Your 20s and 30s are a defining set of decades in your life. You make choices about your career, your friendships, your romantic relationships, your finances and your home that help shape the trajectory of your life. If you’re feeling the pressure to make the “right” choices or to do the “right” things, you’re not alone. Some people might refer to this feeling as a part of the “quarter life crisis” – a period defined by concern or anxiety about making many of these “adult” choices.
Recently, I sat down with my wonderful, inspiring friend Christine Hassler to discuss what you can do to successfully navigate your career path in your quarter life. She is organizing an online conference, called the Quarter Life Upgrade, in which she’s sharing expert video interviews she conducted on the subject. I was honored to be an interviewee, and here’s a quick peek at some of the tips I shared:
1.) Create and tend to your personal brand. A reflection of your life both on and offline, your personal brand will matter increasingly as you move up, across and around the ranks in your career. Your brand is a combination of things like your top skills, interests, experiences and characteristics. Consider how you’re communicating these right now. Are your actions consistent with what you say and think about yourself?
2.) Consider your financial plans and insurance needs at your life transition points. How are you managing your paychecks as they come in? Are you saving for a home? A vacation? Retirement? Having an established plan to control your finances is a critical step to line you up for continued success.
3.) Get comfortable with knowing when and how to manage career changes. While it’s common practice and can be a great move, changing jobs or careers is a big undertaking. Before you commit to making a change, think critically about how this move will benefit you. If your motivation stems from dissatisfaction in your current role, perhaps you might want to consider all of the possibilities to grow within that job. It’s important to distinguish between the feelings of a mismatched job and a bad day.
Whether you’re in the quarter life now or you’ve already navigated those years, what are your ideas about upgrading your career in this stage of life? Please share!
