Career Identity Crisis: Self Out of Office

A career identity crisis can hit anyone no matter what career stage they are in – new grads as well as executives who have been employed in stable jobs for several decades. For most working professionals, work takes up more time than any other activity. Success takes a tremendous amount of effort. We pour our heart and soul into our job to deliver remarkable work. And for most of us, work becomes a defining aspect of our identity. Everything we do, everything that is important to us becomes a part of our identity and makes us who we are. When asked “what do you do?” we are quick to proudly respond with our job title and the name of the company we work for.

Work is an extension of personality. It is achievement. It is one of the ways in which a person defines himself, measures his worth, and his humanity. ~ Peter Druker

There’s no denying our career identity and self-identity are intertwined. This is not a new concept. In the middle ages, as the population expanded, and there was a need for last names, many surnames referred to social status and occupation (Squire, Carpenter, Baker, Mason, etc.) Because sons often followed their father’s occupation, the surname passed from one generation to the next. Our career choices today certainly influence our social status and how we define ourselves. So when faced with any job changes, we may experience a career identity crisis. At such times, while it is normal to be nervous, it is important to recognize that we don’t have just one identity. Our multicultural identity has multiple aspects and layers. And although work may feel like something we are, we are certainly more than our job. If you are experiencing a career identity crisis, a good start is to reflect on and articulate what makes you great beyond the job title and company name on your business card. If you find it hard to define who you are and what your life would be like without your job, it may be an opportunity to refocus on your personal life: relationships, interests, and leisure time.

Gone are the days of lifetime employment and retirement gold watches. Organizations can no longer guarantee gainful employment to their hard working employees. And thus, making money and career opportunities have replaced old loyalties. It used to be the case that changing jobs every couple of years was perceived negatively; however, in some industries, it’s expected that employees will change jobs every 2 years. In fact, staying employed at the same company over a few years would probably cost you. On average, you would earn less. Loyalty is not dead; we just need to re-define what we are loyal to and who we are in our personal and professional life. Sometimes finding our life’s purpose and true calling is by the process of elimination: the more careers, jobs, and skills you try out, the sooner you find a career path that is authentic to who you are. And when you find it, you will experience personal and professional synergy and a way to live more fully incorporating your dreams and aspirations into the work that you do.

Techniques to uncover who you are without just work to define you:

1. Take a trip down memory lane: reconnect to who you are. Remember happy times in your life, things you enjoyed doing, past achievements and successes. Make notes about your past and what is meaningful to you.
2. Shake-up your social life: reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Expand your circle of friends outside of work. Nourish and nurture your personal relationships.
3. Get busy living: aspire to have at least 3 things you do outside of work. What do you love to do? Do you cook? Do you enjoy music? Do you dance? Commit to pursuing 3 things you are interested in, or that you wanted to do when you were younger.
4. Take time out: live a little. Go on vacation to gain new experiences. Find your sense of fun and adventure. Create happy memories.

To live a dynamic and fulfilled life, we need to find a way to merge our personal and professional selves, to do work we are passionate about and spend time doing the things we love.

“The real point of being alive is to evolve into the whole person you were intended to be….”

~Oprah Winfrey