Over the summer, like many of you, I find myself reflecting on my work, my relationships and my life as a whole. One day while reflecting, I began to think about how often other individuals push us to reflect. Put another way, how often does your supervisor, friend or person in your life get you thinking about what truly matters in your life?
In my opinion, as you evolve in your profession, different reflection questions arise but aren't always discussed. With no scientific or theoretical backing, I'd venture to say we are asked more reflective questions as a new professional than we are as seasoned professionals. So, I thought I'd use this blog to provide a three-part "5 questions" series that provides five reflective questions for three different categories - New Professional (0-3 years), Mid-Level Professional (4-6 years) and Seasoned Professional (7-15+ years).
My hope is that these reflection questions will get you to think. To reflect. To really take time and consider where you are at in your respective professional career. I also hope to crowd-source questions from my readers. What would you want someone who is a New Professional to reflect on? A Seasoned Professional, etc.? This blog, part 1 in the 3 part series focuses on the New Professional. The five questions are...
1. Am I Happy?
A simple yet deceivingly complex question. Anyone can answer "yes" but can you articulate why? If your answer is "no," what are you doing to fix your unhappiness? Most of all, how often do you make excuses to tell yourself you are happy when in reality, you're not? As a new professional it is important to find what makes you happy and surround yourself with people that are going to make going work enjoyable. If you are not happy, stop making excuses and get yourself out of the toxic environment.
2. What Do I Want to Learn?
New professionals have various skill-sets and talents that they bring to their respective position. Yet, there is always room for improvement. There is always an opportunity to hone your skills and push yourself from good to great. So, what do you want to learn? Who can help you learn it? Most of all, how are you going to make it happen?
Also consider the environment you work in. You might know a great deal about your respective department but what do you know about other departments? Who is someone that isn't in your office that sparks your curiosity? How will you arrange a time to meet with that person?
3. What Professional Areas Do I Need to Improve?
Similar to #2, how can you improve in areas that will set you up for success in the future? How can you obtain supervisory experience? How can you be a better supervisor? How would you rate yourself in terms of assessment? Approachability? Fiscal management? Time management? Delegation?
Need help with this section. Ask your current supervisor the question, "what areas can you improve"...constantly. Ask your students. Ask your colleagues. Just remember, feedback should not be viewed as a negative, but a positive.
4. How Do I Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle?
New professionals are notorious for an unhealthy work/life balance. There is a reason the retention rate for professionals in higher education is so poor. Too often I see over-eager new professionals immerse themselves into their positions with the best of intentions. Yet, the long hours and lack of balance take its toll over time and it negatively impacts their lives. So, how will you ensure you are not one of those individuals?
I personally make it a point to go to the gym after work or do some level of physical activity (does kickball count) to ensure I am maintaining a healthy balance. Keep in mind, I used the word healthy, not physical. That works for me but it may not work for you. Maybe you knit. Maybe you have a family. Maybe you enjoy reading fiction books. Whatever it is, really think about what your work/life balance looks like and whether or not it would be considered healthy.
5. What are My Next Steps?
One of the best supervisors I have had in my life always told me that once you are in a new job, you should always be researching for your next job. At first, that caught me off guard but after thinking about it, it made sense. The reality is, we all eventually need to move on. New challenges. New responsibilities. New passions. So, what are your next steps? How will you get there? Who can serve as a mentor or guide for you to get there?
As I stated above, I'd love to see what other reflective questions you have for new professionals. Leave them in the comment section. Thanks for reading!
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