It’s Time to Plan Ahead

Inside the book and game of CareerBall: Try as we may to control our destiny, life is often tough, unpredictable, and serendipitous. What, for example, will your work life be like in another twelve or twenty-four months… or even five years from now? The old days when you can expect to work for one company most of your life have nearly vanished. Most people in today’s job market can realistically expect to undergo three to five career changes and hold more than fifteen different jobs during their lifetime. Long-term loyalty to a single employer is no longer expected, since many people change jobs and employers within a few years.

Athletes are accustomed to performing well. Sometimes they carry the standard of excellence with them into career exploration. Athletes may look at only jobs that they are familiar with or are confident about, usually careers in athletics. They’re confident in their ability to coach, for example, but less sure about careers in which they have no experience. It’s easy to forget that developing a career is really just like beginning a new sport; it requires practice, and the new steps may feel awkward at first.

Your goal is to find a job based on your strengths rather than your needs. Searching for a job is never fun, and if you’re fortunate, you’ll never have to search for many jobs in your life. But if you’re not experienced at looking for work or even thinking about work, the planning and search process can be arduous at best.