Professional Identity Construction
I took the following paragraph from sage journals which describes Professional Identity Construction. As i read it I began to panic at the complexity of the layers of the formation of each identity. I began to feel fearful at the shifting boundaries both internally and outside of each of us. I wanted to harness and simplify the real meaning and intent of the paragraph:
Professional identity, defined as one’s professional self-concept based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences, has been a central theme in the careers litera- ture (Ibarra, 1999; Schein, 1978). Career success is often associated with successful pro- fessional identity construction (e.g. Arthur et al., 1999; Hall et al., 2002). This association is especially important for contemporary careers that are characterized by shifting bound- aries in occupational, organizational, national, and global work arrangements. Indeed, both professional identity and contemporary careers are subject to relational and social influences within, and even beyond, the individual’s present occupation or organization (Arthur, 2008; Hall et al., 2002).
As a career coach, what I take from these words, is that we are all at the behest of the vagaries of change in our respective sectors, social groups, businesses and our relationships. I also read that the only bit we do exert any real control over is what we believe about our own professional identity. In all these shifting sands, clarity about our own strengths, beliefs and professional desires is core our ability to survive the ensuing sand-storms. This is how we shall withstand the coming changes, by really knowing ourselves and by choosing to take control over the bits we can. Sometimes its about knowing your bottom line and sticking with it. if your bottom line is no longer being met in the role or sector you work in, then you can choose again from this place of knowing.
How do we define our bottom line: We can take a look at the past and locate the things we did not like. We can make sure we do not work in these circumstances again. What environment in the past left you stuck and despairing. Make a note and don’t do that to yourself again. What behaviours, either your own, or the behaviours of colleagues or seniors, left you furious or resentful. Make a note and keep your valuable self well away from them. Whilst this may sound obvious, once your have identified them you will spot them more quickly and be able to avoid them when they rise up disguised as opportunities. With such economic uncertainty in the UK it is easy to assume you have to tolerate anything you can get. Tolerating a role is way less sustainable than choosing your next step.
Conversely it is worth beginning to ask yourself what you DO want in your work. What values underpin your life and your work? you may only have two or three of them. These values will remain constant whether you apply them in your personal or professional domains. Core values remain static whether you are at work or at play. Ask yourself what you WANT from work; rarely is money enough in itself. What can you contribute to the world that will help? What do you want to gain from the world in return? We are all unique and it is best to play to our strengths and work at things the fill us with enthusiasm, as opposed to spending valuable energy repressing these in order to do what we think we ‘Should’. Doing what you want and not what you should is how you take your power in defining your own professional identity construction.
It is a natural instinct to turn inwards in response to recession or economic hardship, to the current cuts and changes. It is however stronger to turn right into the storm and define what you will and will not tolerate and what you do and what you do not want for your professional life. By being proactive and choosing, you can not only impact your own professional identity construction, but you will raise your own chances of securing a role that is true to you and is lasting in your career. You will recognise a rightful opportunity because you will have put in the foot work and will see the signs that it is the one for you. You, and only you, can take control of refining your professional identity construction… otherwise you will leaving it to the wish and will of a multitude of other people’s, organisation’s and financial agendas. ‘Know Thyself’. Keep choosing and stand really firm in the face on the oncoming sandstorm(s).
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