Once you’ve decided you’re interested in the possiblity of non-traditional employment, how will you go about finding out exactly what these jobs consist of, and what it takes to get them?
Take a look at the format below, used to describe two interesting non-traditional jobs, with very different requirements. We will give you some resources that will help you investigate many more non-traditional occupations, so that you leave no stone unturned in your search for your highest and best use in the job market. You can use the same format to analyze each job that stimulates your interest.
As An
AUTOMOBILE MECHANIC
What Do You Do?
These days, Automotive Servicing requires a combination of mechanical skills, using hand tools and power tools, and high-tech skills, involving computerized shop equipment and electronic components.
Many Automotive Technicians consider the diagnostic process to be the most challenging, and rewarding, part of the job. Today’s cars have many sophisticated systems which interact. Skill, knowledge, and finesse are necessary to isolate a problem as simple as a low coolant level or as complicated as a bad drive train connection that has shorted out an air conditioner. It’s more and more like being a doctor, and, for many, cars are their lifeblood, or their babies!
What Are The Working Conditions?
For the most part, Automotive Technicians work indoors in well-ventilated and well-lighted repair shops. Some are drafty and noisy. There is some heavy lifting. Cuts, and minor burns and bruises are common, but, as long as safety practices are observed, serious accidents are avoided.
What Are The Hours?
About half of Service Technicians in this field work a standard 40-hour week, but nearly 30% work more, because of demand, especially if they are self-employed (so they are making more money). Some shops offer night and weekend hours.
What Is the Job Outlook?
Opportunities are excellent for properly trained technicians. Salary range is great, with good opportunity for increase in earnings, depending on the skills acquired, and the work situation; whether a government employee, independent mechanic, or commissioned mechanic working at a dealership. New jobs are being created in the ‘simple service’ sector, where oil changes, brake repair, air-conditioner service and other minor repairs generally take less than four hours to complete.
What Training Is Required?
Formal training is the standard for today’s technicians. Many high schools offer training programs, which vary in quality. Automotive Youth Education Service (AYES) is a good one. Public and private vocational schools also offer training, typically taking about 6 months. Community colleges will often stretch the training into a more all-encompassing two-year program ending in an associate degree or certificate. Automobile manufacturers also sponsor two-year associate degree programs (ACCSCT) at trade schools across the nation. Typically, in these programs, the student alternates periods of classes, with full-time work in the service department of the sponsoring dealership.
Who Is Suited To The Job?
Employers look for people with strong communication and analytical skills. Good reading, math, and computer skills are increasing needed to keep up with new technology. You also need mechanical aptitude and an interest in how cars work.
How Many Women Are Currently Doing This Job?
Only 1.4% of Automotive Service Technicians are women.
As An
AEROSPACE ENGINEER
What Do You Do?
The most amazing machines being devised by man today are the territory of the Aerospace Engineer. The goals are generally advancement in the areas of space exploration, defense and aviation. You might be involved in the development not only of aircraft and spacecraft, but also of incredible instruments that go with them. Perhaps you will specialize in projects involving robotics, lasers, software, or optics.
As specialists within Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineers work with aircraft, like commercial planes and helicopters, designing, developing and testing. Astronautical Engineers do the same for spacecraft. In both fields, there are many areas of emphasis. You might be most involved with design, guidance, navigation, control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods.
Many of the technologies developed in this field are being applied to other industries. For instance, in the automotive industry, Aerospace Engineers have helped invent cars with less wind resistance and more fuel efficiency.
What Are The Working Conditions?
An Aerospace Engineer would spend much of her time in an office building, communicating with others by phone and computer, analyzing data and doing calculations. Some time might be spent in a laboratory setting or production site. Some engineers travel to meet with clients and colleagues and visit coordinating facilities.
What Are The Hours?
While a 40-hour workweek is standard, deadlines, extra demand due to exacting design standards, and special projects can require an Aerospace Engineer to work extra hours. An engineer can also take on business development and management roles, adding to her responsibility and time commitment.
What Is The Job Outlook?
The projections for employment of Aerospace Engineers show that a decline is expected in the industry overall, due to a slowdown in air travel and to foreign competition. This should not stop any woman interested in the field, for two reasons. There has been a real drop off in the number of engineers coming out of college, so much so that there might not be enough new engineers to replace those retiring. Furthermore, women are such a rarity in the field that their value is great in this diversity-favoring industry.
