Today is my daughter’s 16th birthday and it has been a day of reflection for me. Perhaps I’m particularly introspective this year because I see this birthday as such a milestone as she begins to leave her childhood behind and embark on her journey into young adulthood. All morning I’ve been asking myself the same questions I pose to my clients when I ask them to reflect on their career history, but I’m applying those questions to my alter-career as a mom. I’m thinking about the different challenges and obstacles I have faced as a mother, what my greatest achievements as a mom have been to date, what I am known for as a mom, and what skills I have developed as a mom. This exercise is helping me to prepare for what lies ahead. I know the challenges I will face parenting a child through her later teenage years will intensify and won’t be solved by a hug. I know my ideas and beliefs will be questioned or passed over as my daughter continues to find herself. I feel like I am entering into a new job (a promotion maybe?) with a new boss, new corporate culture, new demands, and new responsibilities. There is bound to be a learning curve in the beginning and I want to feel that I have done my homework and am up for the challenge. Thinking about my past successes will help make me feel more confident in my parenting style as I move through these potentially turbulent years.How about you? Have you thought about your achievements, both professionally and personally lately? This can sometimes be a hard exercise, but its value is priceless. In order to effectively manage our careers, it is important to take time out periodically to think about what you have accomplished over the past year. Doing so can help you feel more confident in pursuing your future career goals and positioning yourself as the candidate of choice should you decide to apply for a new position.
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Hi Barbara – my daughter turned 13 last month so I’m all ears!
BTW – ever thought of doing a Mom resume?!!
Looking back over my ‘Dad’ role sometimes has me laughing and crying all at the same time – but basically happy and grateful for how things are going.
And on your post’s theme of reflection… especially before beginning a job search or a potential career change, I think we can reinforce our beliefs in what is both practical and possible by examining past successes and the lessons learned with compassionate but firm hindsight. These experiences need not be wasted or confined to just be happy memories.
Mark,
Great points about the reflective process as it applies to career changers.
Thinking about past successes and figuring out their transferability to a new career is an important exercise for career changers.