Buddha’s Got Some Good Career Advice
03.25.2005 | Chris BaileyHere’s a great post from Alchemy reader, Steven Kempton of The Asia Pacific Headhunter. Steven’s post is titled Buddha’s Four Noble Truths on Job Hunting and it’s soulful, provocative, and absolutely right on when it comes to taking control of your own career. Take in his Third Noble Truth:
Give up needing a job. Powerful stuff this so I will repeat, give up needing a job. One more time, give up needing a job.
Start thinking and acting on having a career. No matter what your "job"
is at the time. Think about how you (you, the one reading this, not
your boss, or your company, or your companies HR team) are developing
yourself, your career, your attitude and your skills whether you are
working now or not. The best time to start is during your current job.
It kind of works in tandem with my post yesterday at Talking Story on the need to reinvent professional development. If your organization isn’t doing enough to provide it for you, then go out and get it yourself (or work for a company that supports the concept of livelihood learning).
Visit Steven and find out what the three other Noble Truths are.
2 Responses to “Buddha’s Got Some Good Career Advice”
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I totally agree! Ultimately, you are responsible for your own self and professional development. It is important to not only understand this but to take control.
I come accross so many people who have all the excuses in the world why things are not going well for them in their professional or private lives but when I challenge them to assert themselves and attempt to take some form of control even more excuses are mentioned! As Richard Carlson says “You cannot help people who are unwilling to help themselves.,”
Marks, it’s so much easier to see the problem as one that’s out there. When you bring it home as your problem, you’re forced to make changes. These changes might mean you have to take a good look at your own identity and purpose: who am I and what am I out to accomplish? With those folks you do challenge, don’t give up. Maybe even consider changing the way you challenge them. Then the problem won’t be out there, but with you. This is one of those times where it tends to cut both ways.