What training is required?
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for all entry-level jobs in engineering. Preparation for study includes a solid background in mathematics (through trigonometry and calculus), biology, chemistry, physics, computer technology, humanities, english and social studies. Earning of basic four-year degree in this field can take closer to five years. Typically, the last two years will focus exclusively on engineering, with the aerospace specialty. She would take classes in subjects like applied aerodynamics, aerospace propulsion systems, heat transfer, flight vehicle design, and fluid mechanics. In order to practice privately, she would need to earn her degree from an accredited engineering program, get four years of work experience, and pass a state examination.
Who Is Suited To The Job?
Engineering involves a lot of math and science, but if you think it’s for bookish eggheads, think again. An analytical mind and attention to detail are important, but the best engineers are creative and inquisitive. They work well in teams and they are effective communicators, in writing and in person. Engineers interface with specialists in many other professions, so communicative abilities are important.
How Many Women Are Currently Doing This Job?
11% of Aerospace Engineers are women.
A PLAN FOR LOOKING AT ALL YOUR CAREER OPTIONS
Want to consider every opportunity before settling on your Life’s Work?
1. Open your mind!
2. Go to;
http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?ct=OOH
You will be taken to the U.S.Government’s Dept of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, a directory. Start by clicking on the A’s, scan the list and click on every job that seems remotely intriguing.
3. Applying the format we used above to describe the jobs of Automobile Mechanic and Aerospace Engineer, ask the same questions for each career you’ve listed. Many of these questions are answered right in the Handbook.
4. Now, write down the ways you might make the career your own, personalize it, customize it.
5. Ask yourself whether your particular traits and talents would add to your effectiveness on that job; whether you might contribute significantly to the field. If so, place a check on that occupation.
6. Ask yourself whether the compensation would be adequate for the rest of the life you want for yourself. If so, place a check on that occupation.
7. Ask yourself whether the opportunities for advancement and pay increases seem unlimited enough to warrant your passion, and considerable time and effort.
8. Imagine yourself in a gathering of friends, family and associates. Would you be proud to declare this occupation as yours? Could you imagine it as your life’s work. Could it lead to your life’s work?
Friday, February 8, 2008
IX. CAN YOU MAKE TOUGHER CAREER DECISIONS?
Let’s presume you’ve taken a realistic look at your innate tendencies and social context, your talents and tastes. You know yourself, at least reasonably well. You’ve eliminated any false assumptions you may have collected. You have considered all the careers that exist (and maybe a few that don’t yet exist). You are now much closer to finding your life’s work. There’s another big step you must take, though, and this one’s a doozie.
The tough thing about realizing you have many choices is that you must decide between them. After all, how much you know becomes less significant if you can’t make up your mind to do something with it. Of course, a decision made in a specific moment can have long-lasting consequences. No wonder some people are decision-avoidant. Each time we make a poor decision we can become more hesitant to trust our judgment.
Good decision-making is an art and a science. It is also a skill that can be learned. The most successful people on the planet swear by the need to make fast, frequent and
(mostly) good decisions. Legendary business giant Malcolm Forbes went so far as to maintain that his success was due to the numbers of decisions he was capable of making,
rather than the quality of each one. Presumably, Malcolm spent some extra time on the really big decisions involving marriage, family---and his life’s work.
Scientists are studying the reasons why some people are capable of making decisions more quickly, and why some people seem to make better decisions than others.
Learning to make good decisions can make a wonderful difference in your career and your life.
Here are some of the most well known prescribed methods used by businesses to help them make decisions (Mindtools). Some are pretty complicated, including Benjamin Franklin’s brilliant Cost/Benefit Analysis, now over 200 years old.
· Cost-Based Analysis- used for financially-based decisions
· Decision Tree- placing a value on each option
· Force Field Analysis- analyzing the relative pressures for and against change
· Grid Analysis- making a choice by considering many factors
· Paired Comparison Analysis- Figuring out the importance of each option
· Pareto Analysis- deciding what you should change
· PMI- weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each decision
· Six Thinking Hats- (my favorite)- looking at the predicament/decision from different perspectives
All of these, and other, decision-making methods, have value, and can act as tools, helping you think about and zero in on your life’s work. Depending on the factors in consideration, and on the way you think, you will be more comfortable with some methods than others. For a detailed description of these and other methods, you can go to a business training website (such as mindtools.com) or simply research on line.
