Career Life Cycle - Ver. 1.0

What do you think about your career so far? Good … bad ...?

Many of us will say "yeah, it is so so lah..."

Now, my question is : are you currently happy with it? Do you understand what are other things required to achieve more goodies in your life?

I would like to share a definition dedicated to many of us who are on progress striving his or her career. Every single words shared here are positioned as opinions, comments are welcome… more importantly, no obligation to follow or commit as long as you are disagree and or possess different opinion and point of view.

My Career Life Cycle definition consists of five layers, the sequence is arranged as follows:

1. Basic occupation (Job)
2. Doing best thing on the job/ Achievement
3. Influence
4. Position
5. Authority

At the basic occupation layer, one is considered successfully enter the real life, working life, world of challenge & competition. Entering this stage of life might be the happiest moment in life, given a chance to prove to the world that one really is. All bright new future dreams seem to be wide opened.

After several months or at least spending the first semester on the current occupation, challenges comes, salary is seems to be not adequate to support your current living style, this is typical; life style follows the income, then what to do? what to think?

In the other hand, one might think doing business as usual is good enough for him/her to survive current job.

Positively, he/she might think how to contribute better in the current workplace in order to gain better return such as salary increase, bonus, and or other incentives.

Contribute better can also be interpreted as working harder but smarter, being efficient, being proactive, being good team player/leader, being professional – a better terminology to describe integrity, loyal, & awareness.

Should you do things outlined in paragraph above, you are yet crawling up to the second layer, doing the best on the job/ achievement; contributing and achieve some goals.

Up to this stage, you must have proven something to someone else what kind of person you are. Are you the contributor, leader, or just an ordinary follower?
Many of us would of course aiming better career in the near future including better return as the form of appreciation, rewards, or pay-back to what ever positive action committed into the organization. But unfortunately not many of us aware, care, try or even got the chance to go further to the next layer in the career life cycle, which is Influence.

Influence layer in my definition is “the most important yet most difficult” in the career life cycle. Any other following layers might not be beneficial if one cannot strive for this influence layer properly & appropriately.
Why influence is so important?

Influence is a non tangible value which is not able to be gained by definite rules or procedures. It is typically a combination of attitude & manner, awareness, achievements, thoughts, creativity, innovation, leadership, etc. It is so important due to it is a kind of power to move things. A decision maker is sometimes if not often takes opinion of the influencer into consideration prior to decision.
The influence layer is considered as the ultimate factor that one should have before further being positioned or achieving the next following layers, position and authority layer.

Influence layer is the most difficult layer to achieve due to its nature; you can not force yourself for being influencer. You may try but you might not get it, you might seek but you might not find it.

Influence is a kind of appreciation from your environment towards your actions, attitude, and achievements.

One practical assessment you may do to determine your influence level is: try to figure out how important you are in the team, are you contributing by speak out your ideas acceptable to many of other team player? Are you important within your organization? How important you are?

What should you do if you do not possess enough influence?
Imitate is one of the way, learn something from the one that possess great influence within your organization. Imitating cleverly by combining it with your own initiative, innovative thinking should boost your influence level; although this tips is easy, but it is easier to talk and write then take it in practical life. A lot of thinking on its basic philosophy of every action is important – read my next blog on this issue shortly

Once you got the influence layer, position layer is something you will reach sooner or later; it is only the matter of time. Why? Position layer typically demands capacity to handle things. Should you pass the influence layer smoothly; normally capacity to handle things is followed.

For those who are luckily reach the position layer by skipping the influence layer first, he or she will have to work harder to gain influence among the team under his/ her responsibility.

Note: This situation valid also for those who moved forward to be positioned at new company.

Once the position layer is tamed, the next difficulty is the authority layer. It is independent whether authority is given or defined.
Authority is one parameter that every position layer holder to strive to. Authority is the symbol of responsibility and power to do things properly and appropriately.
Authority layer is considered difficult to reach due to it is form by components consisting: trust, professionalism, and other collection of values from other previous layers.

For those who are reaching this layer easily right after the position layer, then congratulation wishes is deserved. Otherwise work harder and try the best to gain the trust, by enlarging the positive influence to gain trust.

This authority is considered as the most important factor once you reach the position layer; extremely saying says: “you can not live your position without authority…”

For any comment and feedback you may reach me at: kiki.wibowo@gmail.com
End of Blog