Career Management Is Not For Me

Career Management Is Not For Me I write a lot about managing your career. I also know a lot of people who dont want to do this or at least say they dont care about a career. (They dont read my blog either.) They want time with their family or time to do things THEY want to do. Climbing the corporate ladder is not their thing. My friend Kelly doesnt see herself as a career enthusiast. She works part time and fits that in around her familys schedule. She views attending meetings as an interruption to her personal life and a drain on her wallet. She has zero desire to network for the sake of meeting new people in her field of work. Kellys desire is to be a mother and take care of her family. Her interest in her career is very low at this point in her busy life. There are lots of Kellys out there- people who have priorities and values which dont really include a career. I get it. Though Kelly doesnt think she is managing her career, she is. Here are some reasons why: Her work does require her to interact with other departments and she does a phenomenal job at managing these relationships. She is a life-long learner. Though Kelly doesnt read trade publications, she does talk with others in her field regularly to learn whats going on. She also has maintained the certifications necessary to work in her field. She has developed a reputation of being fair and honest and hard working. Kelly would never use LinkedIn or Twitter. Shell never have a blog. But she doesnt need to. What Kelly does day after day is develop a reputation as an expert among her peers. She does this by doing her job well. She plays nicely with others. She seeks out information and is current in her knowledge. Kelly is being true to her personal values. She is a survivor. She understands relationships. She shows interest in others 100% of the time. For those of you thinking, Kelly has a job, I can tell you that she has been a job seeker more than once and every time shes searched, shes found something and it didnt take her long. I hope this helps those of you who say you just want a job. I know it has helped me understand that theres more than one way to manage a career!