Build my career Part 1 Career pathing

TIMOTHY D. KLECKER: Hello, everyone. And welcome to our first installment of our Build My Career Series discussion, presented by the U.S. Bank Goals Coaching team. In this first section, which we have dubbed Career Pathing, we are going to focus on the various aspects of how one goes about choosing a career path and share a number of helpful tips that may very well impact the way that you go about making future career decisions, including focusing on your motivations, crafting your personal brand, and learning how to best leverage your strengths to help you throughout the process. 
My name is Tim Klecker. I am one of the goal coaches at U.S. Bank. I have a certified master practitioner certificate for neurolinguistic programming through the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology. And I am a certified master life coach through Transformation Academy with special emphasis on goal setting and achievement. 
Every day, me and my fellow coaches work with all sorts of clients with all different backgrounds, ages, experiences to help them bring clarity to their goals and set measurable action steps that will help them make progress towards their vision of achievability. As your time in higher education reaches its end, you may be feeling a range of emotions at the prospect of what's to come. And with this change, there may be a lot of questions running through your head. 
How do I find a job? How do I know if it's the right job? What if I get it and I don't necessarily like it? What then? These are perfectly normal questions to have at this stage. Career decisions are big ones that can have lasting impacts on the various other areas of our life. 
I'd like to ask each of you to take a moment and reflect on something. What's the difference in your mind between a job and a career? Have you ever considered that there even is a difference? Given the choice, which one would you rather pursue? 
Maybe where you work isn't all that important. It's just a paycheck, as the old saying goes. And that paycheck allows you to do things in your life that you enjoy. Maybe, conversely, there's a part of you that wants where you work to be something a bit more integral, something that gives you a sense of fulfillment and purpose, something that you can grow with. 
Either outlook is perfectly fine. I'm not here to judge. As a coach, I have no skin in the game. All the goals that are discussed are my client's goals. They're your goals. 
The most common question asked at the start of coaching is a very simple question. What do you want? What do you want to change? What do you want to do? What do you want to accomplish or to become? 
For the sake of our conversation today, What do you want out of your career? might be a good way of phrasing the question. Maybe if you don't yet have a lot of experience out in the workforce, you're not sure how to even go about coming up with an answer for this. I mean, how are you supposed to know what you want if you don't actually know what it's like out there? 
If any of this sounds or feels familiar, I encourage you to consider a resource like U.S. Bank Goals Coaching. It's a complimentary service. And it's not just for bank customers. As you can see from this small sample, there are a wide variety of goals that clients may choose to bring to coaching sessions to work on with any of us as coaches, many of which are layered with different aspects and focuses. 
In the case of building your career, you may find a need to learn more around how to write a resume, how to enter an interview, or how to negotiate a job offer if one is presented. Each of these, by the way, will be part of our future discussions within this series. So what is it really like out there? 
This is a good place for us to start. I want to share some stats with you that you might find interesting as you enter the world of the workforce and how people are generally feeling out there. The average American worker has 12 jobs throughout their lifetime. Think about that. How many jobs have you had so far? What number are you on? Are you getting close to that 12 mark? Or are you not even halfway there? 
If you think that you may just get one job after college or after school and that's going to be it for the rest of your life, you may end up being surprised in a couple of years. My point is in this, stay open. 
US workers have an average tenure of about 4.1 years with a single employer. Again, reflect on your own background. If you have had a job, how long did you last there? How long did you stay until you felt compelled to leave for whatever reason? 
65% of US workers are actively searching for new full-time job right now. Now, think about that number-- 65%. That's almost two out of three people are actively looking for a new full-time job right now. And the average age that Americans change their career is around 39. 
So think about these numbers. These aren't just fresh graduates out of school, sharing these answers. It's an entire range of people of all ages and backgrounds and experiences. I share these stats not to discourage you. On the contrary, I want to try to encourage you that you don't necessarily have to have everything figured out right away. 
