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The Five W’s of Career Management

When preparing to find your next job, consider the Five W’s of Career Management.  A little proactive work may save you from making a wrong decision and ending up in another bad experience.  Think about your career and where you were really happy and content.  Create a check list as you consider future opportunities and employers.  

Start by drawing a table with three columns and five rows.  Title the first column “My most favorite employer” and the third column, “My least favorite employer”.  Give some thought to which jobs you have had in your career that fit into each category.  In the center column of row one write “why”.  Then fill-in the appropriate row with why it’s the best or the least?  As you look back, what comes to mind as to why you looked forward to going into work every day or you just wanted to get through the day and go home?  In row two write “what”.  Specifically, what made it the best or the least?  Perhaps it was the work you performed.  It might have been the opportunity or lack for growth. How about the people with whom you worked.  Don’t be too general but put your finger on specifics.  Row three is the “when” or the time in your life spent working there?  Was it early in your career and your lifestyle was different? Or later when your interests turned to different priorities.  Maybe you weren’t married or had no children so your time didn’t have to be divided.  Row four is the “where”.  Physically, where did you work?  Was it in a different city, state, or country?  Did you work remotely or onsite.   Location, location can have an impact on job satisfaction too.  Finally row five is the “who”.  Who made it the best or the least?  Was there a particular manager or CEO?  How did they make a difference and what about them made it a great place to work?

With this insight from looking back, it’s time to look forward.  As much as you can, compare any possible jobs to this list and see where they fit.  Keep them in mind during an interview.  It should help you find a good fit.  Not looking for a job?  I recommend to “always be looking for a new job in order to be ready”. 

Ted Saul is a business coach and writer that assists with Business Plans, Project Management and Career Management. He earned his MBA from Regis University along with a Masters in project management.  Ted can be reached on LinkedIn or by emailing TedSaulbiz@gmail.com.

Written by Ted Saul, Sr. Staff Writer

Ted Saul is a business coach that assists with Business Plans and Project Management. He holds a master certificate in project management and has earned his MBA from Regis University. Ted can be reached on LinkedIn, TedS787 on Twitter or emailing Ted@tsaul.com.

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