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It's great to look back and reflect on where your career has taken you so far; but it is also amazing, just how many people still manage to jump out of the frying pan, and straight into the fire.

"I have to get away from [thing that is driving me crazy], so I am joining [organisation / team]" - where the same thing happens, only 10x moreso...

And this is why gaining greater self-awareness is such an important aspect of navigating your Career Crossroad. As you engage with your Birkman.me package, you’ll gain specific insight into what contexts work well for you and which are likely to frustrate you.

Hindsight can only get you so far, as you think about stepping into something new. The beauty of the Birkman data is that it can help you predict what will and won't suit you - even if you've never experienced those kinds of roles or contexts in the past.

As you use your report to identify your own key Needs, you'll have a cheatsheet for deciding which future options to consider and which to strike off your list. For example, if you have a strong Need for a team context and collaboration, a remote role with very few touchpoints is unlikely to be a viable option - even if you love the idea of being able to work from anywhere! Cabin fever will strike, and you will quickly find yourself feeling listless, unfocused and struggling to stay engaged in your work.

That is just an example, based on one possible scoring pattern in one of 9 key areas; but ignoring your Needs in any area comes with a health warning!

Motivational fit in work roles is not an optional bonus, either: the truth is that, if you're not energised, engaged and satisfied by what you are working on, we're unlikely to see you doing your best work. Your Birkman Signature Report describes 10 Interests and ranks them for you: which are you passionate about, and which may cause you to be drained and de-motivated. Learning to maximise your time spent on High motivators, and balancing exposure to Low ones, allows you to stay highly engaged - and still get done what you need to in the less energising areas.

Having this accurate measurement of your needs/preferences and your motivators, plus a conversation with an experienced Birkman coach to explore their application, will help you in multiple ways. It will:

Enable you to identify the contribution(s) you feel most passionate about.
Help you understand why some contexts suit you and others really don't, and learn what the ideal context to keep you engaged would look like.
Highlight some new and different options for you to explore.
Help you know the best things to do to re-charge yourself, and give yourself ‘permission' to do them!

You can use these insights to:

improve your energy levels,
build your resilience,
find roles that will suit you
and in environments that won't cause you continual stress.

It can also help you discover how to recover more quickly from work & life demands that you find challenging, and help you work towards changes that will be a more fulfilling fit for you.

Don't try changing jobs without it!