All of these methods utilize the following fundamental principles:
Understand the problem and goals clearly, so you can consider a wide variety of alternative courses of action.
The creation of many possible solutions to the problem. You can't use an imaginative solution unless you imagine it.
Collect all the conveniently available information about the probable outcome of each course of action. See if there aren't synergistic ways of combining several promising solutions into potent solutions.
Weigh the pros and cons of each course of action (solution), then decide on one that you can commit yourself to fully.
Get Out Of Your Own Way
The final decision of what to do with your precious life rests with you and you alone, so you want to be sure that you not stand in the way of your own good choices.
Psychological barriers to decision-making have been described by T.I.Rubin (1986).
Being out of touch with our real feelings and values can lead to a resigned, or detached “I don’t care” attitude. In reality, such people are paralyzed, uninvolved, and indecisive.
Self-doubt, depression, anxiety and hidden anger can interfere with decision-making and cause self-defeating actions.
· An exaggerated opinion of onesself can cause unwise decisions, made just to boost the ego and make a good impression.
· Being overly dependent on approval of others, of being liked, of being afraid to make waves or wanting to be viewed as self-sacrificing, hinders good decisions.
· Wishful thinking, perfectionism, hoping something better will come along, all stall progress.
· Self-criticism after making a poor decision can make us avoid future important decisions.
· Fear of certain outcomes can keep us from considering some alternatives that might be good ones
· A rush of emotion can cause us to think we MUST make a decision right now, or we MUST put off our decision. Both can have disastrous results. We must be thinking straight to make good, timely decisions.
A number of the above dynamics are illustrated in this story of a student of mine.
Designated Diva
Tanja was a talented vocalist whose abilities were recognized at a young age. Like many of my music students, her parents were completely supportive of her desire to be a recording artist, and they spent tens of thousands of dollars on instruction, dance and patter coaching, and recording sessions. School was less important, and Tanja barely completed high school. Much time was spent in Los Angeles conferring with opportunistic PR firms and she and her parents were surprised and alarmed at the number of amazing young musicians there were. She had a couple of good breaks, but nothing had panned out by the time she was 20 and her efforts were now sporadic. Her parents, recognizing that fame and fortune had not happened and might not happen, despite their faith in her unquestionable talent, started to be concerned. They had not prepared their daughter for the real world. Tough love ensued.
After much cajoling, they insisted she get a job and move out on her own.
What, she asked me, did they expect her to do? She was a musician. Surely they did not expect her to work at Starbucks. Wouldn’t that be a colossal waste of time for an extremely talented and unique musician? She stayed with a friend for a few weeks and her folks pitched in occasionally. She felt abandoned by her parents and friends, who didn’t realize that it was just a matter of time until she was famous. She couldn’t bear ordinary work. Fortunately, she got occasional studio jingle jobs, but it wasn’t enough.
I cared for Tanja. She had been my student since the age of 9. I knew it was not all her fault that she had expected to live a fantasy. She had truly been her parent’s dear designated diva. Together we looked at alternatives. Over time, humbled and working, she put her music in perspective. Now she is taking a few classes at her parent’s expense, working 30 hours a week at a flower kiosk and playing two nights a week at a coffee house. She sings a jingle occasionally, maintains a website and creates demos and promotes her music whenever she can. She has self-produced a full-length CD on a shoestring, to sell at her shows. Despite her disappointments, her pure love of music, not fame, drives her. She is realistic now and is making better decisions for the whole of life, come what may. As a result, she is also easier to work with and more grateful for the opportunities in music that she does find. Tanja still has her dream, but she also has a real job for the real world. She is no longer a designated diva.
The tough thing about realizing you have many choices is that you must decide between them. After all, how much you know becomes less significant if you can’t make up your mind to do something with it. Of course, a decision made in a specific moment can have long-lasting consequences. No wonder some people are decision-avoidant. Each time we make a poor decision we can become more hesitant to trust our judgment.
Good decision-making is an art and a science. It is also a skill that can be learned. The most successful people on the planet swear by the need to make fast, frequent and
(mostly) good decisions. Legendary business giant Malcolm Forbes went so far as to maintain that his success was due to the numbers of decisions he was capable of making,
rather than the quality of each one. Presumably, Malcolm spent some extra time on the really big decisions involving marriage, family---and his life’s work.
