Day 2 - Analyze Your Job

National Career Development Month!

If you are thinking about a career makeover, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In other words, don't walk away from a great opportunity before you try to negotiate away the pieces of your job that cause you stress. If you enjoy most of your current work and have less than about 30% that you would just rather not do, think about using the following checklist to evaluate your existing job or career to find out if the situation is salvageable:

1. List all the really important components of your existing job. Use your job description as a guide. Do not forget to include any special projects you might have worked on as well.

2. Identify those key components of your job that you dislike.

3. Of the key components you dislike, identify the ones that you do often enough to have a real bearing on whether or not you have a great day at the office.

4. Identify those components you really enjoy and that energize you. Include any special projects or assignments you may have had recently.

5. Identify other duties you think your job could include. Keep in mind although these might enhance your job, it is very important that they also support department goals or needs.

6. Schedule an appointment with your boss or supervisor today to discuss modification of your job description to include more projects you might have enjoyed in the past. Think about including activities like community service or maybe even regular collaboration with another department.

Before you think that this is not possible, think again! Job reclassifications happen all the time, but many supervisors will wait for the employee to make the first move.

Do not expect to get agreement on every request immediately. Keep your meeting with your supervisor professional and remember that your goal is to make your job description a negotiation. Be positive and know that this is entirely possible.