How to introduce yourself to an employer if you change the direction of your career. Professional change
Every person who does not have a job or is dissatisfied with it eventually thinks and begins to reconsider their opportunities in the labor market. Changing your occupation is a serious decision that does not arise empty space. We will tell you in the article what are the reasons for retraining people and what are its benefits, how to choose a new profession and where to get engaged to it.
If at first glance changing your profession seems like a rash act to you, don’t be overconfident. Many people have good reasons for this:
Desire to change activities. It occurs in people striving for higher social status, which gives the respect of others, material benefits in the form of a high salary, and an excellent status relative to others.
An acute shortage of money and the need to have an income sufficient to maintain a normal standard of living.
A common reason for changing activities is the lack of opportunities for career growth, professional fulfillment, satisfaction of ambitions.
Sometimes disappointment in the profession pushes workers to take decisive action. The choice of profession, made in youth on the “guidance” of parents or for reasons of the prestige of the specialty, the level of pay, at some point ceases to seem correct. The interests and inclinations of a person come to the fore.
The search for one’s “I” and the desire to open up is another reason. By realizing his creative potential and developing, a person receives moral satisfaction commensurate with the efforts expended.
Others change their profession, trying to keep up with fashion and changes in demand in the labor market. Often these are impulsive, easily carried away natures with a high ability to learn (especially in initial stage), quickly losing interest in the specialty they are studying.
The emergence of new opportunities, favorable developments life situation are an incentive to change professions. An increased level of income allows a person to retrain and do what he loves, to realize his youthful dream.
Professional burnout, fatigue, irritation, the preconditions of which are uncomfortable conditions in the team, illiterate management, unhealthy competition, constant difficulties and rush jobs, when work begins to take too much time and require excessive effort. The reasons for irritation and dissatisfaction with work can be not only “work” issues, but also failures in personal life, a person’s lack of qualities necessary to achieve high results in the profession.
Finally, the most natural reason for retraining is full implementation in the current type of activity, significant professional success, no need for more high achievements. When a person “outgrows” his profession, he leaves on a wave of recognition, which gives him the strength to master a new field of activity.
The modern labor market is dynamic, professions are modified, new ones emerge, and the working rhythm changes. All this creates the need for retraining among the most different categories people. Those who are faced with the need to change their profession can be grouped into the following groups:
1. Shortened (for various reasons - from financial difficulties of a particular enterprise to the complete “collapse” of the industry).
2. People without a specialty. Due to a lack of qualifications, some citizens find it really difficult to find a job that matches their professional skills.
3. Graduates of unclaimed specialties. The labor market does not provide jobs for people whose demand for a profession is low, while universities train more specialists than the market needs.
4. Those who have lost the ability to work in their previous profession due to injuries at the enterprise or health problems.
5.Women on maternity leave, housewives whose children have grown up.
6.Those experiencing a midlife crisis. Reflecting on their lives, people set priorities in new ways and have new goals. Some people after forty want to realize themselves, believing that age is running out. Others want to get rid of excessive responsibility and stress at work by devoting more time to their family.
7. Discharged from military service.
8. Creative people change professions for various reasons, turning a hobby into a main job that generates income, or simply at the call of their soul.
When we say career, we mean a promotion or salary increase. This is vertical dynamics. In this case, the employee’s old duties are not replaced with new ones, but are simply added to them, increasing the scope of responsibility. But there is also horizontal career dynamics, when a person moves to a position of similar status, but in a different professional field.
Most people, even having lost interest in the work they do, continue to work out of fear of change or fear of failure, and perform work automatically, without going beyond their usual duties. At the same time, psychologists believe that changing a specialty every five to seven years helps an employee achieve greater success. By gaining knowledge in a new profession, trying to solve non-standard problems that had not previously been solved, accumulating contacts, a person masters a previously unknown activity.
It is important to understand that simply changing jobs within your profession will not bring long-term success. It is the content of the work that needs to be changed. This change of specialty is called professional reorientation. This phenomenon is most typical for young people under 35 years of age. Older people are not inclined to take risks and think differently, within the framework of established professional stereotypes and high demands on themselves. However, retraining is indicated for adults over 50. After all, mastering a new profession stimulates the functioning of the intellect, promotes health and longevity.
Despite the fact that personnel services of all times and peoples in most vacancies diligently indicate “at least a year of work experience in a similar position,” inexperienced candidates have undeniable advantages - the absence of professional stamps, the desire to improve, interest in new job. Therefore, the chance to get into new world Everyone has one, the main thing is to prepare well.
To begin with, choose one of two alternatives - obtaining additional qualifications, which allows you to get a new one based on your existing specialty in a short time, or retraining, that is, learning a completely different profession.
When considering the possibility of retraining, it is worth visiting places where they can help you navigate. First, there are job fairs. Here, training centers offer various courses, and there is an opportunity to communicate directly with the employer. In addition, specialists from employment centers are present at the fairs, where you can take career guidance tests.
Secondly, you need to register and consult with employment centers. They cooperate with enterprises and train personnel for specific applications. Therefore, when you apply, you will be offered several vacancies to choose from, and if necessary, you will be able to undergo training to organize your own business or master a profession in demand on the labor market. Keep in mind that among the professions leading in Saratov in terms of employers' requests, an important place is occupied by skilled workers of various professions (electricians, plumbers, welders, installers, turners), sales managers, sales personnel, programmers, engineers.
Thirdly, undergo professional consultation in specialized center, from an individual consultant, at a recruitment agency or at the same municipal employment center. Ideally, such a consultation includes an interview with a psychologist, testing and questionnaires, a conversation with a specialist about offers on the labor market, and the development of a plan for professional development and its alternatives. The possibilities of obtaining special education or attending courses, financial and psychological problems that inevitably arise when changing activities, and the possibilities of solving them can also be discussed.
You can use another method of self-diagnosis - take psychological tests on the Internet. Their results will be quite reliable and serious, but in order to correctly interpret them, you need the help of an experienced specialist. It is even more difficult to cope with the identified problems on your own. Experts advise using this express method to determine professional interests. You need to imagine yourself as a wealthy and healthy young man who does not experience difficulties acquiring material wealth. The main thing to understand is that working in this situation is not necessary. Answer the question thoughtfully and honestly about what you would do. Perhaps, at first, entertainment alone would be enough for you, but after time, a month, two, a year, satiety would set in. Answer yourself what would allow you to forget boredom, feel the fullness of life, what kind of work would fill life with meaning, would bring not only financial stability, but also inner harmony and satisfaction.
Before making fateful decisions about changing your profession, analyze the situation, understand where the desire to change your occupation came from, and if necessary, consult a psychologist. It may turn out that retraining will not help matters and you just need to go on vacation and socialize with family and friends.
Drastic changes are not always needed; perhaps it is enough to expand the profile of the specialty acquired at the university, outlining the range of vacancies in which the desired requirements and your actual skills intersect. For example, a humanities student can hardly become a programmer without receiving additional technical education, but he will be quite capable of working in the field of Internet projects as a manager or web designer, having completed training in courses. Graduates of humanitarian specialties skillfully convince and are good at finding common language with clients, so they can successfully realize themselves in the field of sales. A journalist can retrain as a PR manager, content manager or content editor. Online publications and websites of large companies often require such specialists. Economists can work not only in their specialty, but also in sales and marketing departments - as analysts. Doctors are often hired as recruiters for pharmaceutical companies.
A big mistake is being too hasty in making a decision. A radical change of activity is recommended only if a mistake was made when choosing a profession.
Approach the task sensibly, taking into account not only the requirements of the profession, but also the skills acquired in previous jobs, your temperament, character traits and other personality traits - attention, ability to concentrate, reaction speed, memory, intelligence. By the age of 20, these qualities are finally formed and change little over the course of life.
When retraining is the only possible option, you need to create an action plan. To begin with, monitor the market, determine the prospects for a new specialty, its demand in the labor market, understand what theoretical knowledge is needed, try to learn more about the desired profession. Information on the Internet, specialized literature, thematic forums where you can master terminology, communicate with experts, and ask for advice can help you. Then you should complete a course or take a seminar. And finally, find a job as an assistant with the prospect of growing to a specialist.
If you're afraid to go into the unknown, start trying yourself in several areas. If you dream of becoming a journalist, set yourself a daily volume and write on current topics. Those wishing to become a translator are recommended to translate a certain amount of text every day. It is best to choose a variety of topics and texts, not just your favorites. If the activity doesn’t get boring after a while and still gives you pleasure, it’s worth setting off on a long voyage.
And so, having gathered your will into a fist, you decided to change your profession. And we were faced with the need for training. Various seminars, trainings, and retraining courses are at your service. They can be corporate or individual and last from an hour to several months.
"Saratov Regional Training Center", st. Tankistov, 26a, tel.: 25-39-93, 25-62-19.
