Why does a person strive for career growth. Step two: identifying career motivators using projective questions. Look for opportunities, not reasons

Career. This word is often heard by those who are somehow connected with business and strive to achieve success in their work. The word career itself comes from the Italian carriera and means "running, life path, field ".

I wonder where people are running like that, and most importantly - why? Why has a career become the meaning of life for many? Perhaps because it is able to give a person some special privileges, rights that he cannot receive as a simple, ordinary employee. Or maybe it's all about money?

Be that as it may, we often have to meet people who are downright "jumping out of their pants" in order to take a more advantageous position on the career ladder. Such persons are usually called careerists. Many people perceive this word negatively, and the people themselves who are given such a definition are not particularly favored. After all, a careerist is one who unscrupulously pursues personal success and is ready to do anything to achieve his goal. In any case, such a stereotype existed in our society until recently.

Now there are more and more individuals striving to make a career, and career advancement is taken for granted. But, although many are now striving to get a good position, only a few succeed.

And often this is because most careerists are driven by a desire for fame and the ability to control other people. Do they not think about whether this job is right for them and whether they like it? Therefore, at present, those who sincerely love their work and are interested in it are achieving success. It is those people who understand the importance and significance of their work, who can achieve success in it. Each of us has our own talents, which are sometimes difficult to realize in everyday life. And professional activity allows a person to reveal his abilities and talents. But this will only happen if the work is fun.

For a person who loves his job, work is not only a way to make money, but also a hobby, and passion, and recreation. “Careerist”, when choosing a job, is guided primarily by the benefits that she can provide him. These benefits include: higher income, higher office, power. Those who provided the term "careerist" with a negative lexical connotation are able to easily leave their beloved workplace, betray your team if you provide more profitable terms, even if the work where they are lured, they absolutely do not like it and they do not understand much about it.

A careerist thinks over and plans everything carefully. He is ready to abandon his principles if they prevent him from achieving his goal. He does not have a sincere interest in his work, he does not put his soul into it, therefore, the successes of those around him, as a rule, cause anger and envy. A careerist tries only for himself, while a person who loves his job is reliably disposed to his colleagues, because he understands that he is united with them by a common cause, and shares both joys and sorrows with colleagues.

Nobody says that being a careerist is bad. These are purposeful people who know for sure or at least think

those who know what they want. They always go straight to their intended goal, and nothing (well, almost nothing) can lead them astray. In the end, many of them achieve their goal and occupy the position that they have long dreamed of and to which they have been going for just as long. Some people enjoy it. They feel that they are finally where they should be. Perhaps these people had to step over their principles and ideals, betray their friends and colleagues, but nevertheless they achieved the desired results. Others are forced to "bite their nails" out of frustration. They also achieved what they wanted, but it did not bring them the desired results. They are also unhappy where they wanted to be. And everything from the fact that they took the wrong place, and the business they are now doing, they absolutely do not have a soul.

But, as long as there is a hierarchy in organizations, those working in them will strive to occupy a more advantageous position. There is nothing you can do about it. After all, any person always dreams of more. And people will still try to move up the corporate ladder in search of better life and will not stop believing that it is about to come. There are many reasons for this. Let's take a look at some of them.

For some, work is primarily an opportunity to make money. Such a desire, of course, is not forbidden, but, on the contrary, is welcomed. After all, work is the only possible legitimate source of money. People then look for work in order to be able to provide themselves financially.

For the typical (stereotypical) careerist, things are a little different. He, too, strives to make good money, but, as a rule, this is the only purpose of his work and the only reward for it. Sooner or later in his life, there always comes a moment when he realizes that the money he receives is clearly not enough for him, and in this case he is looking for new ways to earn money and usually comes to the conclusion that this is possible only when getting a new position.

In such a far from original way, climbing the career ladder often begins. If the organization where such "careerists" work is going through hard times and most of the employees, "tightening their belts", seeks to pull their company out of lack of money, the category of workers we are considering is not capable of this. In most cases, they simply quit seemingly hopeless work, since it is not able to give them what they want right now, and leave in search of something better.

But low earnings are not always the criterion by which people judge whether to stay in their previous job or look for another. Some are ready to continue working for little remuneration, if the work is pleasant to them and brings moral satisfaction. In addition, a career can be made even where the pay is low. Sometimes it can be much easier to achieve this. All those who are not satisfied with earnings leave. And people, in love with their work, continue to work. The bosses pay attention to them and raise them. So decide what is more important to you - money or the ability to quickly make a career where there is (at first) almost no money.

