Careers Thoughts

How do you quantify the value of a job?
a.k.a. “Should I stay or should I go now?”

For the majority of people, their working life takes a significant percentage of their waking hours each week (even more so if you include travel and preparation). As we should do when contemplating any large investment, of time, energy, attention or money, we should be cognisant of the return that we get back.

“one person’s tedium may be another persons rapture”

Either when contemplating moving to a new role, or when considering the position that you are currently in. These should be against your own your own measures - one person’s tedium may be another persons rapture, but from my perspective there are some core aspects to consider, which for me form into 3 main categories:

Rewards & recognition (status?)
Satisfaction, fun & enjoyment (meaning)
Growth & development (career, or skills)

I occasionally volunteer at a local Primary School, running Code Clubs and taking part in careers fairs. During a careers fair in July (2019) these were some of the popular questions asked:

How much do you earn
Is this what you always wanted?
What qualifications do you need to do your job?
Do you have any regrets?

Number 2 made me chuckle, and as a schoolchild of the 80’s, I enjoyed describing the state of technology at that time, and that my current work in high-tech web platforms wasn’t established 15 years ago, let alone 30 years ago.

Regrets… I have a few… and channeling my inner Sinatra … I wish I had believed more in doing things more my way, sooner. I currently work in technical pre-sales for enterprise software - but it is very much the relationships with the people I meet, and understanding what would help them to achieve whatever they value which really drives me (though of course it does mostly have a solid aspect of helping them to make effective use of technology) .