TC "Traytek", st. Slonova, 1, of. 40, tel. 52-08-80.
School of Business "Dipol", st. Bolshaya Sadovaya, 239, tel. 45-95-59.
NOU "Solaris-M", st. Moskovskaya, 84, of. 19, tel. 27-21-06, 27-22-86.
Training Center for Additional Professional Education “Nikol-S”, st. Vavilova, 38\114, DC "Ark", Tel.: 75-37-33, 75-30-47.
Saratov School of Beauty Industry “Diva”, st. Volskaya, 58, tel.: 26-10-08, 26-10-03.
Training center "Druzhina", st. Mira, 13e, 47-26-27, 47-26-28.
Center "Absolute", st. Moskovskaya, 55, of. 805, 53-11-38, 53-47-58.
In addition, in Saratov there are vocational lyceums that prepare people for work in various fields, including blue-collar jobs.
There is a misconception that to master a new profession you must obtain a higher education diploma. Its presence for HR managers is rather a signal that the person has sufficient general level development, he knows how to analyze information and learn. There are definitely professions where you can’t get anywhere without a diploma (doctors, physicists, pilots). But for most specialties, the main thing is the availability of basic knowledge and subsequent practice. If you have the desire and enthusiasm, your certificate of completion will be a big plus in your job search.
Not without consequences
Employers are happy to make a choice in favor of accomplished specialists. Recruiters treat inexperienced applicants with caution. Therefore, you need to be prepared to make sacrifices at the initial stage of your career. Mostly we're talking about about the amount of salary. A person who has changed his profession must be prepared not to raise the level of motivation above the market level, and sometimes even to lower it. Then the chances of being accepted for the desired position actually increase.
The ability to present yourself plays a big role. Neat appearance, clear speech, reasoned answers to questions, including why the decision was made to change the type of activity, the ability to persuade, to show your interest - all this attracts the employer to you. And the fact of retraining fades into the background. Interest focuses on you as an individual, on the suitability of the qualities of a particular person for the position for which he is applying. In addition, a change in activity indicates a person’s flexibility and readiness for self-development; such characteristics are clearly in favor of a potential employee.
The unpleasant consequence of retraining is usually stress and painful loss social contacts. But a little shake-up activates the body’s strength and allows you to get out of the difficult situations that your new job has in store for you with dignity. Just try not to change everything at once - job, life partner, place of residence. There should always be some reasonable stability in our lives.
Since no one knows about your previous achievements in your new job, you may feel unprotected. However, the experience of past victories and the desire to succeed in a new job should be incentives for a newcomer.
Remember that getting used to a new position takes place in three stages - the initial euphoria is replaced by recession and disappointment, and then, along with the third stage, remission sets in - satisfaction with oneself and the new job. Therefore, you should not be afraid to make a new choice. It may turn out to be more successful than previously accumulated professional experience.
In reality, how many times can you retrain? Psychologists believe that true professionalism comes after seven to ten years of work in one specialty. This means that people who have radically changed more than three professions in their entire lives may be missing something and do not think that one job can become a logical continuation of another. Therefore, when you decide to change your profession, do not rush into radical decisions and do not act out of your hand. First of all, listen to yourself, only then will you make the right choice.
Having reached a certain height on the career ladder, a specialist thinks about where to move next. If he does not find an answer and hits the “ceiling”, then one of the possible ways out of the situation is to change his professional field of activity. According to experts, this is one of the main reasons why employees decide to build a career in a new direction from scratch. Success in a new profession depends on many factors, but the most important thing is not to give up, believe in yourself and act.
Changing professions: what pushes specialists to professional search for themselves?
Often, having reached a specific career peak, a person begins to wonder what awaits him next. And if his current point of stay seems to him to be the final goal of the path, then he has at least three options for the further development of events: either stand and stagnate in one place, or, thanks to his professionalism, expand the boundaries of his influence and the horizons of the company, or, having reached a professional dead end , change the field of activity. Choosing the third option is not that uncommon. According to a study by the recruiting company Beagle, 45% of Russians have radically changed their profession. Of those who remained faithful to their work, 61% are satisfied with what they do, 19% are not satisfied with their work, but do not intend to change anything. But 20% of the dissatisfied, on the contrary, plan to change their profession. The reluctance to change anything professionally is due to the fact that employees are not ready for a possible decrease in material standards (39%) and a decrease in position (7%), and believe that the economic situation is not so favorable for changing their field of activity (20%). Some respondents are confident that they need to do what was originally chosen (13%), and another one blames age - it does not allow making drastic changes (7%).
What pushes Russians to seek professional happiness in another field? Some (36%) are looking for a new, more profitable profession. Others (32%) decide to do something that really interests them. Still others (22%) claim that for them the change of profession was a necessary measure. A fourth (10%) return to an activity profile in accordance with their education.
Are the reasons for abrupt career transitions really related to the options voiced or are they much deeper and broader? Experts suggest not limiting yourself to this list. “It seems to many that the most common reason is the “hunt for money,” but in fact, this is far from the most important and not the most common answer to the question of why people decide to change their profession/field of activity. However, it is worth making a reservation - a lot depends on the status of the specialist and education. So, the higher the status (the head of a department, for example) and the level of education, the more often you hear among the reasons: I want new tasks, to explore new area, try yourself in new directions... What is this? Not only the desire to realize oneself, but also often the desire to change the company due to the search for a different model of corporate relations, or a truly bold decision to completely change professional life as a response to “emotional fatigue” in general. For executive plan employees, the financial issue is often decisive. Although increasingly among very different people what we encounter is the decision to change our lives “in a big way” - to implement plans that were not realized for various reasons, to give ourselves freedom,” comments coach, trainer, psychotherapist Alena August.
At the same time, some experts talk about private changes of profession among young specialists, as well as cross-transitions into related fields of activity. “As a rule, there are three main reasons for changing a profession: loss of interest in the “current” profession and, conversely, a strong emergence of interest in another profession, economic reason (for example, you are no longer satisfied with the level of wages, changes in your personal life (moving to another region where the labor market “works” differently, etc.). The situation with the professional experience of applicants and the labor market today are characterized by two opposing trends: on the one hand, the employer needs professionals and unique specialists with many years of sufficient experience in the industry/company, — says Tatyana Kurantova, the operating director of the recruiting agency “Penny Lane Personnel,” “On the other hand, the high speed of change in most industries and professions, automation of processes at all levels, the functionality of many specialists at the intersection of several professions, the growth of remote workers and self-employment explain.” , why people can change their profession 3–5 times over the course of 10 years. This, of course, is in. to a greater extent refers to young people aged 18 – 28 years. Also, according to a study by the Higher School of Economics (2017), approximately every fifth employee in our country changes jobs annually (this is 22% of all employees!), and this is due to the transition to a higher-paid position.”
“Young professionals are more likely to change their field of activity. This is how they search for themselves. After all, it often happens that parents determine the direction of their child’s activities without paying attention to his professional orientation. Therefore, having studied to be an accountant and worked a little, but realizing that this profession is not interesting to him, he is drawn to creativity, trying to find his place,” says Olga Stepanova, managing director of the recruitment agency “Rational Grain”. – Another situation is related to the fact that often a specialist understands that in another area he can count on greater remuneration. Therefore, he receives additional education and tries to move into another field. Again, young specialists have carte blanche here, since many companies, often foreign, are happy to see young employees in entry-level positions who may even have work experience other than their specialty. Such transitions are practically excluded if we are talking about specialists with extensive experience. Cross-transfers from functional departments also occur. For example, a person works as a manager, but he understands that he is more interested not in looking for clients, but in developing relationships, for example, with suppliers, so a specialist can move into procurement. By the way, just like vice versa. According to my observations, such transitions are not uncommon in sales.”
“There may be several reasons for changing a profession. Sometimes it happens that some professions simply become irrelevant due to scientific and technological progress, automation, changes in legislation... Then it is simply vital for specialists to retrain and master a new profession. There are cross-functional transitions within the framework of internal corporate development programs, and sometimes this also leads to a change of profession. We have observed successful transitions from sales to marketing, from finance to personnel management/recruitment, from personnel management to general management, project management, general management,” shares Alisa Efremova, project director at Consort Group. “Sometimes being fired and a relatively long search for a new job gives a specialist the opportunity to consider other areas of application of his strengths, which also leads to a change of profession and field of activity.”
Others add reaching a career “ceiling” to the list of reasons for changing professions. “Another reason is related to achieving the “maximum” professionally in a certain industry, when a specialist does not see the development of his competencies and expands his area of interest for further career growth. In fact, not everyone can afford such a change, but self-confident leaders and specialists who are constantly looking for development make such a decision,” says Nadezhda Ekhlakova, managing partner of Consort Ural.