The second reason people strive to pursue careers is to get a higher post. The position promises beneficial connections, status among others, and in the end, just a justified reason for self-respect.

Power over people and the ability to control them is another reason why careerists seek to occupy high positions. The thirst for power at all times exceeded the thirst for money. Man strove to her as to a life-giving spring capable of bringing the most pleasant pleasures.

"Manage people!" This is the most desirable "wealth" that people want. How much humiliation one must experience during one's life, how much one must grovel, bow before the highest of this world! And now the power finally falls into your hands. Now you are the master of the situation, and everyone, whether they like it or not, is forced to obey you. You lead everyone, everyone obeys you. The most

ambitious dreams. Oh, how sweet it is to be at the top of Olympus and feel the power in your hands! “I create what I want,” the person thinks, having received the high post he has dreamed of for so long.

Although, of course, not everyone wants power, because they dream of managing people. Some people get it because the bosses always listen and don't interrupt. While you are a simple employee, it is difficult for you to promote your ideas and bring them to life. After all, there are still so many people standing over you. When you yourself are the boss, everything is much easier. You are the last resort. Everything depends only on you. You make the final decisions, you carry out reforms in your company. This is what gives a person power - the ability to express what he could not express, being in a subordinate position.

Some people strive to make a career in order to improve their personal status. Money, power, connections are not the determining factors for them. Their ambitions make them move forward and achieve great success. And often this happens because a person wants to prove to himself, and most importantly to others, that he is capable of more than he was predicted in his youth. Often, success in the professional field helps a person to achieve the desired harmony with himself, convincing him that he is important for his business, that he is appreciated. In striving for such a situation, people are able to climb unprecedented peaks, overcoming all conceivable and inconceivable obstacles on their way.

Such people, as they say, have a "flag in their hands", if they, of course, do not go to the intended goal "over the heads" of others. Although those who intend to make a career, like it or not, will have to bypass their colleagues one way or another, forgetting about sympathy for a while, and sometimes playing games without rules. After all, no matter how unfortunate it is, but "Mrs. Career" loves loners who are not pulled back by the burden of nostalgic memories of the years spent in a cramped office inhabited by a friendly, carefree team.

So, whether you want to make a career or not, you decide. But since this book has fallen into your hands, you should think that you are interested in it. However, remember that you are more likely to achieve success in the field of activity to which you have a heart. If you are passionate about your work and it brings you pleasure and satisfaction, then you will be able to prove yourself from the best side and fully reveal your abilities. After all, a career is, among other things, an opportunity to show and prove yourself as an established personality.

This book is interesting to everyone who, at least once in their life, wondered: why many people, striving up the career ladder, often cannot reach the desired heights? What are the real reasons for their failure? The book offered to the readers' attention will help to understand the external reasons that hinder career growth, as well as internal, subjective factors that prevent many from moving up the career ladder.

* * *

The given introductory fragment of the book Why can't I make a career? (Victor Deltsov) provided by our book partner - the company Liters.

Instead of an introduction. What is career

I wonder where people are running like that, and most importantly - why?

Why has a career become the meaning of life for many? Perhaps because it is able to give a person some special privileges, rights that he cannot receive as a simple, ordinary employee. Or maybe it's all about money?

Be that as it may, we all the time have to meet people who are downright "jumping out of their pants" in order to take a more advantageous position on the career ladder. Such persons are usually called careerists. Many people perceive this word negatively, and the people themselves who are given such a definition are not particularly favored. After all, a careerist is one who unscrupulously pursues personal success and is ready to do anything to achieve his goal. In any case, such a stereotype existed in our society until recently.

Now there are more and more individuals striving to make a career, and career advancement is taken for granted. But although many are now striving to get a good position, only a few succeed.

For a person who loves his job, work is not only a way to make money, but also a hobby, and passion, and recreation. “Careerist”, when choosing a job, is guided primarily by the benefits that she can provide him. These benefits include: higher income, higher office, power. Those who provided the term "careerist" with a negative lexical connotation are able to easily leave their favorite workplace, betray their team, if more favorable conditions are provided, even if they absolutely do not like the work where they are lured and they do not understand much about it.

Nobody says that being a careerist is bad. These are purposeful people who know exactly or at least think that they know what they want. They always go straight to their intended goal, and nothing (well, almost nothing) can lead them astray. In the end, many of them achieve their goal and occupy the position that they have long dreamed of and to which they have been going for just as long. Some people enjoy it. They feel that they are finally where they should be. Perhaps these people had to step over their principles and ideals, betray their friends and colleagues, but nevertheless they achieved the desired results. Others are forced to "bite their nails" out of frustration. They also achieved what they wanted, but it did not bring them the desired results. They are also unhappy where they wanted to be. And everything from the fact that they took the wrong place, and the business they are now doing, they absolutely do not have a soul.

