Know what kind of careerist you are

Know what kind of careerist you are
Published: 03 April 2014
What do you define as a successful career? What is the difference between what you believe is success and what others (your colleagues, managers, or clients) define as success? We all have a limited amount of time during the day to achieve our goals. That is why it is important to strategically allocate your time to the objectives that will bring you to a place that will help you achieve personal success.

In this week's newsletter, we look at what makes a careerist. Firstly, what is a careerist? Audioenglish.org defines a careerist as “a professional who is intent on furthering his or her career by any possible means". Careerism is the idea of concentrating your efforts on your workplace, work activities or work setting in order to rise as high as possible in terms of professional achievement and rank. This type of devotion usually requires a full-time commitment to your job. You usually have to be available around the clock, either literally with your smartphone or device, or mentally, in the case of a person who thinks about work constantly. This kind of career focus can be dangerous, when a person allows their career to take over their life with the ambition of reaching career growth.

Professor C. Brooklyn Derr mentions five 'career orientations' that define various categories of careerists (depending on where the individual is during their career life cycle), in his book Managing the New Careerists.

Getting ahead

People who are motivated by climbing the corporate ladder focus on promotions, raises, recognition, and being in positions of power. They can be generally described as competitive and willing to put in the necessary long hours. These people know how to play the game and say the right things in order to advance. Also, almost every employee who is just beginning in a career is taught that in order to get ahead they must find favour with those in positions of power.

Getting secure

Those who seek orderliness and predictability in the workplace are motivated to seek the approval of others in the workplace, particularly those in management. This group of people are risk averse; less concerned with career progression; and more concerned about job security. It is usual for people in this category to be perceived as mediocre or underachievers, because they have no real ambitions. Those motivated by security are loyal and are willing to put in the required additional effort - not only when it will bring them recognition.

Getting free

Derr says people who want to manage themselves, or are difficult to supervise, fit into this category and prize self-leadership. They are usually difficult personalities to work with, impossible to work for, and want to get their own way at all times. They have less acceptance for regulations, status reports, and other forms of bureaucracy, unlike those in the 'getting secure' category. The challenge with people who are motivated by working according to their own rules is that they do not feel the need to pay their dues before they can work independently, and at times they do not have the patience to start at the bottom.

Getting high

These are people who are meticulous about their areas of expertise, solving problems, developing new concepts, and feeling engaged. They are determined and oftentimes categorized as eccentric. Unlike professionals aiming to get ahead (who might take on boring but important tasks in order to please clients or managers), those motivated mainly by getting high will be inclined towards work that provides greater stimulation, even if it's considered menial or high-risk. They'll also trade a certain amount of independence for exciting or meaningful work.

Getting balanced

People with this orientation want it all: career success, personal development, and close relationships. They are willing to achieve these goals at a steady pace over a period of time but unwilling to sacrifice a personal life for career advancement. Finding a balance means these people are unlikely to stay in a job for which they are overqualified to free up their time with family and other responsibilities. They want a challenge, and gratification, both on and off the job.

Getting balanced is the most important thing to remember when attempting to understand what kind of careerist you are. There are those who know that they have to make career sacrifices, postponing family, relationship or personal goals until job priorities are met. Derr says that even the most ambitious careerist, in the midst of crisis, might find security and balance more important than intellectual stimulation or promotion. This framework is there to assist people for career planning and for management. An organisation that knows what truly motivates its employees will assign people to the right projects, develop them appropriately, and retain them.

According to Forbes.com, economic factors also incite what is known as multi-careerism, because of the fluctuating work-life priorities and the fluid definition of what is considered a career. People no longer conform to the idea of belonging to one company or career. The main priority for a multi-careerist is what they do, not where they do it that counts the most.

People aren't working only to get a salary, but to make a difference. Previously, there used to be an order to life that family and society expected you to follow: finish your education; find a job; buy a house etc. This generation isn't concerned about following the usual order of things. They feel less pressure to succeed by way of the traditional career path, and simply do what feels right.

There are various ways business can respond to this new multi-careerism generation, they can either try to prevent it, ignore it, or embrace it.

At the same time, multi-careerism raises some impediments for employers, including divided loyalties and conflicts of interest. Employers are not keen on their staff performing jobs for other businesses. In fact, some organisations ban it or put restrictions on workers to avoid this kind of movement.

Other companies want to see the benefit that multi-careerism provides in terms of fresh ideas and innovative thinking and practices. People often want to contribute and they want to do their jobs better. Therefore, it is important to create a network that allows people to participate in making positive contributions to the organisation.

Regenesys is also of this school of thought. We believe in using a fresh approach when connecting with leaders. Our Integrated Leadership Model is based on the philosophy that transforming from the inside out will have a significant impact on a careerist; the organisations they serve; and will contribute to increased margins.

Operating from an inside-out approach implies that individuals take responsibility for their thoughts, actions and responses. Taking responsibility for actions and being proactive replaces a victim mentality. The individual understands that their happiness, fulfillment and joy is their responsibility and nobody else's.

Careerists operating from an inside-out approach do not only accept that they are responsible for their reality - either positive or negative - but also feel empowered to transform their own and others' realities.

Regenesys' programmes are designed to encourage these leaders to transform from the inside-out through a self-reflective and self-awareness process. Our facilitators assist careerists to develop 'Purpose Mastery' by uncovering their purpose and meaning in life and helping to ensure that this is aligned to that of the organisation.

Conclusion

All employers need to realise that careerism need not be a bad thing. It can benefit the business if it is done within the correct boundaries and by way of proper guidelines. Extreme careerism focuses on one's own career growth as the primary goal, rather than on the quality of one's own performance or 'playing the game'. This kind of behaviour discourages the hard workers in the organisation and encourages others to take short cuts. It is important to create an environment in the workplace that supports promotion and development, using a balanced approach that will not alienate employees from their responsibilities. Leaders must be taught to act from the inside-out in order to reap the benefits of their job while in the process of furthering their career.

References:

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/03/know-what-kind-of-careerist-you-are/
http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/careerist.htm
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/07/19/how-millennials-are-redefining-their-careers-as-hustlers/ 
- Regenesys
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