Picking Your Profession

As my kids enter into the 'career beginning' part of their lives (one in college, two in high school) I have been reflecting quite a bit on how I determined my profession and became an HR guy.  This time coincides with a time of career reflection for me, and also a strong desire as a parent to provide solid guidance and counsel on how my kids should go about deciding what they will do career-wise.

When you ask most people, how did you end up doing what you do you typically get one of a few standard replies:

• It wasn't a decision at all, I just kind of "fell into it"
• I told myself I was just going to do this for a short time and then never left it
• It's what my father/mother did, and I just followed in their footsteps

Interesting how each of us come by our profession isn't it.  There are a noted few that actually PICK their profession, realize it's what they want to do at an early age, and pursue and become exactly what they wanted to do.  Sometimes this occurs after a stint doing what something they don't like and didn't want to do, and so made a career change.

So when faced with advising your kids on how to pick their profession, what advice would/do you give?

I must admit that my advice has been based purely on my own personal experience, and that is quite frankly pretty underwhelming.  I tell people that when I was contemplating life choices my parents only had a couple of key gems of guidance:

• Go to college and get an education, because that's a great investment and it's what people who want to be successful in this world do
• Get a 'practical' degree, something that will help you get a job and make money to provide for yourself and your family

Overall, pretty solid guidance but also pretty vague in terms of the plethora of choices I would face to determine what I would actually do for a living.  So I went to a good in-state public university and became a business major.  Can't get much more practical than that.  I set my sights on making $50k per year sitting behind a desk and wearing a tie to work everyday. 

I also remember vividly the meeting I had with a college counselor that really solidified my path. Like it was yesterday. I was a first semester junior.  Here's how it went ...

Counselor: If you want to graduate in four years (a must for me) you need to declare a specific major. Your options are accounting, finance, marketing, MIS (Management Information Systems) or IT in today's nomenclature, Industrial Relations/Human Resources, or even General Business.  

Me: (thinking to myself, Hmmm, what now? Well, since for me it was about getting a job I asked) What about on-campus interviews and getting a job? Which majors had the most appeal for companies wanting to hire business majors from the University of Iowa?

Counselor:  There's no real difference. We have companies coming here to hire all of these majors. Me:  Ok, then what about class size?  How many students graduated with such degrees each semester?  

Counselor:  Oh, about 1,500 accounting and finance, 1,200 marketing and general business, 800 MIS, and 25 IR/HR.  

Me: What?!  Why so few IR/HR?  

Counselor:  Well, the degree is relatively new.  But it's a strong program.  

Me:  Ok, and how many companies come seeking IR/HR majors vs. say finance/accounting?  

Counselor: About the same.  

Me:  Got it, how about IR/HR for me then.  Sign me up for a few of those classes.  (I figured it would be better to compete with 25 for a job than 1,500.  My math was good enough to know that!)

I did well in the classes I enrolled in, I liked them, and the rest is history. I got my degree in IR/HR, got a job through on campus interviewing, and started my career.  That's it.

So defining moments like that are so crucial, but how can you help your kids recognize them for what they are?  I didn't realize at the time how important that counselor meeting was to my career choice. And for whatever reason, I haven't regretted the choice I made.  Sure, I've had some career strife but overall I'm happy with the choices I've made professionally.  

But back to the question at hand, how do you advise your kids (or anyone for that matter) on how to make good career choices?  I don't have the answers, but I know what NOT so say:

• Follow your dreams - way to vague and not helpful for an impressionable young adult
• Do what you love - not terribly helpful either, since often what I love either doesn't allow me to make a living or is terribly unrealistic (example: I love skateboarding and swimming)
• Do what will allow you to make the most money - on the surface this seems like decent advice, but if you hate doing what makes you the most money then you won't find satisfaction and happiness just because you made a lot of money doing it

So here's been my 'go to' advice with my kids:

• Invest in yourself - this is akin to the advice from my parents, but education and continuous learning are a path to self-improvement, and that is the best investment you will ever make
• Commit fully - whatever you decide to do, do it.  Don't half-ass anything.  Make a commitment and see it through.  Then if you decide 'that's not for me', ok.  But don't pass judgment too quickly on anything.
• Serve others - It's a proven fact that one gains for satisfaction/happiness from doing something for others than doing something for themselves.  Be altruistic in what you do, you'll be a better person and happier for it.  
• Do what you are good at  - If you are good at something you tend to like it.  And if you like it you'll keep doing it.  It's one ingredient in the recipe for success.  
• Keep an eye to macro job trends - ok, so the practical and HR side of me has emerged. Don't be a buggy whip manufacturer and don't get into a dying business.  The best buggy whip manufacturer in the world is unhappy, probably broke and wishing they were born 150 years ago. That's not a good choice. 

Suffice to say, if you can find something in life that fulfills all of the above then you'll be happy and successful in the career-choice you've made.  

As I reflect on my own choice, I would say that my career choice fulfills four of the five above.  Not bad.