Do You Know What a Career Activist Is?

Every profession or specialty has its own terminology. So does career management. How familiar are you with these latest career terms?

1. Career Activist:
Someone who is proactive in planning, evaluating, directing, and controlling his or her career rather than simply reacting as situations arise. A career activist has an enduring interest in understanding and achieving his or her full career potential, while maximizing career marketability. See Career Entrepreneur.

Are you taking charge of your career or just reacting to what’s happening out there?

2. Career Branding:
Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from your competition and describing the added value you bring to an employer. It define who you are, how you are different and why you should be sought out.

Do you have a brand? If so, what it is? Is that how you want to be seen by others?

3. Career Design:
The continuous process of evaluating your current lifestyle, likes/dislikes, passions, skills, personality, dream job, current job and career path to make possible corrections and improvements. Think of career design as building bridges from your current job/career to your next job/career.

When was the last time you evaluated your current job or career path? Is it time to make some changes?

4. Career Vision Statement:
A set of career goals that you set for the long-term, typically five years or more. Its purpose is to give you a clear direction for the future. It enables you to evaluate and decide on potential career opportunities or chart a new course when we’re at a career crossroads.

Do you have a career vision for your career? If so, what is it? If not, are you ready to create one?

5. Culture Fit:
The culture of an organization is the collection of beliefs, expectations, and values that sets the norms (rules of conduct) of acceptable behavior for employees. It’s important to understand the culture of an organization before accepting a job and for succeeding in that job.

Can you define the culture in which you work? Are you a good fit for it? Is it a good fit for you?

6. Portfolio Career:
A career path where, instead of having a series of full time jobs with advancement, you have multiple work experiences (including part-time and temporary jobs, freelancing, and self-employment) that create an expertise in a specific functional area or specialty. Portfolio careers offer more flexibility, variety, and freedom, but also require organizational skills as well as risk tolerance.

Could you thrive in a portfolio career? Or would a more traditional career path fit you better?

7. Re-careering:
The realization, usually in mid-career, that one’s job or career path is no longer bringing personal or professional fulfillment. Many, who want to find the spark again, are looking into these options: Going back to school for additional degrees or specific training; Moving into a new career entirely; or becoming entrepreneurs by starting a new business or buying a franchise. See Career Change.

Are you in mid-career looking for a new challenge or wanting to get the juices flowing again? If so, what options might work for you?

Career Success Tip

Don’t be a modern day Rip Van Winkle, waking up to a world you no longer know. Successful career management requires that you stay in tune with the changing workplace so that you will be better able to anticipate and prepare for the changes in a planned, constructive manner.

Readers, what other career related terms are you reading about or being talked about? I will compile a list a then post them.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?