Career Anchors

I just did an questionaire exercise that helps to determine what kind of anchors that a person value most in their careers. I found the model to be an accurate depiction of my anchors. It was first proposed by Edgar Schein from MIT. The Anchors are as follows:

Technical/Functional competence
This kind of person likes being good at something and will work to become a guru or expert. They like to be challenged and then use their skill to meet the challenge, doing the job properly and better than almost anyone else.

General Managerial competence
Unlike technical/functional people, these folks want to be managers (and not just to get more money, although this may be used as a metric of success). They like problem-solving and dealing with other people. They thrive on responsibility. To be successful, they also need emotional competence.

Autonomy/Independence
These people have a primary need to work under their own rules and steam. They avoid standards and prefer to work alone.

Security/Stability
Security-focused people seek stability and continuity as a primary factor of their lives. They avoid risks and are generally 'lifers' in their job.

Entrepreneurial Creativity
These folks like to invent things, be creative and, most of all, to run their own businesses. They differ from those who seek autonomy in that they will share the workload. They find ownership very important. They easily get bored. Wealth, for them, is a sign of success.

Service/Dedication to a cause
Service-oriented people are driven by how they can help other people more than using their talents (which may fall in other areas). They may well work in public services or in such as HR.

Pure Challenge
People driven by challenge seek constant stimulation and difficult problems that they can tackle. Such people will change jobs when the current one gets boring and their career can be very varied.

Lifestyle
Those who are focused first on lifestyle look at their whole pattern of living. They not so much balance work and life as integrate it. They may even take long periods off work in which to indulge in passions such as sailing or traveling.

I think I posted about the Lifestyle Anchor previously when talking about people taking career breaks. Typically, people in this category could be misinterpreted
to be frivolous people who do not work hard. On the contrary, they are pretty full of life and wishes to have a holistic and wholesome living which many of us could only dream about. Makes you wonder where most Singaporeans' career anchors are .....

Career Breakpoints

I just finished another book, The Career Break Book by Lonely Planet. This is largely a travel reference book, with lots of tips of where to go during a time of career breaks. Great advice given with several off-beaten tracks that is not usually taken by travellers.

There were several examples of people taking their career breaks, and generally they changed their perspectives on work and do not go back to their original job/career.

Not much to say, except, if anyone is thinking of stopping their normal worklife routine, and thinking of going for a career break, this is a book to look for. BTW, mostly it seems that people from the US, Europe or Australia do this.

Again, the story of lifestyle choices echo in my mind, and also whether there would be people like Santiagos in The Alchemist in some of us, willing to give up being a shepherd and travel to the pyramids in search of treasure. Difficult, but definitely achievable, if sacrifices are made and proper arrangements made to take care of existing financial obligations. There are several practical tips in the book about these valid concerns and alternative measures to consider.

Benefits of course is subjected one circumstances, as in Santiago's case, a treasure, a potential spouse but most importantly, learning so much about life's journey in the process of his travels. Let's hope we can all learn like Santiago if we ever take a career break in any point of our life.

Found a website for those who want to know more as well; great resource

http://www.thecareerbreaksite.com/index.php