Scientists are studying the reasons why some people are capable of making decisions more quickly, and why some people seem to make better decisions than others.
Learning to make good decisions can make a wonderful difference in your career and your life.
Here are some of the most well known prescribed methods used by businesses to help them make decisions (Mindtools). Some are pretty complicated, including Benjamin Franklin’s brilliant Cost/Benefit Analysis, now over 200 years old.
· Cost-Based Analysis- used for financially-based decisions
· Decision Tree- placing a value on each option
· Force Field Analysis- analyzing the relative pressures for and against change
· Grid Analysis- making a choice by considering many factors
· Paired Comparison Analysis- Figuring out the importance of each option
· Pareto Analysis- deciding what you should change
· PMI- weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each decision
· Six Thinking Hats- (my favorite)- looking at the predicament/decision from different perspectives
All of these, and other, decision-making methods, have value, and can act as tools, helping you think about and zero in on your life’s work. Depending on the factors in consideration, and on the way you think, you will be more comfortable with some methods than others. For a detailed description of these and other methods, you can go to a business training website (such as mindtools.com) or simply research on line.
All of these methods utilize the following fundamental principles:
Understand the problem and goals clearly, so you can consider a wide variety of alternative courses of action.
The creation of many possible solutions to the problem. You can't use an imaginative solution unless you imagine it.
Collect all the conveniently available information about the probable outcome of each course of action. See if there aren't synergistic ways of combining several promising solutions into potent solutions.
Weigh the pros and cons of each course of action (solution), then decide on one that you can commit yourself to fully.
Get Out Of Your Own Way
The final decision of what to do with your precious life rests with you and you alone, so you want to be sure that you not stand in the way of your own good choices.
Psychological barriers to decision-making have been described by T.I.Rubin (1986).
Being out of touch with our real feelings and values can lead to a resigned, or detached “I don’t care” attitude. In reality, such people are paralyzed, uninvolved, and indecisive.
Self-doubt, depression, anxiety and hidden anger can interfere with decision-making and cause self-defeating actions.
· An exaggerated opinion of onesself can cause unwise decisions, made just to boost the ego and make a good impression.
· Being overly dependent on approval of others, of being liked, of being afraid to make waves or wanting to be viewed as self-sacrificing, hinders good decisions.
· Wishful thinking, perfectionism, hoping something better will come along, all stall progress.
· Self-criticism after making a poor decision can make us avoid future important decisions.
· Fear of certain outcomes can keep us from considering some alternatives that might be good ones
· A rush of emotion can cause us to think we MUST make a decision right now, or we MUST put off our decision. Both can have disastrous results. We must be thinking straight to make good, timely decisions.
A number of the above dynamics are illustrated in this story of a student of mine.
Designated Diva
Tanja was a talented vocalist whose abilities were recognized at a young age. Like many of my music students, her parents were completely supportive of her desire to be a recording artist, and they spent tens of thousands of dollars on instruction, dance and patter coaching, and recording sessions. School was less important, and Tanja barely completed high school. Much time was spent in Los Angeles conferring with opportunistic PR firms and she and her parents were surprised and alarmed at the number of amazing young musicians there were. She had a couple of good breaks, but nothing had panned out by the time she was 20 and her efforts were now sporadic. Her parents, recognizing that fame and fortune had not happened and might not happen, despite their faith in her unquestionable talent, started to be concerned. They had not prepared their daughter for the real world. Tough love ensued.
After much cajoling, they insisted she get a job and move out on her own.
What, she asked me, did they expect her to do? She was a musician. Surely they did not expect her to work at Starbucks. Wouldn’t that be a colossal waste of time for an extremely talented and unique musician? She stayed with a friend for a few weeks and her folks pitched in occasionally. She felt abandoned by her parents and friends, who didn’t realize that it was just a matter of time until she was famous. She couldn’t bear ordinary work. Fortunately, she got occasional studio jingle jobs, but it wasn’t enough.
