According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of new hires in the work force, as a percentage of all employees, swings between 3 and 4%. That means, at any one time, 3 or 4 employees out of every 100 are taking new jobs. And, these numbers change only modestly, 3.3 to 4.8%, if you only look at professional and business jobs as opposed to all jobs. That is, if only 3 or 4 individuals in any 100 employees are changing jobs, the rest are staying put.

So, if most individuals are staying at their jobs, what are all these loyal employees doing about career development? In 1995, Dean Spitzer wrote a book entitled Super Motivation, in which he presented statistics about workplace motivation. Surprisingly, he says "50% of ...employees only put enough effort into their work to hold their job." In other words, half the individuals in our work force are only showing up to get a paycheck. They don't have a career plan. In practical terms, that means you can rise above half the individuals in the work force simply by paying a modest amount of attention to what you want out of your career. If you can muster a bit more focus, you should do even better and get into the top 20%, which is where planned career development begins to get results.

Here's where tools for understanding yourself and your career come into play. It's been statistically proven that students' educational skills are improved by mentoring. A Procter & Gamble study showed that young individuals who were mentored by older people are statistically more likely to aspire to and achieve higher-than-average grades at school. The same is true in the workplace; having a mentor is a career development advantage. So, if you don't have a mentor, what can you do?

Select a model.

The first step is to be as honest with yourself as you possibly can about the individuals around you. Decide which of these people are succeeding and don't let your ego or resentments get in your way.

Secondly, look at your own desires and motivations. Look for what you want out of your work experience and what you consider the ideal job.

Thirdly, which of these successful individuals has a job similar to the job you desire? That person can be your model even if you have no contact with him. Pay attention to what he does. Study how he works and what he does that you don't do.

In time, you should be amazed at how much you learn by just observing another person's successful methods. Sure, you'll have questions about how he does certain things. And, unless you can approach him directly, you won't get easy answers. But, by asking yourself questions about how this other person attains success, you'll start to find your own answers.

© by Todd Royer. All Rights Reserved.

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