But, as long as there is a hierarchy in organizations, those working in them will strive to occupy a more advantageous position. There is nothing you can do about it. After all, any person always dreams of more. And people will continue to strive to move up the corporate ladder in search of a better life and will not stop believing that it is about to come. There are many reasons for this. Let's take a look at some of them.

For the typical (stereotypical) careerist, things are a little different. He, too, strives to make good money, but, as a rule, this is the only purpose of his work and the only reward for it. Sooner or later in his life there always comes a moment when he realizes that the money he receives is clearly not enough for him, and in this case he is looking for new ways to earn money and usually comes to the conclusion that such is possible only when getting a new position.

In such a far from original way, climbing the career ladder often begins. If the organization where such "careerists" work is going through hard times, and most of the employees, "tightening their belts", seeks to pull their company out of lack of money, the category of employees we are considering is not capable of this. In most cases, they simply quit seemingly hopeless work, since it is not able to give them what they want right now, and leave in search of something better.

But low earnings are not always the criterion by which people judge whether to stay in their previous job or look for another? Some are ready to continue working for little remuneration, if the work is pleasant to them and brings moral satisfaction. In addition, a career can be made even where the pay is low. Sometimes it can be much easier to achieve this. All those who are not satisfied with earnings leave. And people, in love with their work, continue to work. The bosses pay attention to them and raise them. So decide what is more important to you - money or the ability to quickly make a career where there is (at first) almost no money.

The second reason people strive to pursue careers is to get a higher post. The position promises beneficial connections, status among others, and in the end, just a justified reason for self-respect.

"Manage people!" This is the most desirable "wealth" that people want. How much humiliation has to be experienced during life, how much it is necessary to subservience, to bow before the highest of this world! And now the power finally falls into your hands. Now you are the master of the situation, and everyone, whether they like it or not, is forced to obey you. You control everything, everyone obeys you. The most ambitious dreams have come true. Oh, how sweet it is to be at the top of Olympus and feel the power in your hands! “I create what I want,” the person thinks, having received the high post he has dreamed of for so long.

Although, of course, not everyone wants power because they dream of managing people. Some people get it because their superiors always listen and don't interrupt. While you are a simple employee, it is difficult for you to promote your ideas and bring them to life. After all, there are still so many people standing over you. When you yourself are the boss, everything is much easier. You are the last resort. Everything depends only on you. You make the final decisions, you carry out reforms in your company. This is what gives a person power - the ability to express what he could not express, being in a subordinate position.

My favorite question. It looks so simple at first glance, but in fact there is nothing more complicated than simplicity. And I always ask him second, after the question about the name of the person with whom I start working.

In modern society, the idea of " successful career»Promoted and cultivated. This makes it easier to manage people - showing them the most "promising" directions of development and application of forces. And they believe and strive to achieve. But my own saying what? It's funny, but I rarely met people who are able to articulate clearly why they need a career. In most cases, this question causes bewilderment, irritation, confusion, sometimes fun, and almost always you can get a number of cliche answers to it: I want money, a beautiful and well-fed life, fame, I want to manage others, enter the upper circles of society, I do not want to work hard all my life for pennies and the like. In principle, everything is clear, but, to be honest, it is somehow boring, pale, there is not enough energy - that powerful driving force that is capable of pulling a person out of a crowd of their own kind and raising them above them.
What is needed for this? I will give an example, one of the answers that I once heard to my usual professional question. He was like, “Why do I need a career? Yes, I just can't live otherwise. After all, more than anything in the world, the thought that I can be the most an ordinary person, to live a gray and nondescript life among no one else like themselves. " Oh yeah! Perhaps such a person will really tear the veins and, clinging to any more or less significant ledge, cling to his saving Olympus. After all, he is driven there, constantly breathing in the back of his head by His Majesty Fear ... But let's not talk about it anymore, it is enough that this man is, of course, a very successful careerist. And after all, how many truly brilliant careers have been built, oddly enough, "from fear" or "thanks to fear." It is a pity, but successful career advancement is unlikely to give the person I mentioned inner peace of mind, but, as they say, someone who is not worried about anything hardly has good reason to move.

The question "Why do you need a career?" can be reformulated by asking it as follows: "What do you want to get in the end?" because building a career is a process. And "What should be the result?"
Perhaps, I will never tire of saying that the answer to this question should be received at the very beginning of the path, somewhere at the base, so that after years and the steps taken with such difficulty do not have to return to the origins in search of what was not found in time answer. And look for yourself with him.