A career path is a journey. And regardless of where you are on it, that journey can change. It can fluctuate. It can take different paths. When we take journeys, we grow. We learn new ideas and skills. Our perspectives shift. They become, hopefully, more focused. The older people get, the less likely they are to change jobs. 
Now, on the one hand, you might read that as people eventually just end up settling into a career. Doesn't necessarily mean they like it. But on the other hand, I like to think more that as time goes on, as you learn new things, and as you grow and advance, you eventually find your niche. And you settle there not because you have to, because you finally know where you can be most effective and feel most fulfilled. 
So how are you currently feeling about your career path? Take a snapshot here. Are you feeling stuck or lost? Why do I keep showing up here day after day? I don't think this is where I want to be. It could also be the case that you have little to no idea what you want to do in the first place. Maybe this conversation today will help you start to get some movement around that. 
Perhaps you have a drive to move up or advance in a new or existing role. If so, what's driving that decision? What is motivating you here? We're going to talk about motivation more in just a minute. 
Maybe your current path or trajectory is unclear. Perhaps your default mentality up to this point is just to get a job and figure it out then. I suspect this might be true for a few of us. Just remember, if you are finding yourself feeling unsure, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, it might just mean that you have some options before you. And the reason why you're unsure is because you have a little bit of decision paralysis. 
Part of career pathing is to uncover those options and work towards narrowing down that decision-making process. And lastly, maybe you're feeling motivated to simply grow where you are for a bit, maximize your impact, and see how you blossom. 
Now, sometimes, especially in education, there can be a bit of a temptation, in lieu of not knowing what's next, to keep learning, to keep that process of continual learning going, which can lead you to looking for a master's program or something else within grad school. And if this is what you want to do, perfect. I just want to remind you that eventually, to play the game, you have to get out onto the field. And you may eventually have to get out of the locker room to do it. 
I know there's a lot of reflectionesque questions that have been posed so far in this conversation. But when you're making plans for your future, knowing where you're starting from can make all the difference in how you plot your course going forward. Think about those maps in a mall. When's the last time you were in a mall? But think about the maps that are there. They're not very helpful if the "you are here" sticker isn't in the right place. 
I often tell clients, when working on creating paths for themselves and making decisions for the future, you are the author of your own story. If you don't take up the pen and get writing, someone else just might make you a side character in their story. Or to put it another way, you are the captain of your own ship. If you don't take the helm and plot the course, someone else is going to make you the cabin boy in their boat. So how are you going to chart your course? Is it time for you to take the helm? 
Now, let's take a minute to look at your motivations. What drives you in your decision process with a goal like this? Keep in mind, everyone can have different motivators. There is no right or wrong answer here. But this isn't about everyone else's motivations or whether or not your motivation aligns with theirs. This is simply about you reflecting on what motivates you, steering your own ship. 
Also keep in mind that what motivates you today might change tomorrow. As you move through the various seasons of your lives and you have different obligations that arise, you may find your motivations adjusting. And that's perfectly fine. That's normal. But for right now, for this moment, for the sake of our conversation today, reflect on what's motivating you. 
Maybe your motivation is around a career or financial stability. You have bills to pay, trips to take and plan for, possessions to acquire, things to go buy. For a lot of people, money brings security. Perhaps when looking for a job, you want something that will give you a healthy work-life balance. Family, friends, and other life commitments are in need or in want of your attention. 
Are you driven to grow in your skills and position? Is that what drives you? Learning what you can and applying it accordingly in consequential ways. See what comes up. Or maybe you're hoping to find yourself in a career that gives you a sense of personal fulfillment and pride. It's not about the money. Well, not entirely. It's about something more. 
Knowing this, knowing what motivates you can have a strong impact on where you choose to look for jobs and where you eventually settle on to work. Odds are you're going to seek out a company that can complement this drive. And hopefully, it'll be a company whose values align with your own. If you're not sure what the values are of a company, go do some research before taking the job. They're often not hard to find. 
Also, if you're not sure of your own values and therefore not sure what to compare them to, perhaps you may need to take a bit of time and get that sorted out first. If you're having trouble, I know a coach or two who might be able to help. 
