Tesar-Reynes

Last Tuesday, on Chicago’s first 70-degree day of the year, Tony and I grabbed lunch. As we sat people watching, Chicago’s skyscrapers looming over us, I thought about all the change this city has seen. Maybe I felt as if it related to my own situation. As Tony told me, I would continue to change and grow, and it would have a direct effect on who I am as a marketer.

Our chat leads me to this post. With so many career options available to you as a marketer, it’s critical you choose in industry that’s close to your heart. Settling for less may translate negatively on your career, leading to stress-filled workdays and poor relationships with co-workers.

Here are five steps you can take to find your niche in integrated marketing communications.

1. Take a career-aptitude test.

You can visit Career Explorer for some free tests, but your community colleges should offer them also. It takes under an hour – just a few simple multiple-choice questions for you to sort through. The results give you a qualitative view of yourself with quantitative data to back you up. It’s a cheap investment in yourself.

2. Write. Write. Write.

Keep a journal. It’s free psychotherapy. Don’t question your writing. Just spit out whatever is on your mind. Often times, the unconscious brain has both positive and negative effects on your behavior. Keeping a record of your train of thought lets you know what’s really going on inside your head, with no pretense. Good communicators first learn to communicate with themselves. Writing helps you do so.

3. Ask your friends, your parents, or your partner.

A book on spirituality I once read suggested asking your friends to tell you like it is every few months. Just sit down and say, “Tell me everything you want to tell me with no worries about how I’ll feel.” Your friends know you better than anyone and can give you a no b.s. assessment of your career direction.

Likewise, your parents or partner know you in a different way than you know yourself. They can give you additional perspective or a different angle from which to consider your career choices. Most importantly, they know what makes you happy.

4. Ask your mentor.

Your mentor can offer you their years of experience. They should already have an intimate knowledge of where you’re headed. I can think of few relationships that have been more rewarding than the friendships I have with teachers and former supervisors.

5. Go on a vision quest.

This idea may seem radical, but take a vacation, away from civilization preferably. There’s something about your response to nature that can give you invaluable perspective on your life’s direction.

A teacher of mine went by himself to hike in the Smoky Mountains for five days. The first human contact he had was on the third day of his trip, when he walked by a hunter with a huge rifle. “It was surreal,” he said. He added, “I’ll tell you one thing about being alone like that. You figure out exactly what you want to do with your life.”