"There are various reasons changes in profession and field of activity, and they are not always associated with failure in the main profession. We often come across cases of the opposite nature, when successful and accomplished professionals realize that they have reached the ceiling in their field and want to try a fundamentally new experience. Key reasons– tiredness from office work and a desire to try freelancing, either on your own project or in a more creative field. Other factors include burnout from routine activities and lack of challenge. Another important factor is the desire to fulfill youthful dreams, to try oneself in a new field, in something completely alternative, but seemingly attractive and interesting,” notes Veronika Nogovitsina, head of the healthcare and fashion & beauty retail department of the headhunting company Agency Contact.
Changing professions: how to build bridges
By the way, according to the same study by the Beagle recruiting company, 60% of employers see a change in the profession of specialists as a sign of a desire for growth and development. 26% regard this as a normal course of professional activity. And for 14% it is a combination of the first two options. It is curious that 80% of Russian employers believe that it is necessary to take into account the past merits of the applicant, since a specialist who has achieved success in a previous profession is able to achieve results in a new one.
A roughly similar picture can be seen in an earlier survey from the company HeadHunter. According to its results, 12% of Russian recruiters have a positive attitude towards applicants who have worked for a long time in one profession and changed it to another, as they are convinced that the practice common in the West has finally begun to be applied in Russia. 75% approve of the situation and believe that each case needs to be considered separately, finding out the reasons for changing profession. 10% have a negative attitude towards mastering a new field of activity, as they believe that each profession requires long-term training and development of a knowledge base that cannot be quickly acquired. Another 1% perceives this transition extremely negatively, as they are inclined to the point of view that the candidate did not achieve anything in his previous profession, or he had difficulties in his previous place of work.
HR managers are right: each situation is individual, and in order for the employer to see in the applicant a successful specialist mastering new horizons, and not a loser who has decided to change the situation, you need to present information about yourself accordingly. The initial acquaintance with the candidate begins with his resume. According to survey participants, a resume will not be considered if it does not contain information about education in a new profession (91%), any work experience over the last 3 years (83%), professional skills (88%) and information about the last place of work (65%). An employer will pay attention to a resume if it contains information about additional courses (82%), education in a previous profession (74%), and all work experience in a previous profession (61%), age (56%), as well as information about me" (64%), cover letter (58%) and recommendations from employers (56%).
When looking for a job in a new field, you shouldn’t limit yourself to a perfectly crafted resume. Our experts advise focusing on the search process itself and, if necessary, taking special training courses. “Searching for a job in a new field, as a rule, does not happen out of the blue.” This process is always supported by something: additional education, internship, practice, project... Information about this should be highlighted and described in more detail in the resume. An applicant looking for a job in a new field should also be aware that it will take him more time and effort compared to a “regular” applicant, emphasizes Alisa Efremova. — You need to be prepared for this and understand that more activity will be required from him - sending out resumes, responding to open vacancies, calling potential employers. There is a separate consulting service called Outplacement Consulting (consulting laid-off workers on future employment), which provides complete tools for a successful job search.”
“First of all, of course, it is important to extract from your own experience all the points relevant for a new place of work that were encountered in previous activities - education - non-professional activities. Next, it is important to be prepared for a decrease in salary expectations, position, downgrade of status or company scale, warns Veronika Nogovitsina. – It is also extremely important to clearly understand your own motivation and be able to answer the question of why you want this particular new field for you, and whether you will change your mind in six months, thinking that you were mistaken. In addition, we recommend getting any relevant experience that correlates with the new field - try some freelancing projects, take relevant courses on courser, trainings and any other activities that will convince the new employer that you are making a conscious and informed decision.”
“There are several main points that will help job seekers find employment in a new field. Firstly, since a recruiter’s acquaintance with a candidate begins with a formal procedure, first of all, it is necessary to work out the resume as correctly as possible. Surely, the candidate’s existing experience includes skills that will be useful to him in a new place. It's worth focusing on coincidences. And also describe your advantages of having excellent experience in your cover letter. Secondly, it is necessary to show “hyperactivity” in promoting your candidacy, lists Olga Stepanova. — Thirdly, you need to clearly understand what you expect from your new profession, and be prepared to answer the recruiter’s question about why you decided to change your profession. It's about motivation. Fourthly, it is advisable that if you have acquaintances and friends from this professional field, then talk to them, “get trained.” We are talking about experience, and about professional slang, and about various professional cases. If you don’t know anyone, you can use useful professional forums on the Internet.”
“In my opinion, it is necessary to determine what is most important for the new industry where a specialist is looking for himself - somewhere creativity and completed projects, somewhere – discipline and developed skills, somewhere – connections,” suggests Alena August.
“The most important thing is not to make your job search spontaneous and under the motto “Maybe I’ll get lucky!” 4 – 6 months is the average time to find a job today. Five important first steps: 1) prepare a resume for a specific position/employer/industry, focusing in your resume on existing competencies and results (in numbers) that will convince the future employer of your professional effectiveness in the new place. Recruiters also look for candidates using search words in resumes, so make sure that your resume contains all the important skills, competencies and facts; 2) you absolutely need experience relevant to the new position, so try to get it at least through volunteering or project work. Be “in the know” - be smart; 3) prepare a short cover letter addressed to a specific employer - justify how you can be useful to the company. It should not repeat the resume, advises Tatyana Kurantova. – Send it both along with your resume through job sites and to the address of the company’s HR service. Take "feedback"; 4) get reliable recommenders who can recommend you in a new industry/profession; 5) monitor the labor market (required specialists, salary levels, employing companies, retraining opportunities, advice from HR specialists, vacancies, social networks) - and justify the desired salary level on this basis. Please note that when changing jobs, there may be a “drop” in income by an average of 30% of the average market salary of candidates with 1–3 years of experience: you will still have to prove your worth in the new profession to the employer.”
Changing profession: fall or rise?
With the ability to correctly place accents, emphasizing your strengths, and the desire to grasp everything on the fly, absorbing the acquired knowledge and practice like a sponge, you can count on the favor of the employer when finding employment in a new profession. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that working in a new field not only opens up a wide field of activity and a lot of new opportunities, but also forces you to go through the thorny career path all over again. Only time will tell where it will lead. According to a study by the Beagle recruiting company, only 57% of Russians who changed their profession experience career development. 33% say there have been no changes in their career. And 10% admitted that they had to move to a position of more low level, but it was not possible to recover.
Will this sociostatistics apply to each subsequent “newcomer” or is everyone the architect of their own professional happiness and is able to significantly outweigh the indicators, adding their own success stories? The question is rhetorical. Career ups and downs depend on many factors, including the attitude and motivation of a specialist, while your chances of success must be objectively weighed. Our experts adhere to approximately the same position: and these are not just words, opinions and assessments - they are backed by experience, practice and specific examples. “The opportunity for successful development in a new area is very significant, especially if a candidate comes for a demotion in position and position, and due to accumulated maturity, social connections, and diverse experience, he understands the new industry much faster than other employees at the same level, and due to previous experience and soft skills attract attention as an expert with a broader professional outlook,” Veronika Nogovitsina convinces. – At the same time, many cases end unsuccessfully simply because the decision to try themselves in a new field was made on emotions, thoughtlessly, and therefore, finding themselves in a new unusual environment with its own rules, candidates become disappointed, quickly lose their initial illusions, decide to end the experiment and return to familiar sphere."
“There are quite a lot of stories of successful career changes - both among my friends and among the candidates of our recruiting agency. A true, honestly developed motivation for change can be a powerful engine that compensates for the psychological “disadvantages” of changes in profession - stress, fear of change and loss of social status, the “deferred” prospect of becoming an expert in this field. I can give myself as an example - both due to the relocation of my family and the economic situation, at the age of 26 I had to change my profession. I think that communication skills, resistance to stress, teamwork and results - qualities and values that are still with me today - convinced future colleagues from the capital’s recruiting agency to hire me without experience in the financial department,” says Tatyana Kurantova. — It so happened that I then changed my profession to two: after a year of working with clients, calculating salaries, working with accounts receivable, conducting business communications, I decided to get a second higher education in the field of accounting and auditing. Following this, I was offered the position of consultant for the selection of accountants - according to the principle “professionals select professionals.” I became the best consultant of the agency in 2006, I was offered to be the head of the selection of financiers.”
“Success in a new field is largely influenced by the personal component - the ability to learn new things, to “read” the specifics of relationships in a new company, field, direction, the ability not to dwell on failures and move forward. This is not taught in institutions, this is personal motivation and life experience– liveliness of mind and liveliness of emotions,” says Alena August. — Quite a lot of successful specialists in pharmaceutical companies, for example, who have not had such experience before - the same teachers become successful salesmen (with the caveat - if they did not have time to completely burn out emotionally in education). Many advertisers and PR people are people from completely different areas who were “accidentally” attracted to this area, and they found that it was “motivating and interesting,” that is, they found comfort in this half-crazy work with eternal deadlines.”