Consider the story of your life. Is there a theme? What is it? Where does your inner compass often lead you? Don't be afraid to take time on this. Understanding things like this, like your motivations and your values, that will be very helpful for you during the process, especially when it comes to the next piece, which is what we call personal branding. 
So what is a personal brand? Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room. It's the impression you leave on people and the way you confirm expectations when you show up. It's also your story being lived out in real time. Knowing your brand and by virtue embodying it will allow for you to apply yourself towards the right opportunities that align with your skills, your passions, and your strengths. It will help you to network with the right people and keep clarity when you find yourself in a rut. 
It also articulates what makes you special and differentiates you from others. Remember, you have control over this. Captain of your own ship, writer of your own story. 
So let's go over the three parts that make up a strong personal brand-- expertise, skills, and personal character. So what are you an expert in? What valuable knowledge do you possess that people will seek you out for? Many of us consider someone with the title of doctor to be an expert. In general, we don't have to know much about them personally outside of the fact that they are a doctor for us to schedule an appointment with them. And yet that in itself doesn't always affect how they make us feel about them. Hence, the other aspects. 
Skills. What are you skilled at? Are there certain tasks you can carry out that make you stand apart? Maybe you're good at public speaking or teaching or taking an engine apart and putting it all back together again. Every one of us has their own set of unique skills, things that we've learned over time that we've gotten comfortable with and we excel in. Not everyone shares the same set. 
Think about this in your own context. Do you have a friend or family member that you reach out to when you need to know how to do something specific? In a professional environment, it's important to recognize also the difference between what is called hard skills and soft skills. You want to have an equal balance between the two. Otherwise, your brand may seem a bit limited. 
And third, your personal character. This is an aggregate of features and traits altogether that create a kind of ethos around you. It's the relational piece. With the doctor analogy I mentioned before, this may very well be the make or break component that affects what you say about them after the appointment or when they're not in the room. How did that doctor make you feel? 
I encourage you to take some time and reflect on this, maybe putting pen to paper for a little while. At first, your brand may not yet be fully formed. And as I've said before, that's OK. Like so many things, a brand can take time to shape. Personal growth is always preceded by an increase in personal awareness. It's OK to reflect honestly on who you are, what your limitations are, the areas that you think are opportunistic for you to grow, where your strengths lie, to get things moving, which brings us to our next point-- uncovering your strengths. 
I'm telling you right now, if you're struggling to determine where you would be happiest applying yourself, particularly with a job, looking to your strengths may be the key to gaining that clarity. So how do you go about identifying your strengths? First, review any past evaluations you may have had, whether they be academic or professional. Are there certain subjects you perform better in than others? 
Do you notice that you're more productive working in collaboration with other people or possibly better at doing things solo? Do you inspire the people around you? Do you take charge? Are you a strong team player? 
Second, reflect on past wins and accomplishments. Where or when have you been recognized for your efforts? Third, complete a strengths inventory. There are many resources out there that can help you identify areas of strength for you that you can then turn around and apply in new ways as you endeavor to grow. 
Fourth, conduct a mini 360. This one involves a bit of courage for some people. Find persons in your circle, either friends or maybe even coworkers, and simply ask, what areas do you observe or notice that I seem to excel in? When do I seem the most productive or in the zone? 
If you choose to do this, make sure you select the right people who you can trust to give you honest feedback and not just give you answers that they think you want to hear. Some people want to ask about weaknesses, thinking that it will reveal possible areas for improvement. But I want to caution you with this. That's not what you're looking for with this exercise. This is not about being critical. Weaknesses, or what I like to call areas of opportunity, don't, by contrast, reveal strengths. 
And last, take some risks. You may have to go out and try a few things to learn where your strengths fall. It's possible you simply aren't often finding yourself with opportunities to develop those strengths further or to even uncover them in the first place. Note also that none of the previous suggestions that I've listed can be followed if you haven't already taken some risks. 
