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No matter your age, grade level, or work experience, there is always time to start thinking about the impact you want to leave behind in the world. Though you don’t have to think about this in the grand scheme of things just yet, having a general sense of what you want your career values to be is a great starter. Your career values link up your job with your personality and what you care about, so it’s necessary to establish and implement these early on. But if you need help implementing these values, here are some things to get you started. And if you are still unsure about these or you’re scared you’ll change your mind, that’s okay! Revising them now and then is just as important as their establishment.
What You Care About
First and foremost, you have to be a little selfish. Establish personal values that align with what you care about most and base your career values on them. These do not have to relate to your major or work ethic; instead, they should be the things your life revolves around, the people you care for, and the issues that concern you the most globally. The key is that these must be unique to you and relate to what kind of impact you want to leave behind.
Blast to the Past
Though there is a need for reflection, this is not to dwell on your past experiences or base your career values on your past self. Instead, take the time to think about your achievements. How did accomplishing these make you feel? When did you last feel proud about a project you worked on? How do you tend to work best? Are there any work ethic-wise mistakes you should avoid in the future? You should dive deep when doing your self-reflection of the past to get a sense of what kind of person you will be in the workplace.
Add Personality
Your personality traits are also a great way to define your career values and set goals in the workplace. For example, if you are extroverted, you may value group projects, teamwork, and getting feedback from coworkers. On the other hand, if you’re introverted, you might prioritize individual tasks and follow directions more. Other examples can be responsibility, respectfulness, organization, and determination.
Rank What Matters to You
Once you have a sense of what you’re like and what you’re looking for, it’s time to prioritize your career values! Because these will be things catered to you, there is no correct order in how you rank these. However, ensure that the criteria for ranking these values are realistic to your field or the companies you aspire to work for.
Enforce and Switch it Up
Finally, it’s always best to implement your career values as early as possible so you can consistently keep up with them. You don’t have to think about doing so; you probably implement them today without knowing! However, it’s always satisfying to keep reminding yourself to work for what you value. And remember, if something does not work or you don’t feel as confident, you can always change your values or their priority level any time you wish.