“The likelihood of career growth appears to be quite high, since this is a conscious choice of a specialist, supported by experience in other areas. In general, the chances of career and professional growth will not differ much from specialists who have been in the profession for a long time. A proactive approach, creativity, conscientious fulfillment of duties - these qualities are always valued in any company and in any field of activity,” assures Alisa Efremova.
“Everything is possible in this life. You need to find your goal and go towards it. Including doing what you love. Of the examples, there are many of them, one person, having worked as a journalist for a long time, left the profession and took up trading business(founded an enterprise), and very successfully. Another example is about how a young specialist tried to build a career in accounting, but realizing in time that it was not for him, he decided to pursue a career in human resources management and eventually became the HR director in a large company. There is also an example of a HR director who discovered his literary talent and decided to devote himself to a writing career in the future,” Olga Stepanova gives examples.
“Some large manufacturers use the practice of moving from profession to profession to develop the company and introduce a “fresh look” at processes. Here’s a case from our experience: a specialist from a large manufacturing enterprise, after 8 years of development in the field of marketing, moved from the position of brand director to production logistics and over the next 8 years successfully rose to the position of director of production and logistics,” adds Nadezhda Ekhlakova.
Changing profession: on the path to success
Not everything, but a lot on the path to building a successful career depends on the specialist himself. If there is a 180-degree turn in it, then you need to be ready for serious work from the first day and from the first step. Indeed, in a new field, from the very beginning you will have to prove that the employee did not enter the wrong door when passing by, that he is not a random guest, but a full-fledged member of a friendly team. A conscientious attitude towards a new job and performing duties at the proper level or even a little better than required will bear fruit in the future, based on the principle “first you work for the name, then the name works for you.” If you take on complex tasks that are presented not only by your work responsibilities and which have weight within the entire company, see in them opportunities for professional self-realization and solve them, then such small victories will certainly not go unnoticed. They will become a reliable foundation for future career success. The recommendations of our experts will come in handy.
Expert advice What can you advise a specialist so that he can successfully master a new profession/new field of activity? Tatyana Kurantova, operational director of the recruiting agency Penny Lane Personnel:
Veronika Nogovitsina, head of the healthcare and fashion&beauty retail department of the headhunting company "Agency Contact":
Alisa Efremova, project director at Consort Group:
Nadezhda Ekhlakova, managing partner of Consort Ural:
Olga Stepanova, managing director of the recruitment agency “Rational Grain”:
Alena August, coach, trainer, psychotherapist:
MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE OF PROFESSIONAL PROFILE © G. A. Gorbunova Gorbunova Galina Alekseevna candidate pedagogical sciences, associate professor, dean of the faculty of psychology, Samara branch of the Eastern Institute of Economics, humanities, management and law The development of professional motivation depends on external factors. Dissatisfaction with the material and life needs of the employee will lead to a change in professional activity. The study showed that more often social reasons are leterminants of professional re-poltotovo. Key words: work and professional motivation, factors in the development of professional motivation, change of professional activity, reasons professional retraining, dissatisfaction with material and life needs. Issues of professional specifics of labor motivation, its structural characteristics, the adequacy of motives and goals to the content and conditions of activity were considered in psychology by V. A. Bodrov, V. Ya. Orlov, V. A. Yadov, A. G. Zdravomyslov, etc. Scientists have identified significant differences in motivation in different types of activities. Within the framework of the activity theory A. N. Leontiev and V.I. Kovalev substantiated the need to distinguish between the concepts of “general labor motivation” and “professional motivation”. The first determines the motivational activity of the individual, his attitude towards work, the second determines the focus on specific professional activities. Thus, the difference between general work and professional motivation is that the motivation for a specific work activity is determined by its tasks and characteristics of professional goals. S. Rubinstein, V. Aseev, M. Magomed-Eminov consider motivation as a multidimensional personality subsystem, a unity of subordinate components. This approach allows us to most fully reveal the essence of the specialist’s motivational sphere, taking into account the characteristics of individual components within the subsystem. Leading motives encourage activities in which new motives and goals arise in the process of developing motivation. T. L. Badoev, V. A. Tolochek, Yu. K. Strelkov, considering data on the dynamics of motives among representatives of different professions, emphasize that differences in changes in individual motives are due to the specific content of work activity. The conditions and methods for developing work motivation can be different: increasing the structure of motives, increasing the number of leading motives, changing the strength of individual motives, increasing the adequacy of motivation for professional activity. A. Maslow identified the following main motives for activity: the desire for professional success, for ensuring safety and health, for material well-being, for knowledge, for communication, for social achievements, for self-determination. According to S.V. Bazhanova, the problem of forming professional activity cannot be solved without taking into account acmeological factors that contribute to the successful development of professionalism. The author proposes to consider the development of professional motivation in a system of two groups of factors: external and internal. External factors include macro-environmental factors (factors of socio-economic development of society; factors characterizing current state systems of a particular sector of the economy, national economy, education, etc.), microenvironmental (factors of the functioning of the labor collective). Internal factors include relatively constant factors: characterological and individual-typological characteristics of the individual, as well as dynamic characteristics: satisfaction with the profession, professional orientation, socio-psychological attitudes towards self-development and self-improvement, professionally important qualities. As practice shows, the influence of these factors on the development of professional activity is possible in two directions: positive and negative. The purpose of our experimental study was to study the process of development of motivation for professional activity, taking into account the influence of external and internal factors on it. We studied those aspects that entailed the destruction of positive professional motivation in one type of activity, the so-called “disappointment” in the profession chosen in young years, and the motives that prompted a change in the profile of work activity, i.e. motives professional retraining. The experimental psychological research program developed and tested in practice included a questionnaire, diagnostics of the motivational structure of the individual and the structure of motives for work, as well as the identification of life meaning and value orientations personality. The recipients were people of a mature period of life, the age range was from 25 to 45 years. An indispensable condition was the presence of the subjects' first professional education and their receipt of a second professional education of a different profile. The type of activity did not play a special role; professions could be either technical or humanitarian. The last condition is due to the fact (here we agree with the opinion of V. A. Bodrov and Yu. V. Bessonova) that the methodological apparatus for studying motivation available today in psychology does not allow us to study the features of motivation for professional activity. Existing techniques are intended only to determine the general orientation of the individual or the level of expression of individual motives and needs. They do not provide for the possibility of assessing the specifics of motivation for a particular activity (as an example, we can only cite the assessment of the motivation of teachers). Quite often, research methods do not reveal the development of professional motivation, the manifestation of the subject’s qualities in connection with the professionalization of activities, the formation of a professional’s personality, changes in the activity itself, its content and requirements for the individual at various stages of the professional path. Weak development of assessment of the specifics of specific types of activities in psychological practice prompted us not to focus on any particular profession. To study the change in professional profile by adults in the cities of Samara and Ufa, an experimental study was carried out. 232 people took part in it - medical workers, technicians, teachers primary classes, accountants, managers, radically changing their professional profile. A study of the structure of motives for work during the period of work in the original profession showed that the majority of people who change their type of activity in adulthood are dissatisfied with the size of their wages (81%), approximately half (44%) are not satisfied with the attitude of the administration towards work, rest and life of workers. However, for 38% of respondents, a change of profession is associated with the need to realize their individual characteristics, with 50% of respondents mainly satisfying this need in their first profession. 74% of subjects strive to obtain a higher level with the help of a new profession social status, 68% of people want to improve themselves in personal development, including many who want to expand their horizons and increase their erudition. All study participants noted a fairly high social usefulness of their work. 51% identified their desire for promotion as very high, 33% as average, and 16% do not strive to occupy a leadership position in their organization. In general, the need to realize individual characteristics is not satisfied for one third of subjects employed in the field medical care; The satisfaction of educators and teachers is either average or high. One third of nurses and one third of educators are deprived of opportunities for creativity in their work; teachers have high or average opportunities for developing creativity in their work. Overall, 33% of nurses and teachers are not satisfied with their work, but the type of work activity satisfies almost all participants in the experiment. Absolutely The question rightly arises: what is the reason for changing the type of activity? Social motives turned out to be decisive in this matter: 45% of participants called their profession unprestigious, average prestige - 15%, the profession has high prestige for 40% of the subjects. Conclusion: dissatisfaction with the material and vital needs of an employee leads to a change in professional activity. REFERENCES 1.Bazhanova £. B. Acmeological factors in the development of motivation for professional teaching activities of teachers high school// Acmeology: personal and professional development. M., 2004. 2. Bodrov, V. A. Psychology and reliability: people in technology control systems / V. A. Bodrov, V. Ya. Orlov. M.: IP RAS, 1998. 3. Bodrov D. A. Development of professional motivation of rescuers / V. A. Bodrov, Yu. V. Bessonova // Psychological Journal. 2005. T. 26. No. 2. P. 45-56. 4. Gorbunova, G. A. Motives for revaluing a professional career by a person at the stage of adulthood // Acmeology: development of personality and professional. Samara: New technology, 2005. pp. 69-76. 5. Gorbunova, G. A. Cognitive theory motivation in educational process// Philosophical and methodological problems of science and technology. Samara: SamIIT, 2000. pp. 40-48. 6. Derkach, A. A. Professionalism of activities in special and extreme conditions(psychological and acmeological foundations) / A. A. Derkach, V. G. Zazykin. M.: MAAA, 1998. 7. Yadov, V. A. Man and his work / V. A. Yadov, A. G. Zdravomyslov. M.: Science, The Motivation of Professional Profile Shift The development of professional motivation depends on both exterior and interior factors. Unsatisfaction in material and life demands of a working person leads to the change of the sphere of working activity. The research showed that most social motives frequently serve as determiners for professional retraining. Key words: worki ng and professional motivation, interior and exterior factors of development of professional motivation, the change of professional activity, the motives for professional retraining, unsatisfaction in material and life demands.
