Career Ideas – Mind Map – updated June 2013 (click to enlarge)
IDEAS
Feb 2013 – Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychology to the workplace by using psychological principles and research methods to solve problems and improve the quality of work life. They study issues such as workplace productivity, management or employee working styles, and morale. They also work with management on matters such as policy planning, employee screening or training, and organizational development..Jul 1, 2013 – something along these lines:Design Strategist “You are a natural problem solver, culturally astute, curious, observant and insightful. You are extrinsically motivated to help solve problems to benefit others and are passionate about understanding people everywhere; what motivates and inspires.” …interest in human centered innovation. (I realized after reading more that this is for Continuum Innovation, a company I’m already researching)
**To make this one even more interesting to me, check out this blog post. Most if not 99.99% of the quotes the author uses describe me. (I’m actually bouncing up and down while I write this) I think maybe I finally found something specific I could really be happy doing!
I found your mind map analyzing your potential career routes while researching Industrial Organizational Psychology. I was just curious where your journey took you after the mapping. I’m 8 years in telecommunications and another 9 year in the energy sector and am now looking to reinvent myself again. Your mapping was very helpful.
Hi David! – I apologize for taking so long to reply to you, I’ve been in the middle of a move. Thank you for your kind comments about my mind map. It really was helpful for me to do it, as I often think in visuals (as opposed to lists on a paper) but need also to write down what I visualize in a creative way (mostly in order to remember it all…). I’m glad it was helpful for you. If you’ve done one of your own I’m very curious to see it!
I’ll be honest with you (and I guess this is sort of an update to the site, since I haven’t been here in a while)… The entire process helped me tremendously to figure out myself and what I’m interested in. Where I faltered and eventually failed (my words…I’m tough on myself) is in taking *enough* action steps to get there.
I tested the waters with interest contacts (email/calls) to people in organizations that inspired me, sent out applications and requests to do unpaid internships. I heard nothing back. When I was home briefly a year ago, I was persistent (my level of persistent, which isn’t apparently dogged or peppy enough) in overtures towards people and groups. But I got nowhere. I would have had the energy for this more in my 20s and early 30s, but where I am right now it’s not happening.
My failure, professionally, as an introvert and someone who doesn’t like to network, isn’t a lack of grit so much as a lack of stamina. I used to have more, but physically and psychologically I really have difficulty maintaining optimism and drive and persistence in the face of disinterest or poor results. As my coach noted, I need buy-in to my ideas and contribution, to feel valued as much as to want to contribute. Without buy-in, I falter. It made me lose the level of excitement that got me going on ideas I had about creating a new career – with the effort I put in to this site, I guess I expected more in return. I know I expected more than is reasonable, just as I know I didn’t push as hard as I should for long enough to reach an outside interest tipping point. But I also have to be me and not put myself into situations/expectations of myself that are unrealistic (for me) and that make me unhappy or down on myself (for not being a quicker success or a better attraction).
I moved from my awful job to one that had better potential (same career) but turned out to be much much worse. I was there a year (2014) and am now working, again as a Chiro, with an old colleague in Bahrain. It’s a much better life and much more fulfilling work, because the atmosphere isn’t as relentlessly toxic, so for now I’m letting myself settle in. I have more creative options here, and am testing the waters creatively in ways that aren’t overtly job-seeking, so I don’t have that constant thought of needing an income (and being desperate for escape) hovering over my efforts. *Also, my boss/friend knows about this site so if I show too much “Career Change” action it might seem odd…* hahaha
I only tell you my personal story because grit and persistence and taking the steps you might not want to take are SO FUNDAMENTAL to success in what you’re trying to do, so I want to provide an example of where you can falter. I really hope your search leads somewhere amazing! Please update me if you can about what you end up doing!
Cheers – Andrea