Analysing your Career Values
What are your values?
Your values are those things in your life that you consider to be important. In relation to work, values are what give purpose to a job in the eyes of the individual who does it. The effort, commitment and motivation that a person brings to a job is usually in direct proportion to the values that they perceive in it. Another name sometimes used for values is motivators.
How do these values relate to careers?
Your values are likely to be the main factor in deciding on a career, or a career path within a particular field of employment.
Values = one career?
Some careers instantly call to mind a particular set of values:
- An Army officer, for example, is likely to cite leadership, variety and risk-taking as the main attractions of this career, but team membership, security, advancement and prestige may also be significant factors.
- An aid worker in a developing country will probably give helping others as their chief priority, perhaps along with independence, team membership, and risk-taking while dismissing values such as material benefits, security and advancement as irrelevant to his or her career choice.
Different values ....same career.
But in many other cases, a single career field can offer scope for satisfying many different values. For example:
- An accountant working in a large private practice may value his prestige, material benefits and security .....
- One who has left the same firm to set up her own practice may enjoy the independence and risk-taking .....
- While a third, who has taken a post as in-house accountant with a national charity may gain his main satisfaction from knowing that his work is contributing to a worthwhile purpose ...
- But all of them may equally value the variety, responsibility, people contact and intellectual challenge of their day-to-day work.
Look at the values listed below. Make a note of the three values which are most like you and the two that are least like you.
- INDEPENDENCE. Freedom to work alone, make your own decisions, plan your
own work.
- HELPING. Helping, advising or caring for others in face-to-face work situations.
- RISK-TAKING. The sense of excitement, adventure and challenge that comes from taking risks, whether personal, physical or to an organisation.
- VARIETY. Change and diversity in work content, personal contacts or location.
- PRESTIGE. The status, recognition and importance of a job, either within your own organisation or that accorded by the general public.
- LEADERSHIP. Work in close co-operation with others to achieve a common goal.
- TEAM MEMBERSHIP. Working in close co-operation with others to achieve a common goal.
- ADVANCEMENT. Promotion, career progression and upward mobility.
- MATERIAL BENEFITS. The financial, or other material rewards that ensure a comfortable lifestyle.
- SECURITY. Stability of employment and assured salary.
- ARTISTIC CREATIVITY. Engage in creative work in any art form.
Add any other values you feel you hold, that are not listed.
RELATING YOUR VALUES TO JOBS
Now click on the buttons below to link your preferred values with some suggested jobs.
Of course, there may be many other jobs which fit your values, and of course, you also need to take into account your interests, skills and personality when considering careers.
"From my degree I learned the value of impartiality and patience. The work requires both in abundance as well as an interest in people." Chemistry graduate saying why they chose to become a personnel manager |