– Why do you think people change their professional orientation? – There are many opinions on this matter, for example, not to change a profession, but a place of work or a direction of activity within one specialty, etc. I must say that I agree more with the latest formulations, although I would not recommend doing this to everyone. I'll explain why. Firstly, changing jobs, even within the same specialty and with similar job responsibilities, is always a huge stress, and it will be very difficult for people who are not prone to adventurous actions and some kind of impetuous actions to endure it. Secondly, if a person changes, especially radically, his activity profile, it means that something does not suit him in his current place of work. And it is very important to admit this to yourself. Accordingly, the reasons for changing professional orientation, by and large, come down to the mistakes that we made at the beginning of our career, and we must have great courage to admit this. I personally often come across people who have chosen the wrong profession and are clearly in the wrong place, but do not want to admit it. – The man decided to change his job profile. Where do you need to start for a successful career? – First you need to decide what you really like. To do this, it is better, without leaving your previous place of work, to get acquainted with specialists in other professions, read literature and generally try to look at the world more broadly. Perhaps you should get career counseling from a psychologist. Maybe you will be able to choose a profession that somehow intersects with the knowledge you previously acquired. Thus, when you have made up your mind and believe that you are capable of more, all that remains is to convince the new employer of this. If you are a specialist with 10 years of work experience, then I still do not advise you to go for an entry-level position; it is better to first undergo retraining, get acquainted with an unknown area at least theoretically, in order to be able to take a more promising position in a new company. I’m not saying that you need to carefully choose a company, but this should always be done, not only in our situation. – On what basis should you choose a university, courses, or is it better to learn on the job? – If you already have a higher education and more than one, I would advise taking courses that would provide more practice, since with such a wealth of knowledge as you have, it will not be difficult to understand the theoretical material. – Without experience in the required field, it is difficult to get a job. How can you accelerate your climb up the career ladder in a new field? – Now the labor market is such that the employer focuses not only on the professional qualities of candidates, but to a large extent on the personal ones. You must try to demonstrate your desire to work in this company (having previously collected information), your potential, your willingness to work outside of school hours and devote yourself completely to work. – A person already has one profession, and in connection with this, whether he wants it or not, he has formed a template for how to master a specialty. When changing your activity profile, will it help or, on the contrary, harm? Most likely, there is no such template unless you are a highly specialized blue-collar worker, for example, a turner. A person acquires skills and experience in the process of work - therefore, in a new profession, the longer you work, the faster and more fully you will master the specialty. – Elena, what can you wish for those who have decided to change their field of activity? – Find a business that you are ready to do for the rest of your life. Don’t make a mistake in your choice, weigh everything carefully. But even if you made a mistake, admit it and look further - you will definitely find it! After all, only by doing what you love can a person be truly happy. Elena MALINARI Details Created 01/15/2014 13:59 When a person has to make another life choice (for example, choosing a profession or place of work), make a difficult and responsible decision, an activity begins in his soul, which scientists call self-determination. The largest and most important part of the process of self-determination occurs unconsciously, in the hidden depths of the soul. It is there that a fundamental approach to the situation is developed or clarified, the main questions are asked: “Who am I?”, “What do I want in the grand scheme of things?” And until the answers are found, we cannot make a specific choice, we feel doubts and indecision; we hesitate, we hesitate. But now the soul has made up its mind, and immediately there is clarity in thoughts and feelings, we experience a rise in energy - inspiration. We are ready to consciously choose the best option (now we know what “best” means) and take action. We have a solid foundation for this - ideological position. A position is a stable mental formation, representing a strong combination of values that are most important now and in the foreseeable future. You can figuratively imagine the position as a crystal (a crystal lattice consisting of atoms tightly connected to each other). And the process of self-determination is similar to the process of crystallization: from an amorphous, fluid solution, from a cloudy suspension, a solid, complete mineral gradually grows. A precisely chosen position serves a person as a reliable basis for specific actions for many years. When the values that form it are realized in life - in events, deeds and things - and die, the time will come for a person to change his position or develop a new one. If he regularly clarified and clarified his values, fed – with attention, deeds – those still alive and uprooted the dead ones, then the change of position and, accordingly, stage of life will happen smoothly and virtually unnoticeably. Otherwise, a person will face a painful life crisis. Attitude is not only the foundation for specific decisions, but also an important source of energy for everyday activities and, especially, for life and professional creativity. A person without a position is just a rational animal, capable of satisfying only basic needs. The power of a position as an accumulator of mental energy can be very different and directly depends on the level and quality of its constituent values. The more primitive (selfish) they are, the lower their energy potential, the coarser the energy they provide. Below we illustrate this pattern. One more important role positions - to order, organize in a certain way a person’s ideas about the world. The position serves as a kind of framework for the worldview, which is why it is called worldview. There is no position - and the world appears as a meaningless chaos in which it is impossible to navigate. There is a position, even a primitive one, and there is an opportunity to build your impressions into some kind of system. True, the more primitive the position, the more primitive the picture of the world, the poorer and more distorted a person perceives reality. The more complex and rich the position and picture of the world, the more details, nuances and shades it contains, the more opportunities open up for a person to take precise and creative actions. Types of professional positionsProfessional position is part of life and represents the foundation on which a person builds his relationships with the world of professional activity, forms general ideas about him and about himself in him, draws strength to solve professional tasks and problems, and overcome difficulties. A position, like its bearer – a person, is always individually unique. But careful observation of people choosing a profession and working allows us to identify fundamentally similar positions and combine them into several groups. We will further call each such group a type. We invite you to get acquainted with the main types of professional positions that determine the level of professional success. Getting to know them will allow you to better understand your real position and understand the reasons for your successes and failures - today and in the future. If it turns out that your current position is unproductive, then relying on the knowledge gained, you can take a step towards a new position and establish yourself in it. In total we will allocate 5 typical positions and we will give each of them its own conventional name:
To describe positions we use three main signs:
The main question in a concentrated form reflects the essence of the position. It can be compared to the above-water visible tip of an iceberg. A person may or may not be aware of his main question, pronounce it out loud or only to yourself, in the formulation that we give, or in another synonymous one. But one way or another, in any difficult professional situation, a key question is first selected and asked, and all other internal and external actions are answers to it. Such answers, in particular, are rational grounds for actions (sign 2). The third sign characterizes both the initial state of the human energy mechanism and the total amount of different types of energy that one or another position provides. “Slave” positionThis simplest position can also be called a survival position, because the main question of the “slave” is: “How can I survive?” And the saying “I don’t care about fat, I wish I was alive” would be suitable as a motto. This position is natural and even inevitable in all situations when a person, his life, or health are in danger: during a serious illness, injury, a fight with a criminal, military operations at the front, natural disasters, etc. When death stares you in the eye and your strength is running out, it is normal that most of your ordinary needs, worries, and problems fade into the background. They managed to survive, and they return; the position changes. But when we describe this position as professional, we will not have in mind such situations real threat, but a situation when a person does not have enough strength to perform normal duties, to overcome normal difficulties, to solve typical tasks and problems. A person finds himself in this situation in two cases: A) When objectively bad work its energy mechanisms. Possible reasons: prolonged stress, overwork, failure to comply with basic rules of mental and physical hygiene. To restore and put the body in order requires time and special measures. B) The body is fine, but the person Seems that there is not enough energy. He begins to be greedy, save, and build a protective shell around himself. Life and those around us will break through the shell, and a person will begin to spend all his (decreasing) strength over time on patching and strengthening it. Sooner or later, the exhausting struggle with the demanding world will end in option A - objective destruction in the body. But until this happens, a person always has a chance for change. And, first of all, you need to change the position, i.e. its constituent values. And the strength will be found right away. Sufficient not to survive, but to live fully. Well, as long as a person continues to ask “How can I survive?”, he remains in a threatening world. And his main basis (criterion) for choosing a profession, place of study or work is the desire for security and ease. Most often, “slaves” do not crave ease in general, but primarily social and psychological: so that at work they do not have to make responsible decisions, take risky