Lifestyle & Career Fit:

For some, this module may not have a significant impact on your specific career choice.  However it is important to consider.   It is especially relevant when interviewing for a SPECIFIC job position within a career.  Below are some lifestyle and career fit examples.

Example #1: 

LIFESTYLE PREFERENCE:  You absolutely feel the NEED to travel frequently to foreign destinations

Comparing 2 Different Jobs In Terms Of Lifestyle

Career Choice A:   A local government position with 2 weeks of paid vacation per year

Career Choice B:  A position with the United Nations

Both are government positions but Career Choice B is likely a better lifestyle match.  If you become an “Expert” at a local government job you still may not be able to travel.  Work travel is not particularly relevant to local government

Scenario #2:  “Becoming An Expert” Will Allow You To Live Your Lifestyle

Worker A:  He is a salesperson at a domestic USA company. Average performance

Worker B:  He is a salesperson at the same domestic USA company. Consistently achieves 200% of quota

Worker A and B walk into their manager’s office and say the same thing:  “I want a lifestyle of my choosing.  I want to work remotely from a foreign land.  I do not want to attend weekly sales meetings.  I am sure my sales performance will not suffer.  This is very important to me. Either I get this job flexibility or I quit and find work elsewhere in the industry.”

Nine times out of ten the manager will let Worker A walk and Worker B do what he/she wants.  It is the concept of “Becoming An Expert”.  It is the goal of your career.  No matter what career you choose.  Worker B is an “Expert” at what he does. “Experts” can often dictate the lifestyle of their choosing. An employer cannot easily replace an “Expert”, therefore an employer will do whatever he can to hold on to this special employee. This includes crafting a job title and lifestyle of your choosing

Question To Ask Yourself:

Does the job and employer fit my preferred  lifestyle?

This is especially important when  interviewing for a specific job.

For example, you could be interviewing for a similar “project manager” position at Company A and Company B.

Company A/Manager A is in alignment with your lifestyle stipulations- working mom/dad hours, no travel, and ability to turn off your phone/email when you leave the office.

Company B/Manager B will not support any of your lifestyle stipulations.  Company B/Manager B most likely will support your lifestyle stipulations WHEN you become an “Expert” at what you do.  The question is are you willing to take that risk and wait the amount of years it will take to become an “Expert”?