In the movies and for most of our lives growing up, we think that it is possible to go straight from high school into college, the job market and up the corporate ladder. But life is definitely not the movies as the average person changes jobs an average of 12 times during their career according to the U.S Department of Labor. And while some of it is within our control (better salary, favoritism, luck etc.), a lot of it can come as a shock (for instance layoffs during a pandemic).
But this should by no means deter you from thinking you can succeed. For instance with the rise in technology and digital media, you could go from nursing to a social media guru, from engineer to ride-sharing driver and make a name from yourself, leading in the new field while being 100percent fulfilled. Stability and especially job stability is a great thing, but should we fear change because of big titles, unwilling to consider that perhaps the ‘dream job’ is outside the current line we’ve carved for ourselves?
That is what made my conversation with Benjamin Nkaka all the more interesting. He is writing his own career story non-linearly and ditching titles, opting to lead in skills that will get him to his next level. During the podcast, he touches on overcoming obstacles and makes a distinction between obstacles you can control and obstacles you can’t. We all crave our parents’ approval with the choices we make and want them to be proud of us particularly when we break from tradition. Benjamin speaks on this while placing much needed importance on being authentic and mindful of the future. Finally, he talks about what leadership really means and what a big responsibility it is. Benjamin shares his input in getting young people to start thinking like leaders and the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest.
“If you want to achieve or get more, then you must continue to work hard to get more.” Benjamin Nkaka
If you have a dream job in mind, it should be one that builds on your strengths and aligns with where you want to learn and grow, despite the fact that it lies on a straight linear trajectory! What’re your thoughts on this?
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