Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Getting Better or Getting Worse


Being able to perform a job is only one consideration. That falls under the category of what you will do to the job.

An equally important question is what the job will do to you. Given your skills and inclinations, will the job make you better or worse? Many of us have seen individuals who experience a decline (or improvement) in abilities or a change in personality due to the influence of a job. The job is perfectly respectable - they haven't dabbled in crime - but the job's daily demands eventually work their way. Take five years and you'll see a change.

What is hoped for, of course, is that the change will be for the better. That's why jobs that pay less but which offer a great opportunity for personal and professional development can be preferable to ones that pay more but are traps.

The five year test period is a good one. Don't just ask yourself where you will be in five years. Ask what you will be like.

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