I cared for Tanja. She had been my student since the age of 9. I knew it was not all her fault that she had expected to live a fantasy. She had truly been her parent’s dear designated diva. Together we looked at alternatives. Over time, humbled and working, she put her music in perspective. Now she is taking a few classes at her parent’s expense, working 30 hours a week at a flower kiosk and playing two nights a week at a coffee house. She sings a jingle occasionally, maintains a website and creates demos and promotes her music whenever she can. She has self-produced a full-length CD on a shoestring, to sell at her shows. Despite her disappointments, her pure love of music, not fame, drives her. She is realistic now and is making better decisions for the whole of life, come what may. As a result, she is also easier to work with and more grateful for the opportunities in music that she does find. Tanja still has her dream, but she also has a real job for the real world. She is no longer a designated diva.
POSTSCRIPT
A Woman’s Life’s Work
When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, “What will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?” Here’s what she said to me;
“Que sera, sera. Whatever will be...will be.
The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.”- words by Ray Evans
These lyrics come from a 1956 Doris Day movie called, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, but they’re actually about women---women who did not know too much.
These days, more and more women create their own destinies. They don’t expect the future to swoop them up in safe but exciting arms and place them in lives filled with instant abundance and love. Right?
Do today’s young women really know themselves any better than their mothers did? Do they plan, from an early age, to be self-sufficient and then carefully analyze their career options? Do they believe that they have a responsibility to themselves and others to discover and carry out their life’s work --whether or not they choose to have a family?
Women are taking their occupations more seriously than they did in 1956, but the “Que Sera Sera Syndrome” still lingers in our collective mentality. An insidious presence, it is present as both an insurance policy and a pleasant fantasy.
In the 1950’s, most middle class women thought of a career as an interim measure while waiting for marriage, or as a source of extra spending money for the family. Now more women generally feel entitled to any career they want, but, as a whole, they are still a long way from taking their career choices seriously. Many women still struggle to balance career and family life. Many women are not sure of what they’re capable of, and what is available for them in the job market.
This book is dedicated to the notion that a life well lived comes from finding one’s ideal life’s work, and allowing for it by careful timing and planning.
The work of making a home and raising a family can be deeply satisfying for both men and women. But it is also important for us to have a purpose in our lives as distinct individuals. A part of our lives that is not defined and shaped by our relationships. Life’s work, is about you and only you. Your passion put to use. Your gifts benefiting and creating value in the world.
Who are we after all? Are we how we look? Are we our parent’s opinion of us, or who we partner with, or our children? Or what other people think of us? While our most intimate relationships enhance us and reflect us, one of the main ways we come to know our selves is through our life’s work.
Women, generally, have a tendency to define themselves by their relationships. Many women are, by nature, caretakers. Young women, though not yet parents, are inclined to view themselves this way as well. Relationships can be the treasures of our lives, and we are fortunate if we enjoy good ones. Defining our selves primarily by our relationships, however, has some real dangers and disadvantages When it comes to gratification and satisfaction in life, it ’s also what you DO--- with your unique gifts that matters.
Ironically, the relationships that most often define women---as partner, or as mother--- are often the ones that change over time. A woman is smart to keep a core sense of her own purpose; her life’s work.
A successful marriage is one of the greatest treasures out there, and a huge achievement. But half of all marriages end in divorce. Women, are more likely than men to put all of their eggs in the relationship basket, and are more likely to become disenchanted. With a stronger core sense individual life’s purpose, women would be able to look within for their sense of identity. No one should view marriage as an emotional or financial guarantee for life.
What about children? Children are forever, but they do not need us to make them our life’s focus for that long. Nor is it healthy to do so. Most of our kids become largely independent after two decades. Children are not done a service being made to feel like centers of their (and our) universes. It is not good for them, and it is certainly not good for their parents. Psychologist John Rosemond, a leading authority on child-rearing, wrote a glowing column about his mother, a single working parent who made no apologies for her career. He remembers being raised with love, structure and compromise, and today he is a strong advocate for women pursuing their Life’s Work.
There is certainly a case to be made for the stay-at-home parent, but no woman need lose sight of her own life’s purpose and her passions beyond meeting the needs of others. There is time for every woman to use her ideas and energy for her life’s work... But first, she must know what it is!
Consider the word “selfless”. If you happen to be a caretaker, there is great nobility in self-sacrifice, but not at the expense of the giving up one’s self. It is far better to give friends and family the opportunity to support your quest for meaning. Just as you would support your children’s and friends’ growth and development, let them support yours, and thereby be enriched by your example.
