BOOK BERNIE TO SPEAK
TRAINING WITH BERNIE
COACH WITH BERNIE

Am I Wrong?

Written by Bernie

Bernie Frazier, SPHR is the Founder and President of CAREERCompass, LLC, a speaking and career coaching firm in St. Louis, MO. She also spent almost 25 years recruiting talent to six organizations across four industries and led the talent acquisition function for four of those organizations, including one global team.

Lately, I’ve run into people who have a desire to pursue a given career but are very hesitant to make a move.  Their primary reason for hesitation – what other people think or will say.

  • “I really love the mountains.  Am I wrong for wanting to work in a business that is located in Vail or Aspen?”
  • “I love business and want to pursue my MBA degree.  Am I wrong for wanting my MBA vs. another degree?”
  • “My parents think I am crazy for wanting to work at a zoo but this is what I love to do, regardless of the pay.  Am I wrong for wanting to do this?”

I say, ABSOLUTELY NOT!!  I firmly believe that every one of us has special gifts and talents.  As a result, our desires (initially or eventually) tend to lean in the direction of those gifts and talents.  When the desires begin to call us, it is our obligation to the world to answer. 

If you have career aspirations that are contrary to what others believe you should pursue, here are a few suggestions for how to respond:

  1. Be courteous and thank them for their opinion.  No matter how contrary to your desires or even obnoxious the other person is, always send out good vibes in your responses.
  2. Consider what they say for any truth.  Sometimes our desires to “step out” can indeed be a bit premature so it’s always good to consider what others say.  If you are the sole provider of your household, now may not be the best time to walk away from your $70K per year job for one that pays $35K per year.  They may see some pitfalls ahead that you cannot.
  3. Seek counsel.  Part of the reason why other people are in our lives is to provide assistance and perspective when we need it.  If there are areas in which you don’t have knowledge or are unsure, seek out counsel and wisdom from others.
  4. Plan your work.  I know there are people out there who can “wing” life and everything always seems to work out just fine for them.  I’m jealous of these people!  However, most of us need a plan.  Take the time to think through all of the possible scenarios you can encounter along your journey and create a plan for how you will handle each one.  Later, you’ll be glad you did!
  5. Work your plan.  If you’ve followed the steps above and believe now is the time, go forward it with all of the gusto you can find.  Life is a journey, and along that journey there are times in which we must take a chance.  If you don’t try, how will you ever know if you can do it or not?

 “The world has a habit of making room for people who know where they are going.”

Until next time….