The Entrepreneurial Spirit at Work

"The workforce as we've come to know it will probably never be the same. Job-seekers must develop a whole new mind-set to thrive in this new world of work.” Dr. Randall S. Hansen, founder and publisher of QuintCareers.

 

In a previously thriving economy, most people expected financial and job security, although they often worked for years in jobs they didn't enjoy. Now that jobs are getting harder to find, it takes more research and planning to find a fit for your strengths, passions, and values. Promotions, benefits, and bonuses are no longer the norm. Finding value in your work, staying healthy, and contributing to something greater than yourself, can bring more satisfaction than working at a job that "appears" to provide security. An entrepreneurial mindset will give you the adaptability and resilience to thrive in a changing workplace.

 

Researching your options, understanding hidden expenses and demands, and knowing why you are working will help you make the best career decisions. You can create opportunities for yourself by developing an “Entrepreneurial Spirit."

 

In his Job Action Day article, Welcome to the Age of Protean Careers: Encouraging Workers and Job-Seekers to be Proactive in a Transformational Workplace Jay Block says, “Protean Careers." Get used to the term, for it's here to stay. Indeed, the American workplace has changed forever; and this transformation is presenting significant problems for many who have come to depend upon the "Industrial Age" workplace. The "Protean" workplace is the only viable solution to the transformational shift away from employers taking care of employees, to employees taking care of themselves

Block uses the analogy of Proteus because, “He was able to change, adapt, and acclimate himself to successfully meet and thrive in the future that he envisioned.”

In his 4^th and 5^th points on how to use a “Proteus Solution,” Jay says that you need to become an independent entrepreneur and live within your means.

Kristin Cardinale, Ph.D. suggests that “The typical American worker suffers from something along the same line that I refer to as 'career myopia' whereby workers lose their ability to visualize the big picture because they are so focused on the daily grind of the 9-to-5 world. As a result, their field of vision narrows, and the big picture becomes fuzzy. They lose sight of their dreams and instead fixate on merely surviving instead of thriving.” Read her Job Action Day article, Avoid Career Myopia and Create Your Opportunity for Freedom, to learn more about creating an "entrepreneurial career model." 

 

Expecting an employer, counselor, assessment, friend, or family member to tell you the “right career” for you is an example of “career myopia.” Doing your own research on the internet and through informational interviews as well as talking to friends, colleagues, and family about their career and life experiences will give you the fuel you need to make your own career decisions. Manage yourself and your career as if you were your own boss.

“You can find so many opportunities to make others feel like they matter, be it your co-worker or customer, mentor or manager, supervisor or stranger on the other end of the line.” says Billie Sucher in his article, Are You a S.M.A.R.T. Worker? Career Strategies to Make You More Valuable at Work.     

  

An entrepreneur looks for opportunities at work, home, and in the community for building positive relationships. Everyone is a potential customer, ally, or partner. You can create opportunities through your entrepreneurial spirit. 


 Job Action Day articles on the entrepreneurial spirit:

Creating Opportunity Through Your Entrepreneurial Spirit,
 by Nancy Miller


Welcome to the Age of Protean Careers: Encouraging Workers and Job-Seekers to be Proactive in a Transformational Workplace by Jay Block


Avoid Career Myopia and Create Your Opportunity for Freedom, Kristin Cardinale, Ph.D

Are You a S.M.A.R.T. Worker? Career Strategies to Make You More Valuable At Work, by Billie Sucher

Read all of the Job Action Day articles at: http://www.jobactionday.com/2010-Job-Action-Day.html.

This website is intended for informational purposes only. For professional personal/ career coaching, call or email Nancy for assistance with consulting, resources, and information to meet your personal needs. See links on the side panel for professional organizations. Copyright CLWD © 2005 Nancy Miller