initiative, or enter into tense, conflictual relationships with others. And the physical difficulty of the work can be considered acceptable. Although it also happens the other way around. For a person in a “slave” position with his only need, the world of professions appears to be organized in an elementary way: all types of activities are divided into only two groups, something like this: Rice. 1. Subjective map of the world of human professions in a “slave” position. The choice turns out to be small. In addition, having difficulty finding an option that seems suitable at first glance, the “slave” often becomes convinced that here, too, unbearable demands are placed on him. And he begins either to look for a new option, or to function mechanically – thoughtlessly and soullessly (“from now to now”), or he actually stops working (studying) and only pretends to be some kind of, sometimes very violent, activity (it is called “fictitious-demonstrative "). So, the worker is not a “slave”: at best, he turns out to be a diligent (within the limits of the instructions) functionary-executor. In addition to the fact that the “slave” does not work well, and sometimes downright hacks, he often also causes direct harm to others - employees, bosses, clients: he is an energy vampire and a damper of other people’s energy. He usually performs these two roles simultaneously. Moreover, he first needs to destroy the good-quality energy of his neighbors (high thoughts, enthusiasm, interest in the work, creative inspiration), because in this form the “slave” cannot consume it or digest it. For this, all means are good - tediousness, stubbornness, criticism, complaints, threats, blackmail, psychological games. With them, like a meat grinder, the “slave” grinds any high energy, profanes (coarsens) it and makes it edible for himself. It is clear that with such an attitude towards business and people, a “slave” cannot count on any significant success in his career. The crown of his long-term climb may be, for example, the position of chief of staff in some bureaucratic institution. When stuck in a “slave” position for a long time, a person, as a rule, can no longer get out of it without outside help. The normal passage of survival situations looks like this: after a stormy fight or beating, a person climbed into a quiet haven for a while, licked his wounds, patched his sails, thought about what happened, learned lessons and pulled up and restored his energy potential. To the level when you not only feel hungry and thirsty, for example, and are ready to satisfy them with anything (“eat”), but you just want steak and grapes. And this is a signal that, with God’s help, you have approached the objective energy boundary with the next higher position - “consumer”. The “consumer” positionWe survived, now we can live. I want a lot of everything. Therefore, the main question for life and work: “What will I get out of this? have? And that means the main basis for choosing a profession, vocational education option and place of work is access to benefits, prosperity, comfort, benefit. Most often, benefits mean a good salary (high income). But not necessarily. For some “consumers,” pleasant (delicious) communication at work, an environment of bright, beautiful, interesting personalities may be more valuable (“the consumer,” unlike the “slave,” agrees to “eat” only harmonious people, and not everyone who horrible...), involvement in high cultural and spiritual values (books, theater, painting, music, etc.), high social status given by profession (lawyer, economist...) or place of work (“I represent Microsoft!” ). That. a person in the position of “consumer” is not a “miserly knight”, not a scrooge, not a glutton, he is often a very educated, even sophisticated esthete, gourmet. If the energy potential (“fat”) has been accumulated, “the house is full,” and times are calm, why not invite pleasant guests, why not go to the theater, concert or exhibition? So, the task of the “consumer” is to achieve the most complete and sustainable well-being and prosperity - for himself personally and for his loved ones. The energy potential is already sufficient to distinguish not just “edible – inedible”, but “tasty – tasteless” and actively graze on other people’s beds, i.e. consume harmonies created by other people, digest them (and the process of “digestion” requires quite a lot of energy). There is still not enough strength to produce one’s own harmonies, to produce professional, high-quality work; the attention of the “consumer” is captured and distracted by a personal, non-professional goal: “to build paradise in a separate hut.” He always tries to take more than he gives. Therefore, one cannot expect from the “consumer”, as an employee, complete dedication, work enthusiasm and even complete fulfillment of his duties. As soon as the boss turns away, the “consumer” will immediately try to “save” his efforts - they will come in handy, for example, at the dacha. The exception is cases that are obviously beneficial for the “consumer”. Then he can “plow” properly - from dawn to dusk. The profit will pay for the efforts. For the “consumer” the world of professions and work looks more complicated than for the “slave”. Roughly like this: Rice. 2. Subjective map of the world of human professions in a “consumer” position. The “consumer” first divides all types of activities known to him into two groups with his main question, and then dissects the “profitable” ones with the question of the “slave”. Those. the “slave” position is, as it were, included in the “consumer” position, but fades into the background. The “consumer” is ready for both difficulties and risks if necessary. But it’s better, of course, to do without them. The “consumer” position already provides a chance for some success in your career. The “consumer,” of course, cannot achieve professional mastery by definition, because professionalism is, first of all, the ability to “give” and not “take”. However, there are some types and areas of activity where special skill is not needed - enough efficiency, energy, and general life skills: “Take more, throw further!”, “Let's give the country small coal, but enough!”), or the lack of mastery is easily masked by vigorous activity, pleasantness in communication (“If you want to live, know how to spin!”). For example, one university teacher I know taught a new humanities course for many years, without bothering either himself or his students with special immersion in the subject. At the same time, he even enjoyed some popularity among some students - because of his cheerful disposition, acting charm, and ease of passing exams (“Live for yourself and let others!”). True, after the exams, only the cute image of my friend and not a piece of knowledge remained in the students’ memories. Unlike the “slave,” the “consumer” already has enough energy not only to work for hire, but also to run his own business - from small to medium-sized (for a large one, a different energy, a different position is needed). The “consumer” is good at small-scale commerce (“Bought cheaper, sold more expensive”), as well as intermediary services and speculation in securities. The “consumer” can engage in entrepreneurship in the spheres of production and services, giving preference to the most popular goods and services that are in mass demand (food, drink, clothing, repairs...). True, their buyers and clients are always somewhat at risk: it is incredibly difficult for a businessman-“consumer” to resist the temptation to “save a little” on sugar, the quality of thread or concrete. They may not slip outright crap, but pushing Chinese consumer goods on the Adidas label is a sacred thing! This desire of theirs to eat a little (“within the limits of decency”) will sooner or later turn out to be the ceiling in business development. An obstacle will be low qualifications (the “consumer” also saves on this), and some narrowness of thinking, a preference for tactics rather than strategy (“Live today!”), and the habit of choosing short and direct paths. But only the devil walks in a straight line! However, with the normal development of energy potential, the “consumer” may one day approach the objective opportunity to take the next, more productive position of “hired employee”. However, taking this step is even more difficult than from a “slave” to a “consumer” position. There the move was from “bad life” to “good”, and here - from “simple and guaranteed joys” - to more subtle and less guaranteed ones. Therefore, many “consumers” are stuck in their position for life. And it can occur in two scenarios: A) “Prosperous”: the man managed to persuade himself that the corner of paradise he had cherished was the pinnacle of happiness. All that remains is to take care of it and protect it from attacks. In a prosperous country in stable times this is possible. But any crisis, any historical turn easily sweeps away an island of personal happiness, and its owner is thrown into a “slave position.” Start all over again. B) Dramatic: a person quickly becomes satiated with goods that were so recently desired. He begins to get bored (boredom is a sign of a cessation of energy flow) and runs away from boredom. Where? To ever new, stronger and more sophisticated (even perverted) pleasures. A “harmless” option: gourmet food or aestheticism in the artistic field. “Catastrophic” option: sexual revelry, alcoholism, drug addiction, seeking adventure on one’s own neck. With cirrhosis of the liver, AIDS, a sentence for hooliganism and similar ensuing consequences. It easily ends with a fall into a “slave” position or lower - to mental or physical death. However, many “consumers” manage to climb to the next positional step - less often on their own, more often with the help of a Teacher or Guardian Angel. Position of “hired employee”Only from this position does a professional career begin, because the “hired worker” begins to be interested, unlike the “slave” and the “consumer,” not so much in the sweet carrot of reward, but in the work itself, the content and process of work. Not everyone, of course, but only the one for which he has inclinations and abilities. If the boundary between the positions of “slave” and “consumer” can be crossed smoothly and imperceptibly, then self-determination in the position of “hired employee” is a revolutionary leap into a new reality. The main acquisition of a person in it is access to external energies, which provide much greater opportunities than working on personal, always limited energy. This additional energy, experienced as a feeling of interest, allows a person in the position of a “hired employee” to produce high-quality, harmonious things, benefits not only for himself personally (this can also be a “consumer”), but also for others. And thereby increase the total wealth of humanity. Therefore, this position could be called “productive”. Having interest in a business is the ability to maintain long-term attention to the goals, means, content and conditions of activity. This means the opportunity to master the work of interest well, to perform it meaningfully, intelligently, culturally, entering into subtle and complex relationships with things, machines, people, space, nature. In this position, the first opportunity for creativity already appears - of the type that is called rationalization or improvement of tools and working conditions. Fit a tool to your hand, intelligently arrange a workplace, find a better