P.S: By the way, to be clear, I will note that there is no correct answer to this question. There is only honest, in relation to himself.

"It is worth climbing up to at least look at people from above", Frank Moore Colby

Shuvalova Maria
Project Manager JOHNNY JOKER
Project address:

It's a strange question in the title of this article, isn't it? Well, why why? Is money, prestige and confidence in tomorrow... This answer lies on the surface, but it seems to us that it is only the tip of the iceberg. We offer you an alternative point of view.

Career is money

This is not disputed. The higher the position, the higher the salary, plus various guarantees and benefits like a vacation in the Bahamas twice a year. There is a significant amendment. The most valuable things cannot be bought for money (or money is not needed for this): health, love, communication, the beauty of nature, the ability to take care of loved ones, read books, admire works of art. A person who has made a career at the expense of, for example, health or personal happiness - is it worth it to be equal to such a standard?

Career is confidence in the future

Career is status

And status is honor and, of course, power. The ability to manage other people, make decisions to your liking. There is also another side here. First, you have to be responsible for decisions. Second, while you are commanding subordinates, someone inevitably commands you. Whether it is a superior (there is even a founder above), or authorities or tax authorities.

So what is the point of fighting for every step on the career ladder?

It seems to us that the greatest value a career gives is freedom of choice.

A true professional chooses his own path - work, employer, company, sometimes even country.

The baggage of knowledge and experience allows him to quickly adapt to changing conditions and always be in the ranks. A classy specialist feels confident, so he makes decisions rationally, and not based on the mood of the founder of the project or the individual tastes of his wife (it also happens). A true professional is a ship that is aiming for a goal in full sail, not a tennis ball bouncing from one wall to another, depending on the circumstances. If it is worth pursuing a career, then, first of all, for the sake of being able to choose a job that brings satisfaction from all points of view. Choose based on internal motives, with minimal dependence on momentary circumstances.

Most people are thinking about a career lately. After all, not everyone succeeds in immediately starting to work in a good position, and no one wants to work their whole life in managers or assistant managers. This is the simplest answer to the question "what is a career for?" If we consider it in more detail, then various reasons force to move to the top of the career ladder. This can be not only the desire for material well-being, but also the struggle for power, the desire to be the best in everything, resentment against someone, and even a simple argument with friends. What do you need a career for?

But career growth is only possible with a good job. It's not a secret for anyone that in many enterprises he simply does not exist, and they are hired for a paid position only by acquaintance. It is not easy to find a job where you can move up the career ladder due to your personal abilities. And it is also very difficult to get a job with her. The first step is to go through an interview with a potential employer, and this is not so easy.

Anyone who has had an interview before hiring at least once knows that it is not only the employer who can ask questions. And he is not the only one who can make a decision. A mistake in choosing a workplace can lead to many troubles. It is better to know in advance how you can more information about a new job, so as not to be disappointed in it too much. To understand whether this work suitable for you, you should carefully ask the employer.

Questions to ask the employer during the interview:

1. About wages. This question should not be considered indecent. Employers do not hesitate to establish minimum wage labor. It is imperative to clarify which part wages fixed and which is premium. If the bonus part makes up the lion's share of income, then you need to find out the conditions for receiving the bonus. This is a tricky trick that most employers use. Sometimes they set such incredible conditions for receiving an award that you won't be able to earn it no matter how hard you try. You should also ask for the provision of bonuses and carefully read it.

2. About working conditions. It is best not to ask, but to ask to show you the future workplace. If this is not possible, then it is worth clarifying how many people will work with you in the same room, whether you will have a separate table, in which room you can dine, etc.

3.O employment contract... The future employee must be familiar with all the points of this document. And also the type of contract: labor or civil. You should be aware that a civil contract is very different from a labor contract in that you will not have paid leave and other usual social guarantees. It should be remembered that by agreeing to an internship without concluding a contract, you are at great risk. You can easily be deceived. If no contract has been concluded, then prove the existence of labor relations very difficult.

4.About the operating mode. Working hours, breaks for rest and lunch are discussed. You need to know how you will be paid for overtime work.

5. About the features of corporate life. You can talk about this topic almost endlessly. Questions should be asked about how social events are held, about dress code, social guarantees, incentives, health insurance, etc.

If the answer to any of these points upset you too much, then it will be more profitable to immediately refuse the wrong employer than to look for yourself in a month new job... And in this case, there is nothing to say about a career.

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