When Will I Know I'm Ready for a Career Position?

On the ABC Employment Path - A for Any Job you can get, B for the Better Job - C, the Career position is the ultimate destination. It is where all the hard work and dedication that you poured into the A and B jobs pays off with a career that pays you well, allows professional and personal growth, and that you enjoy.

But how do you know when you’re ready to take on getting a Career position, and more importantly, how do you know when you’re in a place in your life where you keep it?

So when is the best time to start looking for that Better or Career job? It’s different for us all, but here are some things to think about before you begin. The questions you should consider are:

Are you stable?

Are you dependable?

Are you ready?

Let’s look at each one of these questions more closely.

Are you stable?

Stability is vital to keeping any job — especially a good job. To decide your level of stability, let’s ask some basic questions. Do you currently:

• Have a connection to some form of recovery?

• Have a regular place to sleep, even if it’s in your car, at a shelter, or on a friend’s couch?

• Have consistent access to healthy food, even if it’s at a food bank?

• Understand your transportation options, reliability, time constraints, and costs, even if you live close enough to the job to walk?

• Take your medications as prescribed for any mental or physical health issues?

If you can answer yes to all of these, you are definitely on the right track! All of these are signs that your life is somewhat stable. If you haven’t adequately addressed most of these areas, it will be challenging to maintain and excel at a Better job or Career position because you’ll be distracted by meeting your basic needs.

The status of your recovery also indicates your level of stability. If you are engaged in recovery, the more time that’s elapsed since you entered recovery, usually the greater the likelihood that you are stable in most or all of the areas mentioned above.

If you have not achieved stability in one or more of these areas, I am not saying that you don’t deserve a Career. You deserve employment regardless of your situation. If stability is a challenge, then be aware that it may be more difficult for you to keep a Career position.

Managers at Any Jobs and maybe even Better Jobs may put up with a few mistakes, but a Career job will be less forgiving. If the other parts of your life aren’t where they should be, you’ll be more likely to lose that coveted Career position.

Have you proven that you can be dependable?

Have you shown up to your recovery job or volunteer gig on time, ready to work, and with a good attitude? Consistently? For at least 60 days? If the answer is no, you probably aren’t prepared for a Better Job or Career opportunity.

Emergencies happen, so if some personal or family crisis impeded your ability to get to work and do your best, okay. But if you haven’t been consistent for at least 60 days because you took a step backward in your recovery, then you need to take a look at the areas where you aren’t stable and work through those issues first.

Attendance, punctuality, and attitude aren’t skills you master on your Better or Career job. You’re going to put a lot of time and energy into getting these jobs, so you don’t want to lose them over the fundamental issues of showing up and performing well. Skill, talent, and self-promotion will get you a job, but your performance and behavior will determine how long you keep it.

Consistency in the recovery job gives you the best opportunity to get a letter of recommendation, which will be a big help in your job search. But you aren’t going to get that recommendation letter until you’ve proven yourself.

Do you (and whoever is assisting you) think you’re ready?

Be honest with yourself. I know you’re ready to make more money. I’m sure you’re prepared to move out of the recovery job and into something far more meaningful. But are you prepared for more responsibility? More stress? More accountability?

I hope you have someone you trust helping you make this decision, like a caseworker, counselor, family member, pastor, or sponsor. Get some advice about whether or not you’re ready. You don’t have to agree with or take the advice, but in recovery, honest feedback is a blessing, not a curse.

It’s far better to work for another month or two at an Any Job than to get a Better Job and get fired soon after. All forms of recovery happen in the same way — manageable, consistent steps towards a goal. So talk to your support team. Share what you’ve accomplished and what you hope to achieve. I’m sure that when you’re ready, they’ll be the first ones to encourage you to take the leap into the next phase of your employment life.