sharpening angle for a turning tool, make the Windows window as convenient as possible - all this and hundreds of thousands of other specific improvements can be made by a “hired employee.” And he stops only before the need for fundamental changes, generating new ideas - that’s all there is to it, i.e. he lacks energy; you need to move to another position. Thus, a “hired employee” can become an excellent performing specialist. And if you set correct and clear goals for him, give him the right drawings and tools, and even show him a good example, you don’t have to worry about the future: everything will be done on time, with high quality and in the right quantity. Since mastery in this position is already a value, and the potential is not immeasurable, then the “hired employee” tries to choose a narrow specialty - in it, he can, by focusing on the small, quickly move towards perfection. But what is the main question of a person in this position? It can be formulated in two ways. The laconic version sounds like this: “What to be?” Precisely “with what”, not “by whom”. Why is this so? Another name for this position is “technological”. This means that a person in it sees in any profession, work, first of all, the technology of activity. And he sees the whole world of professions as a multitude of diverse technologies: technical (metalworking, construction, design and production of machines and electronic devices...), biotechnical (animal husbandry, crop production...), information (collection, processing, storage, transmission of data...), scientific (research methodology...), social (organization social assistance, methods of education and training...), etc. Some technologies arouse interest in people, others do not. Having chosen the one that interests him, a person masters individual elements of technology and, getting a job in a free workplace (an empty technological cell), becomes - according to his own feelings - part of a large “respected” technology, a cog in a powerful machine. And the cog is not “who”, but “what”. The second version of the “technologist” question, related to the first: “How can I exchange my abilities for interest?” In other words, the “technologist” is constantly looking for the possibility of a kind of transaction: “I am ready to devote all my strength, talents, knowledge and skills to the work, but only if it is emotionally attractive (interesting) to me.” And one more important condition of the deal: the work goals must be clearly defined by the employer, because in this position there is not enough energy to independently set or critically rethink energy goals. “I’m ready to move mountains, but show me which ones” - this approach frees a person from the headache of making a fundamental choice, from responsibility for mistakes, but automatically makes him dependent on those who know “what to do” and are ready to take risks, forcing him to hire them to work. Hence the name of the position. For the “employee” the world of professions appears even more complex than for the “consumer”; something like this: Rice. 3. Subjective map of the world of human professions in a “technological” position. As we see, instead of a strict “either-or” division for a “slave”, halftones, intermediate areas of more and less suitable professions appear on the map of the world of “hired worker” professions. This means that for a representative of this position the number possible options increases sharply. As a result, it appears psychological problem choice. (“What should I prefer?”), but at the same time, “vitality” and maneuverability in the labor market and in career advancement increase. In addition to the two indicated reasons for choice - “the interest of the profession for me” and “my suitability for the profession”, the “hired employee” often also considers the social significance of the profession and its prestige important. You can and should be proud of what you love, and public recognition is a good help for the emergence and strengthening of this feeling. And it will always come in handy in difficult times, in moments of failure - as a source of additional energy. The “employee” position, like any other, is not a flat surface, but rather a section of a mountainside. Its lower and upper boundaries are the boundaries with the underlying (in this case, “consumer”) and overlying (“ideological”) positions. Normal mastery of a position consists of either a rapid, energetically even, or slow and difficult ascent - with breaks and sliding downwards. The ascension of the “employee” is, first of all, a movement towards professional mastery in a chosen, usually narrow, field of activity. The most organic career options for him are either a horizontal career as a hired specialist, or a vertical career as a hired manager, or, most often, a mixed career, when the job ranks are overcome thanks to the preliminary accumulation of not so much managerial as special skills (he defended his Ph.D. thesis and received the position of head of a laboratory , made a discovery and wrote a monograph - became the head of the department, defended his doctoral dissertation - was appointed head of the sector...). An addiction to hired work does not mean that a person in this position is not capable of making a career in business. On the contrary, it is “technologists” who make up the bulk of entrepreneurs, especially in countries with developed and relatively stable market economies. However, “technologists”-businessmen have several fundamental features: 1). As in the case of hiring, they try to find a job based on interest and ability. 2). They do not undertake the production of new types of products and services; they prefer already proven and established tracks, those types of businesses where goals are defined and there is at least some semblance of technology. 3). They are conservative in business. If some method, move, technique once turned out to be effective (in their or someone else’s practice), especially if it has already been described and found its way into textbooks, then the “technologist” will stubbornly use it, even if it is outdated a long time ago and does not work . The more soul a “technologist” has invested in a technology, in a tool, the more difficult it is for him to part with it. Addiction to patterns, stereotypes, and doing things the old fashioned way is the main reason for the bankruptcy of companies headed by “technologists.” 4). The business of “technologists” is successful in stable times, when the rules of the game in the market are well established and well known, when it is possible to act systematically. Any socio-political or financial-economic crisis immediately knocks them out of the saddle. They, after several fruitless attempts to “push, push again,” give way to more adventurous (“consumer” position) or more creative (position of “servant of the idea” and “original person”) entrepreneurs. And in general, when market economy As soon as it arises, as now in Russia and other former socialist countries, it is not the “technologists” who are the first to take risks in business; they are the businessmen of the second wave. 5). “Technologists” take on individual business only in cases where success depends on personal professional skill. Examples: hairdresser, auto repair shop, sewing studio, photo salon... The more multifaceted and large-scale the business, the more “technologists” prefer the “company” option - a cooperative, a joint-stock company, a family business. In this case, the “technologist” needs, at a minimum, a more enterprising and creative partner. Complementing each other, they can form a magnificent tandem. 6). A “hired employee” remains a hired employee in business – either in the literal sense (hiring to fellow co-owners), or figuratively (according to internal feelings - in hiring from one’s own business). As long as the business pays off with interest, it is impossible to tear yourself away from it, you need to work off this payment. Such dependence on the task is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Interest and fascination with one specific narrow matter allows, on the one hand, to advance far and deeply, but, on the other hand, it sharply narrows a person’s thinking, the scope of his soul, makes him one-sided, distorts (“A specialist is like gumboil”). The normal passage of the position of “hired employee” should end with an understanding of one’s limitations. “I can do more,” says a person who has reached the upper limit of this position quite rightly. Skill, authority, and energy potential have been accumulated, which means that he is truly ready to move into the position of “servant of the idea.” If it is decided. If he doesn’t decide, if he gets stuck in the position of a “hired employee,” then he can, of course, ride his bicycle of interest to the end of his life, but he may one day face an insidious enemy - boredom. I know everything, I can do everything in my own area, nothing new has been there for a long time and is not expected... It’s boring, brothers! “Servant of the Idea”"Why all this? For what? Who am I? Who should I be?” as soon as a person asked these questions, he found himself on the border of the position of “servant of the idea.” He is internally ready to cling to one of the eternal or new ideas of humanity and become its devoted executor. Any idea will do - religious, socio-political, scientific, practical, as long as it provides a large and clear goal, a sense of meaningfulness in life, and energy to overcome difficulties. And the idea, if it is alive and well, really gives all this and much more: a good company of like-minded people, comrades-in-arms; a feeling of pride from being involved in great things, public recognition or at least attention, the possibility of vigorous and varied activity - the problems underlying ideas are global and multifaceted and may require a person to do one thing today, another tomorrow, and a third the day after tomorrow. And if you serve the idea earnestly, then it – grateful – will give you enough energy for the first, and the second, and the thirtieth thing. Since an idea is not only a powerful clot of energy, but also an information vessel full to the brim, its fanatics (adepts, proselytes) generously receive the necessary knowledge as a gift. To the person who asked the question “Who should I be?” (and not “than”, like “hired employee”), a deeper (subtle) layer of reality opens up. He, in particular, discovers that under specialties and professions, under individual technologies lie - like continents under patches of countries - more extensive and holistic spheres of activity that correspond to the few basic human needs: survival, prosperity, social harmony, knowledge, freedom, etc. .d. He also sees that his talented ancestors have already laid pillars of ideas along these spaces. All that remains is to find your Path and join a close-knit group of fighters for such and such an idea. How to find it? About the same as first love: it is enough to yearn for love with all your soul, and the object of your adoration will immediately turn up. And you need to surrender to him without any thinking, with complete trust. Into voluntary and sublime service. In fact, such an easy and direct meeting usually occurs not with the idea itself, but with its simplified, lightweight and embellished version - ideology. Real, big ideas are so energetically powerful and meaningfully complex that direct contact with them can simply destroy an