This book is about you, and how to put your talents, gifts, intelligence and passion to its best use, considering every possibility, including non-traditional ones.
Windows of Opportunity
There are critical periods in our lives when we have the best chance of making progress on our journey. For some, a window might open between the completion of their education and their decision to have a family. When life becomes complicated (and it will or does) and cumbersome (and it will or does), it is more difficult to maintain our resolve to live out our vision, our personal dream.
Is The World Your Oyster?
You may perceive yourself as completely unencumbered, believing that no door is closed to you, and you are ready to do whatever you want to do. You may not feel that you are at risk of letting life’s complexities thwart your life’s work, and you may be right. But, reading this book, you might have been surprised to discover the powerful undertow of social and biological influences that may be holding you back.
Most women generally are still using only a small percentage of their potential in the work world. There is still a considerable gender gap, and it has a lot to do with the work choices women are making.
There are exciting careers containing hardly any women and which you may not yet have considered. Many subtle, and not-so-subtle, influences may have kept you from looking at every possibility for an exciting job. The career broad-mindedness recommended in this book can help you find work that is more challenging and makes you much more money!
Women are still not rising to the corporate top levels proportionate to their numbers in the workplace. They often set themselves up to follow rather than to lead. In this book, you have seen strategies: approaches to your work that can help you advance in your chosen field.
In these pages you have had the opportunity to take an inventory of your influences, and your opportunities and to set a course for better choices and greater success. Make sure you’ve left no career-stone unturned.
Information is power. Options are leverage. This book is a tool for any woman wanting to illuminate every intriguing corner of the career world, in order to find her own personal and professional ‘highest and best’.
The next move belongs to women. New territory is there to discover.
The New Ambition
The word ‘ambition’ does not always have a positive connotation when applied to women, especially mothers, but women need to be ambitious. Ambition does not necessarily mean a hunger for material success. It is a simply a desire to get ahead, to improve the quality of life. Very few women can expect their lives to turn out swimmingly without strategic planning and hard work. Even those who are certain they want to invest all of their energy into home making, need to consider a Plan B. The traditional model of family life is not all that common, and never, ever guaranteed. Even under the best of circumstances, most women will need to change strategies at some point in their lives. Divorce, death, the end of the child-rearing years, special financial needs, all may require that a woman be proactive, competitive, and prepared to make the most of her time and talent. She needs to know what’s out there, and what it’s going to take to get it.
When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, “What will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?” Here’s what she said to me;
“Que sera, sera. Whatever will be...will be.
The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.”- words by Ray Evans
These lyrics come from a 1956 Doris Day movie called, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, but they’re actually about women---women who did not know too much.
These days, more and more women create their own destinies. They don’t expect the future to swoop them up in safe but exciting arms and place them in lives filled with instant abundance and love. Right?
Do today’s young women really know themselves any better than their mothers did? Do they plan, from an early age, to be self-sufficient and then carefully analyze their career options? Do they believe that they have a responsibility to themselves and others to discover and carry out their life’s work --whether or not they choose to have a family?
Women are taking their occupations more seriously than they did in 1956, but the “Que Sera Sera Syndrome” still lingers in our collective mentality. An insidious presence, it is present as both an insurance policy and a pleasant fantasy.
In the 1950’s, most middle class women thought of a career as an interim measure while waiting for marriage, or as a source of extra spending money for the family. Now more women generally feel entitled to any career they want, but, as a whole, they are still a long way from taking their career choices seriously. Many women still struggle to balance career and family life. Many women are not sure of what they’re capable of, and what is available for them in the job market.
This book is dedicated to the notion that a life well lived comes from finding one’s ideal life’s work, and allowing for it by careful timing and planning.
The work of making a home and raising a family can be deeply satisfying for both men and women. But it is also important for us to have a purpose in our lives as distinct individuals. A part of our lives that is not defined and shaped by our relationships. Life’s work, is about you and only you. Your passion put to use. Your gifts benefiting and creating value in the world.
Who are we after all? Are we how we look? Are we our parent’s opinion of us, or who we partner with, or our children? Or what other people think of us? While our most intimate relationships enhance us and reflect us, one of the main ways we come to know our selves is through our life’s work.
