Episode Transcript

We’re gonna do a little self-investigation today. 

I have a question for you. And the answer will tell you something about yourself. Something revealing and valuable. 

First, I want you to think about how devoted you are to the organization you work for. 

And then I want you to think about how devoted you are to your engineering career. 

My question is this: which one is a stronger pull for you? The organization you work for, or your engineering career?

The answer will help you know yourself better. And it’ll make you wonder if this is what you want your answer to be. Do I lean more one way or the other? And do I need to change that balance?

If you’ve been listening this podcast, you’re committed to your career and you know that’s important. At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with being committed to your employer.

But the catch is not to be committed to your employer at the expense of your career.

Commitment to Your Employer Vs. Devotion to Your Career

Let’s take a look at what it means to be devoted to your organization or your career. Then we’ll look at the signs that your commitment may not be balanced well between your employer and your career.

Being devoted to the organization means one or more of the following:

Being devoted to your career means:

One list is not necessarily better than the other. A balance between the 2 means you’re leveraging commitment to your employer to progress and be successful in your career. And you’re focused on your career to serve your employer better. 

A great way to look at it is to see your current job as a stepping stone along your career path

When Commitment to Your Employer Inhibits Your Engineering Career

What did you think of when I asked the question at the beginning of this episode? Are you concerned that you lean too far toward your commitment to your organization? 

Here are 6 signs that this might be true:

  1. The care and feeding of your career never gets priority.
  2. You bend over backwards for your employer, even if it means disregarding your personal boundaries.
  3. All your goals are tied to the organization’s goals and don’t go beyond your current job.
  4. The mission of the organization is more important than your career vision.
  5. Your individual success is solely based on the success of the organization.
  6. You don’t have a contingency plan in case you lose your job or your organization restructures.

If a few of these signs ring true for you, then our little self-investigation was worth it. The whole idea was to bring you to this realization. Now you can work on balancing your commitment. You can work on putting more emphasis on you and your career.

Taking Back Control of Your Engineering Career

Remember that you need to look out for #1. You need to be the one who takes charge of your career. And while a commitment to your employer is important, it’s not healthy if it inhibits you.

Being mindful of your commitment balance is another way to ensure you’re in control of your career trajectory and it’s leading you in the direction of your choice.

You might want to go back to prior episodes of this podcast for many more insights. Just a few examples are:

Be cautious of your balance of commitment. It’s easy to get wrapped up in your devotion to your employer at the expense of your career. Be careful of neglecting yourself or losing sight of your career vision. 

As always, I’m here to help you get on track. Whether it’s balancing that commitment, moving up in the organization, or reaching your goals sooner. I invite you to sign up for a strategy session with me. 

These are great for getting unstuck, focusing on your potential, and putting some new ideas into play. This is your career. I’ll help you get the most out of it and make a difference in your engineering community.

Next time on Her Engineering Career Podcast we’ll discuss how you can take forward leaps in your engineering career. You won’t want to miss Episode 72.