The Long View

Would you rather sprint through your career or pace yourself like a marathon runner, ensuring fulfillment and success along the way?

1. Redefining Career Success

Today, career fulfillment goes beyond just earning a paycheck; it’s also about happiness. According to a 2015 poll by The Futures Company, while 86% of Americans value money, 70% prioritize happiness. People increasingly seek work that balances financial rewards and personal satisfaction. As a result, more individuals opt for flexible arrangements like freelance gigs, part-time roles, or working from home.

Redefining career success means considering not only your professional goals but also your personal life. Focusing purely on financial achievements can lead to burnout. Striking a balance allows professionals to enjoy both worlds, fostering better health and higher productivity.

To achieve this, crafting a career plan that takes happiness and life aspirations into account is key. Successful careers promote well-being and allow professionals to thrive in both their personal and work lives.

Examples

• Poll results showed 70% choose happiness over monetary perks.
• Remote work has boomed due to demands for better work-life balance.
• People report more satisfaction when their work reflects their values.

2. Taking the Marathon Approach to Careers

A career is not a sprint; it’s a marathon spanning decades. Yet, many approach it seeking immediate results instead of long-term growth. Careers typically last around 45 years, with retiring ages extending as life expectancy increases. We should think ahead and methodically pace our efforts.

It’s smarter to focus the early career years on discovering passions and developing relevant skills. Wealth accumulation, as shown by the Survey of Consumer Finances, usually peaks after age 40, meaning that patience and persistence pay off over time.

Professionals often sabotage long-term success by pursuing short-term rewards. Instead, planning for the future and taking deliberate steps can lead to a more rewarding and sustainable career.

Examples

• The average US worker spends over 100,000 hours working in a lifetime.
• Only 10–15% of personal wealth is accumulated before age 40.
• Retirement at age 65 becomes real only with early and strategic preparations.

3. Building Versatile Skills is Essential

Transferable skills are like a toolkit that prepares you for any job challenge. They include technical abilities like learning software or academic knowledge, and soft skills like emotional intelligence and communication. The unpredictability of the job market makes these skills invaluable.

Diverse experiences also strengthen employability. Working in varied settings, such as corporate roles and startups, teaches flexibility and widens perspectives. This prevents stagnation and readies individuals for unexpected changes in their career paths.

Professional growth relies on building both tangible and intangible skills. Combined with a spectrum of experiences, this toolkit enhances adaptability and expands long-term options.

Examples

• Learning public speaking helps improve relationships in any industry.
• Academic credentials and learning new languages boost job prospects across fields.
• Switching job environments leads to better problem-solving abilities.

4. Forming and Cultivating Relationships

Relationships are the backbone of professional development. Work contacts can be divided into four categories: basic contacts, experts, critical colleagues (like bosses), and mentors or champions. Each serves specific purposes, including support, advice, and career growth.

Even loose connections, like LinkedIn contacts, can open doors for new opportunities. Mentors, meanwhile, offer deeper insights and personalized guidance, helping you grow in knowledge and confidence. Supporting your key relationships in turn ensures they remain strong.

Successful professionals don’t just focus inward but value the team and networks they build around them.

Examples

• LinkedIn users often land interviews through acquaintances.
• Mentors like a former professor can inspire lifelong learning.
• Bosses directly impact raises, promotions, and how happy you are at work.

5. The First Career Stage: Discovery and Development

The early years of a career should focus on exploration, learning, and connections. Drafting a clear spreadsheet with potential employers helps streamline efforts. Reaching out for informational interviews provides insights into company cultures, needed skills, and possible career paths.

It’s a period for improving strengths and addressing weaknesses. Whether that means taking a public speaking class or apprenticing under a skilled professional, the goal is to build the foundation for the long haul.

In essence, the start of your career is a testing ground. The better you use this time to discover preferences and hone skills, the brighter the next phase will be.

Examples

• Job seekers who call contacts learn details that are key to landing interviews.
• Listing what you enjoy helps reveal work preferences early on.
• Structured feedback supports personal growth and skill acquisition.

6. The Second Career Stage: Becoming an Expert

Once you’ve discovered your strengths, the middle career phase should hone them into expertise. This is also the time to identify your “sweet spot,” or the overlap between skills, passion, and service to others. Standing out as an authority boosts your industry credibility.

Team-building takes precedence here too. Surrounding yourself with dependable colleagues forms a safety net and shores up areas where you may lack prowess. Each role contributes something unique, creating balance in executing large goals.

By aligning skills with clear roles and developing interpersonal trust, mid-career professionals become indispensable assets.

Examples

• Public speaking experts often become sought-after team leads.
• Creative professionals who stand out drive company innovations.
• Teams with diverse strengths excel at tackling wide-ranging projects.

7. The Third Career Stage: Knowledge Sharing

The last 15 years aren’t about winding down but about giving back. Professionals can pass wisdom to future generations by mentoring, teaching, or developing new workplace practices. Succession planning ensures that organizations transition smoothly.

Documenting roles and maintaining mentoring sessions, even virtually, creates lasting legacies. Experienced professionals can continue learning themselves, keeping up-to-date with emerging trends to foster relevant contributions.

The final phase is less about climbing further and more about leaving a meaningful imprint.

Examples

• Google Hangouts is often used to record valuable mentoring sessions.
• Professors transitioning from the corporate world spark growth in students.
• Retention of retiring employees’ expertise is facilitated through structured programs.

8. Avoid Overworking; Balance Matters

A fulfilling career doesn’t require sacrificing health or relationships. A balanced approach to work enhances longevity and happiness. Employers increasingly support flexibility and work-life initiatives.

Professionals thrive best when their goals are tied to purpose rather than relentless hours. Creative scheduling or lighter workloads can be effective without hampering productivity.

Striking this balance ensures you’ll want to stay in the professional game for the long haul.

Examples

• Employees with remote jobs report higher happiness rates.
• Flexible hours have decreased stress-related sick leaves.
• CEOs who prioritize balance still lead competitive firms.

9. Reflection Improves Future Career Stages

Regular evaluations—whether self-conducted or feedback-oriented—help correct stagnation. Asking what excites or frustrates you in your career helps align decisions better. Reflection minimizes wasted opportunities and sharpens paths forward.

Taking a moment to reassess goals inspires clarity. It also equips individuals to recalibrate efforts based on successes or mishaps.

Reflection isn’t just about the past; it propels the future, steering it toward growth aligned with personal values.

Examples

• Annual self-reviews often reshape employees’ trajectories.
• Performance ratings offer pointers for role transitions.
• Reflecting on failures helps some leaders return better armed.

Takeaways

1. Draft and maintain a career plan early, adjusting it to include lessons learned and personal priorities.
2. Build cross-industry skills and networks, keeping connections strong through consistent communication.
3. Dedicate time mentoring others, documenting expertise and staying current in your field even after retirement.