What Does Career Success Really Mean To You?

By Perminus Wainaina

Before I found my footing in the Human Resource field, I used to work in the Accounting field.

Whereas I enjoyed my job as an accountant and made a good enough amount of income, I knew something was missing.

I had not yet fully found my passion.

It wasn’t until began experiencing an overwhelming desire to learn more about Human Resource that I began realizing where my passion lay.

Later after I quit my Accounting job I began pursuing what I felt mattered to me and gave me career satisfaction and I have never looked back.

Quickly See This >>> Why You Should Never Quit Your Job Before Finding A New One

Seven years later, the journey has not been easy.

It has been marred with ups and downs, going back to school, understanding the field, putting in countless hours and so on.

But more importantly, the journey has been worthwhile! Looking back, I wish I had done it sooner.

Offering my advice, expertise and time in line with my passion for Human Resource Management has personally helped me to define how I view career success.

Is this the same way you view success in your career? Thriving and growing in a field aligned to your passion?

Why don’t we examine these 5 basic factors that will help you understand what career success really means to you…

1. Where are you and where do you want to be?

Even though I was in Accounts, I always knew I wanted to be in HR.

The very definition of career success begins when you understand where you are currently in your career and where you desire to be.

This is the first step that determines the next course of action you will take in order to feel satisfied in your career.

Remember this, ambition is the first step to success and action the second.

2. What defines happiness in your career?

For some people, career success is determined by various things.

For some it’s the money that they make. Money for them equates career success and lack it career failure.

For others it’s the ability to be able to have a good degree of balance between their work and personal life.

Some find career success in having strong networks and others in rising up the corporate ladder.

Which category from the above do you fall in? Because that will determine the level of career success you experience.

3. Your passion married with your profession

You are indeed blessed, if you can have a combination of your passion and profession.

In all my years working in HR, I am often taken aback by the number of professions who go as far as quitting very well paying and satisfactory jobs to become entrepreneurs.

Some leave one profession for a completely differently one because for years they felt they were not growing.

Whatever decision you make, remember that money will not always be what you spend the rest of your life working for.

At some point your passion will cause you to make bold steps and sacrifice a lot in order to grow but this will all benefit your career in the end.

4. Your overall performance

There is something about being good at what you do that gives you all kinds of satisfaction.

I have always been keen on a performance-based system of working. Why? Working towards a worthy cause will greatly satisfy you in your career.

Your career success will more often than not be determined by the goals you set and your ability to meet them.

Who wants to be stuck in a career where they never perform? Not you I bet!

5. Your relationship with co-workers and seniors

How do your relate with those who you work with?

A good working environment prompted by how you interact with your team members and bosses is crucial for career success.

If you work in a toxic environment filled with negativity, sabotage and unfair treatment, then you might need to re-evaluate whether you will ever experience any form of career success.

If you have a good and healthy relationship with your coworkers and seniors, then you are well on your way to having a fruitful career.

Don’t dream about your career success, work for it!

Like I mentioned earlier, if you really want to succeed in your career, there will be sacrifices to be made, you will have to forego certain pleasures and invest!

But when you finally get there, you will look back and be thankful for those sacrifices.

What other factors determine career success for you, let me hear in the comments section below…

I am a certified career coach, HR consultant and currently lead a team of 15 employees here at Corporate Staffing Services. As a career coach I help people discover their ideal career and the type of work they would most love to do. I also coach them on how to land their desired job, handle office challenges well and climb the corporate ladder faster and easier.

For more on coaching click here

5 Comments

  1. Dear Perminus and readers ,
    It is a pleasure to read your article.I have been at Corporate Staffing for a visit and what happens there is great.I am one of those driven by passion too after moving from a pure scientist, Chemistry background to practice full time university administration.This led me to also go back to class for Human Resources Management to add value and back up my experience.Currently , I assist students and graduates on aligning themselves towards their career passions which translates their career growth faster.

    Some career fulfillment is felt when your clients are successful and send you referrals.Later this translate into either high rated performance at work giving room for a step higher on the ladder or increased business and personal network among others

    Simply, each individual must define success within his/her goal setting.There must be an intrinsic trigger other than extrinsic and if extrinsic triggered, it must be completely immersed by intrinsic faculty response.

  2. When you reach a level where your advice is sort and it is final on an aspect of the profession, then to me it’s fulfilling and would term it as success in carrier.

  3. At what age did you change your career? i have done accounting too, working as an accounts assistant, but i feel this is not what i want to do, i feel i have a passion on customer service and general administration, though am afraid its too late

  4. Thanks for your career advice.I also persued Bachelor of Procurement and Supply Chain. Management currently working as an office administrator while still eyeing to get a vacancy in my profession.

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