AboutJ. Kyle Howard Expertise We are all multi-dimensional people with various degrees of likes and dislikes. When it comes to finding your purpose, we must take that into account. My intent is to help you to properly and easily define what would bring you the most joy in life, how to live on purpose, and how to live the life you are uniquely qualified to live. I will help you get all that is important to you, be all that you were created to be, and become the uniquely wonderful person living the wonderful life that is meant for you, your purpose in life
Experience I am a PCA (Personal Character Architect). I've been a PCA for over 15 years and have helped thousands achieve their life goals.
Organizations Helping Hands, Frontier Family Services
Publications Executive Excellence Magazine, Tazzinisms, define-your-purpose-in-life.com, Unleash Your Inner Penguin
Education/Credentials MBA providing team building, strategic planning and marketing to fortune 500 companies.
Expert: J. Kyle Howard Date: 2/17/2008 Subject: Pls advise me
Question Hi
I am currently in a dilemma and I hope you can give me an advise or two. Here's my long story..
I'm going to be 28 this year and a degree holder in business. Ever since I graduated in 2001, I've changed a number of jobs. The longest period that i've worked in a company is 2.5 years, which is my current company.
I am working as customer service executive in an multinational insurance company since Oct 2005. My role is to answer correspondence from customers and agents, investigate and resolve complaints. From June 2007, I was promoted as Team Leader. You can call me as not ambitious, but I understand the job load and stress..thus, I prefer to be a normal executive. I guess my manager saw the 'potential' in me, so I was promoted without being asked beforehand. As my director is very demanding, I am doing a lot of work which is very heavy and stressful.
After being team teader for 4 months, I have told my manager that I prefer to be a normal executive. But she asked me to be patient, try my best and she trust that I can do it. She also told me that it's impossible for me to step down because I have the experience and knowledge. Honestly, I was disappointed when she said it, because I already gave myself 4 months probation for this new position and really cannot take it.
I have several senior and junior colleagues already resigned and I think it is time for me to think of my future. I know it is impossible for me to step down as team leader, and i'm also not able to transfer to other department. Now, my manager thinks I like wat I'm doing and she even gave me hints that I might be promoted higher next year. I just smiled and nodded. But deep in my heart, I just want to leave this position.
Currently, I have 2 job offers. The 1st one is a multimational bank and the position is also customer service. It is similar to my current role, which is to investigate enquiries and complaints and resolve them. The salary is few hundred more than my current pay. Since i dont have experience in banking industry, i'm afraid it will be difficult for me to learn the company's products and processes fast enough. I dont want to be terminated during my probation period.
The 2nd offer is from an insurance company. It is not customer service position. I'll be the backend processing staff, meaning I need to process proposal forms that come in daily. There is also a target to meet everyday. The interviewer told me, this will be a routine job and I will be doing processing job everyday. If the load is heavy, i will need to stay very late and work during weekends. The salary is also the same as offered by the bank.
I am really confused now. I dont know which one to accept. I dont want to regret my decision later. Actually, to be honest, i am not sure what i want to do or achieve in life. I guess I am the lazy and not ambitious type, means I just want to work, earn better salary, dont have to hold extra responsibility.
My colleagues told me to weigh the pros and cons and decide wat I want from both jobs, what are the prospects..But i really dont know what to do..I dont want to end up looking for new job again after few months into the new position..
Answer Hello Jessica,
It sounds as if you are a spectator watching your life go by. You are not at the whim of circumstances but the creator of them.
Your indecisiveness about work are more reflective of who you are as a person. The work situation you currently find yourself in is showing you that you need to start making decisions and trusting yourself with those decisions. You must understand, that you don't make mistakes, you simply make choices. And, you never ever run out of choices. Besides, if you don't choose then someone else will choose for you.
Your current job is the resistance you need to grow as a person. Believe me, whatever job you take will present you with the resistance you need to grow so changing jobs won't solve what truly the issue here.
Jessica, life is asking you to step up to the plate and take a swing. It doesn't matter if you hit it out of the park or not. What matters is that you have the courage to confidently stand there, let life throw its pitch and you swing at whatever comes. Your success at hitting it solely depends on whether or not you have chosen a path or strike zone and best pitch to swing at (I know, I know, I am getting carried away with the baseball analogy).
First, establish the strike zone or your area of purpose (www.define-your-purpose-in-life.com/discovering_your_purpose.html)
Next, be selective of what you swing at. There will always be choices to make but you must choose only those things that will take you closer to your purpose or vision of who you are.
Lastly, swing with all you might and if you miss, swing again.
If you are simply interested in making money, you can pump gas for a living. If you are interested in being the best that you can possibly be, the choice is simply to choose what you want to be, get up and start moving towards it. If a job helps you become what you want than it is a good choice.
There is no right or wrong. Your choices either help or hinder you.