unprepared person. At best, he will be frightened and recoil (“I can’t cope!”), at worst, he will be damaged in soul and mind or become a thoughtless toy of the elements. Just as it is impossible to look directly at the sun with unprotected eyes - you will go blind, so it is impossible at first to communicate with an idea without intermediaries. In religions, this role is played by clergy and preachers, in other areas – by teachers, mentors and popularizers. By simplifying the essence of the matter to a certain extent, reducing the intensity of energy to an acceptable (“edible”) level, they make the idea accessible to the broad masses. A meeting with such a guide to an idea does not have to be live. First contacts are possible in by correspondence– through a book, film, television or radio program. If attention is drawn to the idea, if inspiration appears, it means that the person has connected to the communication channel with the idea. According to it, such a flow of energy will be dumped on a person in the initial period - free, in advance - that will be enough for both himself and others. Excess energy objectively allows the beginning “servant of the idea” to be selfless and altruistic, to be useful people. He can take responsibility for other people's problems and feels a debt that needs to be worked off. He is also capable of creative actions, because at the same time with energy, he receives from the idea the most important knowledge about reality, allowing him to see it accurately, and therefore effectively. In a word, a person’s capabilities in this position increase sharply, his soul increases. But not indefinitely. The border between enthusiasm, altruism, and creativity is formed by the frame of an idea, or rather an ideology. The “servant of the idea” can be completely indifferent or even soulless towards everything that is outside the frame, towards everyone who is outside the frame. Thus, a scientist devoted to the idea of knowledge (more precisely, the ideology of science) often turns out to be absolutely helpless when faced with “low” practices, for example, in the household, and a petty tyrant in the family. It is clear that the narrower the idea, the narrower the circle of people who fall under the wing of altruism and a sense of duty as a “servant of the idea.” Thus, for a Catholic Christian, millions of other Catholics are brothers and sisters. But for a follower of some small sect, the object of love and care is only two dozen members of the community. A powerful starting impulse is given by the idea to its novice “servant” with a very specific goal - to overcome all the torments of apprenticeship. He must spend the energy that pours into him in a stream on obtaining a more voluminous and deep understanding of the idea and on the professional development of special skills and abilities with the help of which he can translate the idea into reality without gross distortions. Therefore, it is assumed that a girl, infected in childhood or adolescence with the idea of saving people from diseases, will spend the resulting inspiration on many years of vigils in classrooms and the library of the medical faculty, and in addition humbly interning in hospitals as a nurse, assistant and intern. Unfortunately, many beginning “servants of the idea” misunderstand the nature and purpose of the energy gift and, spending it recklessly, either remain helpless amateurs or become revolutionaries, i.e. They are trying to implement their primitive idea of an idea (ideology) using primitive means. The former are unpleasantly surprised to discover one day that the flow has dried up, and either fall into depression or set out in search of new inspiring ideas. The latter, imperceptibly for themselves, slip - sooner or later - into the service of directly opposite ideas, or, simply put, evil. This, for example, happened with adherents of the communist idea in Russia. Those who wisely managed the starting impulse and acquired professional qualifications plus established less intensive but stable channels of communication with the idea receive great opportunities in their careers and professional development. Unlike “hired workers,” “servants of the idea” can achieve excellence not only in a narrow specialty, but also in the profession as a whole, becoming not just a mathematics teacher, but a Teacher, not a surgeon, but a Doctor by the grace of God. They care about the quality of not only their work, but also the work of their colleagues, the general condition and development of their profession. Therefore, they are the most active participants and promoters of trade unions, associations, and guilds, where standards of professional culture and ethics are developed. Therefore, they readily teach and care for newcomers and generously share the secrets of their craft. In business, representatives of this position, as in hired work, prefer those types and directions that allow them to serve the chosen idea. Strictly speaking, this can be any matter seen as ideologically useful. For example, a fighter for the idea of social justice can become the organizer and owner of a chain of stores selling cheap but high-quality goods accessible to the masses. At the same time, a fighter for justice can personally be very successful and become rich. But still, the main role of the “servants of the idea” is to be pioneers, to promote the business, to create production. Having fulfilled their ideological mission, they, as a rule, cool down and give way to “technologists”. The upper limit of career and professional growth for the “idea servant” coincides with the scope of the idea’s possibilities. Life is one, ideas are partial (even if they claim to be universal). One day we come across a difficult professional problem, the solution to which requires abandoning our favorite idea. As, perhaps, from all other ideas. And finally look at the world impartially. But this is a view from a different position. “Original man”Not “who to be” - this is clear: you have to be yourself. But “How can I be myself?” – that’s what worries a person in this position. If I am unique, inimitable, then no one could pave the Path for me in advance. So there is no need to look for it, you will have to lay it yourself. And the only guideline for me remains my calling, my mission, my personal ideal. This means that the basis of my specific choices will always be the desire to “create my own Path”, to achieve maximum self-realization and, at the same time, to fulfill my mission. To be yourself means to use all your potentials, it means to be open to the world and powerful external energies, it means to live fully and creatively. Be yourself, i.e. walking untrodden paths is a dangerous and difficult business. But if you take a risk and it works out, then you have previously unknown forces at your disposal. With their help, you can make discoveries and inventions, you can create amazing harmonies, demonstrating aerobatics, art and magic. In a word, this is the natural and normal state of a person. We will continue his detailed description in the essays “Energy Potential”, “Calling” and “Professionalism”. Some laws of professional self-determination
Positional evolution rules Moving up through positions is the path from childhood helplessness and dependence to the state of an adult, full of strength, free and responsible person, the path to maturity. Natural ripening is usually a long and gradual process with a smooth transition to a new quality. Although rapid metamorphoses are also possible (and more effective): rrrr! - and the chick flew away; rrr-time! – and a luxurious butterfly flew out of the unsightly chrysalis; rrr-time! - and a crocodile hatched from the egg. However, the general rule of evolution isgradualism. All positional jumps end in the same way as ordinary ones - falling down. The bottom here is the energy potential, or rather the state of the energy mechanisms and the body as a whole. If they are not prepared, are not sufficiently developed, and even more so are unhealthy or crippled, then your attempt, for example, from the initial stage of mastering a “technological” position to jump to an “ideological” one (to jump with a spiritual choice) will quickly take the body into an extreme mode and end in the best case. descent to the legal position of “hired employee”, at worst – failure to the position of “consumer”, or even “slave”. The transition to a higher position, as already mentioned, is a transition to a new reality with its own, initially unknown laws, principles, rules and methods of action, with its own ethics, with its own problems and enemies, with its own level of intensity of energy flows. “If you don’t know the ford, don’t go into the water.” If you want to cross the border safely and quickly get comfortable in uncharted territory, get yourself a guide, stalker, or mentor. Normally, when the rise is prepared and authorized, the stalker will appear nearby as if by itself - with the care of your personal guardian angel. But you could, out of absent-mindedness or stupidity, not notice the presentation, not recognize the role of guide for the person presented. And then search becomes your problem. You will have to “take off your eyes” and, finally, carefully look at those around you, while giving - clearly, but modestly - signals of your readiness to volunteer. You may have to wander into places where potential mentors are found in packs and testify there to your commitment to professional growth. For example, contrary to your custom, keep a low profile, submit abstracts to a conference, give a presentation there and take part in the discussion. One question you successfully ask at a conference can serve as excellent bait for a smart stalker. The main thing in such a search is not to make a mistake in the color of the teacher, and they, as you know, come in white, gray and black. Naturally, you need white. However, the first to respond to the call are the gray ones, who want to feed at your expense and slip, as it turns out later, a dummy, zilch, as well as black ones - guides not up, but down, i.e. into hellish spaces. God bless you! Man craves change, man fears change. The higher “I” craves it, the lower one fears it. In one of the following essays we will take a closer look at the “menagerie” (A. Podvodny’s term) - the population of our lower self. Here we just note that it is our primitive subconscious programs that are the main enemies of our general and professional evolution. Protecting us (“For our own good!”) from innovations that are dangerous (for them). And the next - third - rule of positional evolution is not to fight the “menagerie” directly, but to learn subtle diplomatic techniques. And the higher you rise, the more powerful the energy flows available to you, the more important the art of diplomacy is - because at the same time your menagerie becomes stronger and more active. It is clear, for example, that the greater your success and, accordingly, the recognition of others, the more food goes to your dragon, i.e. program of self-affirmation, pride. How can you not grow up here? And finally, one more - the last (here, and not in general) rule of positional evolution - the escalator rule: to stand still, you need to run. It means that the position is not a sofa on which you can, once climbed, lie quietly. The chosen position requires constant, specific confirmation - decisions, actions, efforts. In this she is no different from a capricious mistress. |