Remember, it is very difficult to grow in comfort. Sometimes you have to push outside that comfort zone and try some new things. You can retreat a little and review and reflect, but you can't grow in comfort. 
We've covered a lot of information today, in the hopes that it can better help you reflect and decide on what might be the best choice of a career path for you to take up. As we conclude this section of the series, I'd be remiss as a goals coach if I didn't provide you with some tips around creating a more solid structure and focusing on your goals. 
There's a saying that says, a goal without a plan is just a wish. If you're wishing to have the kind of career or career path that matters, then give it some shape and structure. Number one, decide what building your career means to you. This is the why behind your goal, where you craft a picture of your future, and use it as a target towards which all of your efforts can be aimed. Hopefully, we've addressed this a little bit today, at least in part. 
Number two, develop a realistic time frame. For any goal, setting a time frame can help minimize excuses and prevent procrastination on many important decisions that you are going to have to make. 
Number three, create an action plan that is measurable and that builds momentum. Each action step, once completed, should give you additional momentum and encouragement for the next. And each action step, once completed, should allow you to be in a better position to then ask, what am I now able to do that I couldn't do before? That's why we complete action steps, not just to say that we did something or we've conducted busy work and therefore feel more productive but so that we can be in a better position to face what comes next. 
Number four, consider mentors, coaches, academic advisors, or counselors, and different development group opportunities to help you make progress. You can try to do everything on your own. But if there are other resources out there, why not use them? 
And number five, set boundaries. Healthy boundaries can help you stay focused and prevent distractions, prevent you from getting pulled in different directions, and maybe adopting other people's motivations instead of being clear on yours. Almost every area of our lives can be made better by establishing healthy guardrails that keep us on the track we want to be on. 
Remember, this is your career choice. You're the one who's going to have to live with it. You're the one who has to show up to work every day and do the tasks requested of you and continue on that path. Whether or not you feel motivated or fulfilled that there's a purpose being served, that's up to you and the choices you make along the way. 
Remember, real change takes time. Knowing this from the beginning will help you hold a realistic expectation for your journey and hopefully provide you with a bit of self grace around the efforts that you're taking. Constantly measure and adapt your plan. With any goal, you can't predict every little challenge or obstacle. But by being diligent and checking your actions against your broader strategy, you can feel more confident that you are on top of things. And you'll be able to pivot if needed, which will help you avoid wasting time and energy. 
Also, balance your goal-oriented efforts with other aspects of your life. It won't work out very well to ignore other areas of importance. In fact, that may actually cause more tensions and disrupt your overall progress. 
Finally, consider finding an accountability partner such as a coach or a trusted friend. A good accountability partner reminds you of your objectives and holds you to account for your efforts and your actions. 
At U.S. Bank, we currently have six coaches on our team, each of which has their own unique background but all of whom are committed towards helping you work towards your goals. We encourage you to go to our site, read our bios, and consider scheduling with one of us. It is a complimentary service. It costs you nothing. You don't have to be a customer. 
And everything we talk about is confidential. Initially, you have the option of choosing one of two session opportunities-- a 15-minute introductory session where you get to meet the coach and understand what future sessions are going to look like, or a full 60-minute goal discovery session where we go through the introductory pieces. But we also begin to put shape and form to your goals. And hopefully, by the end of that first session, you have a piece, a foundational document that allows you to build on it going forward as you move into the action planning stages. 
We are all trained in areas of behavioral science and goal achievement. This is what we do. And we love doing it. We know what it takes to strengthen good habits and replace less than helpful ones. We also have access to a variety of resources which you can make use of, including subject-matter experts around any of the financial components or the services or tools that might help you. 
Whether your goal is professional, financial, or personal, we can help. I hope you'll consider us. And with that, I want to thank you for attending this first part of our Build Your Career series. Be sure to check out the other installments around resume building, interviewing, and navigating job offers, all of which are important to consider when it comes to career-focused goals. 
Until then, be good to yourself. Consider seriously what you want. And dare to take the wheel of your own ship. Endeavor to write your own story. Thank you.