Autumn is most definitely here!  Those cold, crisp mornings are beginning to be the norm, the windscreen fogged up, and the need to grab a jacket as you walk out the door – and an umbrella too!

It’s been a wonderful summer, and it’s been a gorgeous autumn so far.  Here in the UK, we’ve been getting clear blue skies and sunshine, and every so often we’re getting rain, and more rain, and will-it-please-stop rain.

And it got me to thinking about the seasons, how they come and go and cycle round again and I began to wonder which season my career is in?  Or have I gone through multiple seasons already?

Career Seasonality

Has each job I have started, done and left been a seasonal cycle in itself?  The Springtime feeling of a new job, new life, new opportunities.  The Summer of feeling in the flow of doing my best work.  The Autumn of beginning to notice that things are not what I want them to be and that feeling of losing what’s important to me in my role. And the Winter of realising that it’s time to move on and start somewhere new so Springtime can come round again.

And then I started thinking about careers as a whole being a seasonal cycle.

We’ve got a work experience student in the office this week, and when I was talking to him at lunchtime today, he had no idea about what he wants to do when he leaves school.

The world of work he will face will be dramatically different from the one we’re in today and that’s exciting!  And so maybe it’s not a bad thing that he has no idea what he wants to do for a career.

Is he hatching into the Spring of his career?  He’s maybe not sure what will happen, but it’s all blossoming anyway and there will be something waiting for him to get into.

Reflection

So am I in Summer?  I’m 15 or so years into my career, but are these my glory days?  Or am I still in Spring and my best is yet to come?

I don’t think the Autumn of my career has arrived yet – or maybe it has?  Maybe knowing what I want to do next and knowing that it’s not in a traditional setting means that I am moving into a phase of shedding my leaves and getting clear on what I want for myself rather than how my skills and talents can help others earn money.

And with a crisp, clear, sunny Autumn, maybe I’ll be ready to move into the Winter of my career and enjoy being cozy in the surroundings I’ve created for myself .

So just like the seasons, our careers have phases.  We cycle through seasons in each of our jobs as well as our career as a whole.  Which season of your career are you in?  Which season are you in now at your current job?

Are you ready to move into the next season?