of your batchmates from college are not growing as fast as you while some others may be growing faster than you. Focus on building your career instead of comparing your lot to others.
• Learn new skills, read, join courses, and upgrade your understanding and employability.
• Spending time meeting and connecting with people from diverse skill sets and backgrounds, the diverse exposure helps you grow your mindset.
• Seek support from seniors and mentors and provide support to the freshers in the beginning years of their career.
• Focus on your overall health and wellbeing and find time to engage in regular exercise, gym, regular sports etc. Ensure the career you are building is not eroding your health and fitness.
• Increase your financial literacy, allocate funds for regular investments, retirement funds, children’s growth fund etc. This financial cushion helps you stay on the track and build your career rather than having to take drastic decisions for financial crunches.
• Take regular breaks and vacations to rejuvenate, spend time in nature so you have the energy and resources to build your career.
• Be patient with yourself and celebrate your successes at work and life. A sense of fulfilment and achievement are very helpful in regaining your focus and motivation.

The Mature Years

After over 20 years of working in a specific area and building your career diligently, you may reach a comfortable position financially and personally. Sometimes, people quit at this time as they feel they have endured their career enough. However, if you have aligned your interests and skills to yourself and the market, invested in your learning, find joy in your work and life, you may want to do something more significant in your specific career area itself.

Essentially, you don’t want to quit, you just want to make a bigger impact. You want to share your learnings, mentor others, teach, give back to society so you feel more fulfilled in your life and career. During this phase, professionals are seen engaging in one or more of the following roles:

• Independent Director on a board or organisation.
• Visiting or guest faculty positions in institutions teaching courses they are skilled at.
• Informal mentoring of young professionals and youth.
• Engage in campus recruitment drives and talks to educate and build awareness.
• Freelance training and coaching of professionals.

It helps to see your career as a house or shelter you build for yourself. The foundation is to find courses and areas you want to contribute towards and are skilled at. The beginning years help you lay the structure and blueprint of your career. In the Growth phase, you lay more bricks lovingly and nurture your career. The more you care for your career and build it gradually, the more you will learn to love it, learn from the challenges, and grow. Just like a home, it also needs renovation and painting. As you move into your mature years, you adorn your career by engaging in meaningful work, creating an impact and influence. Through the years, it helps to connect with your work and find a sense of purpose in it, viewing work as purely a means to earn money and fulfil your materialistic needs only creates a “golden handcuff” and resentment.

See your career as an expression of “who you are”, as a service or product that can derive a good monetary value and sustain you. Build this carefully and with love and you will have a career you won’t want to quit!

Happy Career Building! God bless!

The author is a career and life coach who works with teens, adults and returning professionals to help them find joy and alignment in their careers and life. After working for over two decades, she founded LifeVidya in 2019 and has worked with hundreds of students, professionals, and women.