Women, generally, have a tendency to define themselves by their relationships. Many women are, by nature, caretakers. Young women, though not yet parents, are inclined to view themselves this way as well. Relationships can be the treasures of our lives, and we are fortunate if we enjoy good ones. Defining our selves primarily by our relationships, however, has some real dangers and disadvantages When it comes to gratification and satisfaction in life, it ’s also what you DO--- with your unique gifts that matters.
Ironically, the relationships that most often define women---as partner, or as mother--- are often the ones that change over time. A woman is smart to keep a core sense of her own purpose; her life’s work.
A successful marriage is one of the greatest treasures out there, and a huge achievement. But half of all marriages end in divorce. Women, are more likely than men to put all of their eggs in the relationship basket, and are more likely to become disenchanted. With a stronger core sense individual life’s purpose, women would be able to look within for their sense of identity. No one should view marriage as an emotional or financial guarantee for life.
What about children? Children are forever, but they do not need us to make them our life’s focus for that long. Nor is it healthy to do so. Most of our kids become largely independent after two decades. Children are not done a service being made to feel like centers of their (and our) universes. It is not good for them, and it is certainly not good for their parents. Psychologist John Rosemond, a leading authority on child-rearing, wrote a glowing column about his mother, a single working parent who made no apologies for her career. He remembers being raised with love, structure and compromise, and today he is a strong advocate for women pursuing their Life’s Work.
There is certainly a case to be made for the stay-at-home parent, but no woman need lose sight of her own life’s purpose and her passions beyond meeting the needs of others. There is time for every woman to use her ideas and energy for her life’s work... But first, she must know what it is!
Consider the word “selfless”. If you happen to be a caretaker, there is great nobility in self-sacrifice, but not at the expense of the giving up one’s self. It is far better to give friends and family the opportunity to support your quest for meaning. Just as you would support your children’s and friends’ growth and development, let them support yours, and thereby be enriched by your example.
This book is about you, and how to put your talents, gifts, intelligence and passion to its best use, considering every possibility, including non-traditional ones.
Windows of Opportunity
There are critical periods in our lives when we have the best chance of making progress on our journey. For some, a window might open between the completion of their education and their decision to have a family. When life becomes complicated (and it will or does) and cumbersome (and it will or does), it is more difficult to maintain our resolve to live out our vision, our personal dream.
Is The World Your Oyster?
You may perceive yourself as completely unencumbered, believing that no door is closed to you, and you are ready to do whatever you want to do. You may not feel that you are at risk of letting life’s complexities thwart your life’s work, and you may be right. But, reading this book, you might have been surprised to discover the powerful undertow of social and biological influences that may be holding you back.
Most women generally are still using only a small percentage of their potential in the work world. There is still a considerable gender gap, and it has a lot to do with the work choices women are making.
There are exciting careers containing hardly any women and which you may not yet have considered. Many subtle, and not-so-subtle, influences may have kept you from looking at every possibility for an exciting job. The career broad-mindedness recommended in this book can help you find work that is more challenging and makes you much more money!
Women are still not rising to the corporate top levels proportionate to their numbers in the workplace. They often set themselves up to follow rather than to lead. In this book, you have seen strategies: approaches to your work that can help you advance in your chosen field.
In these pages you have had the opportunity to take an inventory of your influences, and your opportunities and to set a course for better choices and greater success. Make sure you’ve left no career-stone unturned.
Information is power. Options are leverage. This book is a tool for any woman wanting to illuminate every intriguing corner of the career world, in order to find her own personal and professional ‘highest and best’.
The next move belongs to women. New territory is there to discover.
The New Ambition
The word ‘ambition’ does not always have a positive connotation when applied to women, especially mothers, but women need to be ambitious. Ambition does not necessarily mean a hunger for material success. It is a simply a desire to get ahead, to improve the quality of life. Very few women can expect their lives to turn out swimmingly without strategic planning and hard work. Even those who are certain they want to invest all of their energy into home making, need to consider a Plan B. The traditional model of family life is not all that common, and never, ever guaranteed. Even under the best of circumstances, most women will need to change strategies at some point in their lives. Divorce, death, the end of the child-rearing years, special financial needs, all may require that a woman be proactive, competitive, and prepared to make the most of her time and talent. She needs to know what’s out there, and what it’s going to take to get it.
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