Career Self Assessment
By
Larry Frevert, PE, PWLF
Career Self Assessment
Job: Is a way to pay the bills
Career: Is a path toward increasingly
better work
Calling: Is work that’s an important part
of your life, and a vital part of your
identity
Career Self Assessment
“You’ve got to find what you love…The
only way to do great work is to love
what you do. If you haven’t found it
yet, keep looking, and don’t settle.”
Steve Jobs, Commencement Address
Stanford University, June 2005
-
Career Self Assessment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXXwFG3_x2g
Choosing A Career




“To be happy you must follow your
passion!”
“Do what you love and the money will
follow”
“You can be whatever you want to be!”
“Follow your passions – life is for the
living!”
Career Self Assessment
The Passion Hypothesis
The key to occupational happiness is to
first figure out what you’re passionate
about and then find a job that matches
this passion.
Career Self Assessment
(Follow Your Passion!)






What do you enjoy?
What is important to you?
What level of compensation do you
require?
When do you want to work?
Where do you want to work?
What can prepare you for this work?
Steve Jobs’ Actual Career Path









Attended a liberal arts college in Oregon
Grew his hair long and took to walking barefoot
Dropped out of college, but stayed on campus
Slept on floors and scrounged meals at a Hare Krishna
Temple
Moved back home with his parents
Took a job with Atari, based on their slogan “Have fun and
make money!”
Dabbled with computers from the business perspective
Got fired for leaving for a commune w/o telling his boss!
Teamed with “Woz” (Steve Wozniak) to design a “kit
computer” circuit board
Career Self Assessment
“People are in a rush to start their lives
and it’s sad. I didn’t go out with the
idea of making a big empire. I set
goals for myself at being the best I
could be at whatever I did.”
- Al Merrick, Founder
Channel Island Surfboards
Career Self Assessment
A Dose of Reality



Career Passions Are Rare
Passion Takes Time
Passion Is A Side Effect Of Mastery
“Compelling careers often have complex origins
that reject the simple idea that all you have to do
is follow your passion…”
- Cal Newport, Author and
Assistant Professor, Georgetown University
Career Self Assessment


“The more experience a worker has the
more likely the worker will love their
work!”
“The happiest employees are those that
have been around long enough to
become good at what they do.”
- Amy Wrzesniewski, Professor
Organizational Behavior – Yale University
Career Self Assessment
(Self Determination Theory)



Autonomy: The feeling that you have
control over your day, and that your
actions are important
Competence: The feeling that you are
good at what you do
Relatedness: The feeling of connection
to other people
- “Drive” by Daniel Pink
Career Self Assessment


Passion Mindset: Focuses on what the
world can offer you
Craftsman Mindset: Focuses on what
you can offer the world
Career Self Assessment
“Regardless of how you feel about your
job right now, adopting the craftsman
mindset will be the foundation on which
you’ll build a compelling career!”
“Adopt the craftsman mindset first and
then the passion follows!”
- Cal Newport
The Craftsman Mindset “How can
I be the best at what I do?”









What are you good at
Education and/or training
Registration, certification, credential
Growth opportunity
Mentoring availability
Professional affiliation
Personal investment
Goal setting, short and long term
Self evaluation
Career Self Assessment
Career Self Assessment
“I’ve had some great jobs that I didn’t
fully enjoy because I was too busy
thinking about how to advance to the
next level. If I had it to do over again,
I’d enjoy each job, enjoy each day
more. Doing your best every day is the
best recipe for advancement!”
- Larry Frevert
Career Self Assessment
Questions/Comments?