An important source of information that individuals often overlook when exploring or considering their next career move is the power of their own observation. You are exposed to numerous careers and work possibilities everyday, and taking just a moment to start observing what is going on around you can provide you with a lot of information. We suggest that you spend time noticing:
- What other people are doing in their careers/jobs that looks interesting or fun to you. This can be people you bump into in your daily routine, or co-workers that you’ve known for years. The goal is to notice how they spend their moments (not their title) and observe what tasks or skills they are engaging in to do their work. Don’t make any judgment about whether you could do that exact job, but rather explore why what they are doing looks interesting or engaging to you.
- Keep an eye out for people and/or organizations that are inspiring or motivating to you. Get curious about those moments when you feel most engaged or touched by what someone or an organization is doing. Let yourself be informed by what those moments are telling you so that you have the ability to draw on those thoughts as you consider what kind of work would be meaningful to you.
Raising your awareness in these two areas will give you information about industries, organizations and people to research further, and potentially contact, as you consider your career strategy moving into the future. Don’t underestimate the power of your own observation as a means for finding rich nuggets of information that have the power to dramatically change your career path.