What I need from my career

Uncover your career priorities

This exercise is an opportunity to reflect on the values that influence your career satisfaction. 

Below is a list of some of the factors that motivate people at work.

Work down the list, marking each factor on a scale of 1 (not important to you) to 5 (very important to you).  Complete this at pace - trust your initial instinct.

Potential motivators

• control over my work
• good income
• job security
• flexibility of working arrangements
• managing other people
• professional recognition
• opportunity for promotion
• high level of responsibility
• pursuing excellence
• helping others or benefiting the wider community
• managing major projects
• opportunity to develop skills
• status within an organisation
• status outside an organisation
• challenging work using my abilities and skills fully
• specific geographic location
• working in a team
• using technical expertise
• opportunity to be creative
• variety
• working alone
• contact with people
• feeling appreciated.

This list is not exhaustive. Add any other factors that you feel should be on ‘your' list.

Reflect on:

• how many of your highest priorities are met by your current work
• whether any of your highest priorities are in conflict with the work you do now
• which, if any, of your priorities you are prepared to compromise
• career development: how could you increase your satisfaction by building more of your highest priorities into your current work? What factors would you consciously seek in a new job or career opportunity?

Knowing what motivates you and gives you fulfilment guides you to the right choices for the future. You will be able to focus your time and effort on development activities and career avenues that bring you the rewards that matter to you.

Based on an extract from Making Headway, Maureen Mitchell and Sally Gruhn, CRAC, 1995,ISBN 1 86017 177 X