Career Development as Art

I recently came across an article* describing what economist Lawrence Katz referred to as the rise of “artisanal careers.”  The notion to me is an appealing one. While the main point of the article is to emphasize that people will be more likely to be successful in the future if they manage their careers independently and with flexibility, I like this idea for another reason—it suggests that the process of career development can be an art form or craft.

It’s a good attitude to take as we look at our careers.  To be successful and have a fulfilling career (and life) today, we need to know ourselves really well—know what our strengths, skills, interests, passions, abilities and talents are and then to build a unique career that builds on who we are rather than us trying to “fit in” to a place where we may not.

Indeed, we live in a time when, even if we are employed by someone else, it may pay to “run” our jobs and our careers “as if” we are running an independent business—or take the mindset of acting like an independent contractor or artisan, where our work is something truly expressive of who we are that we develop through our own creativity and skill.

*The article comes from The Economist, October 2011.