It all starts with you graduating from high school. Then you proceed to either college or university. You complete those studies, graduate and you are ready to unleash your academic skills. You just want to get out there and “Save the World”, right?
So after several years of working, (the number of years will vary from person to person), you sit down one day after losing your job (perhaps for the 1st time, 2nd or more), and you put down every job you have ever had. This is your “master resume”, which only you will see, in preparation for writing the focused resume you will be sending out.
This is what you put down in your master resume – 32 years of working, 15 jobs (that’s 2.2 years per job), shortest job was 3 months, the longest job was 6.5 years and 3 jobs were transition jobs. Whew, you say. No wonder you are somewhat bewildered and feeling lost. This analysis resulted in another interview and a successful offer, which you accepted. You begin your 16th job!
OK, You are right! That’s not you – that was me!
” Wow! How did that happen?”, I ask.
Well, partially because I never gave up and adapted to the times with new resume formats and different marketing avenues, like LinkedIn. Tenacity also came into play (i.e. being stubborn). I kept working in my profession also, without a segway into lawn care or grocery bagging (not that there is anything wrong with doing either).
I looked back over those 32 years. It was easy because I created that “Master Resume” which allowed me to fly over 32 years, right at my desk. So I asked myself, ” What changed over those 32 years? “
Well…
- Commendations are few to none
- Seems like no 1, 3 & 5 year business plan at companies
- Loss of Teamwork
- Job instability
- No loyalty to the employee
- Job timeline getting shorter
- Collaboration at work growing thinner / extinct
For the employee, this results in;
- suspicion
- uncertainty
- loss of identity
I realized I entered into a new paradigm, without even knowing it.
“The people at the top are driven by money – the people at the bottom are driven by fear”
Fear of… losing their job… being demoted… pushed aside… not being part of the TEAM… not being accepted as a contributing member.
Then one day we have an epiphany…
” The World Doesn’t Want to be Saved! – JUST SAVE YOURSELF “
Don’t get me wrong – I don’t mean this in a vindictive or blasphemous way.
We realize that the world has much bigger fish to fry than to be worried about us. The world doesn’t really care about us individuals. It has much bigger concerns to occupy itself with… and that is good because only we know what is best for us… correct? Of course!
As HAL said in 2001: A Space Odyssey, “Something Wonderful is Going to Happen” – And it did!
I don’t know exactly when but… something transpired. I entered into…
” Dawn of the INNERpreneur – INNERpreneurship “
INNERpreneurship defined – ” INNERpreneurs use their facets to find personal fulfillment and growth, creatively, spiritually, emotionally… and create social change “
So what are some characteristics of an INNERpreneur?
- high need for achievement & independence
- low need for conformity
- internal locus of control
- love of ambiguity
- propensity for risk taking
- obsession with opportunity
- total “out of the box” thinking
Not convinced? Have you noticed over the past 10+ years, the variety and types of self-help, awakening type books have been written?
What I experienced and you probably noticed is that job timelines have sped up. What use to be a 33 year – 1 job career, has turned into segments of 2-5 year blocks over the same 33 years. As the internet has sped up, so too have people’s expectations;
- our expectations are rising (perhaps expectations of ourself also)
- jobs over promise – under deliver
- people, like you and I, want things to happen – things to progress
INNERpreneurs…
- believe you should do what you are / love
- see a different world
- let their values/passion guide your life
- innate need to be creative – unique path
- make things different – attracted to improve the world
- alternate career focus with periods of reflection
So what happened to me? Well, I did get another job in my profession, actually quite a good job. But that short dry spell, when the lights came on and I had an epiphany, well, that is when I started my INNERpreneurship.
It was a magical moment, a perfect storm, if you will. I had been a Toastmaster for 15 years, always had a love of radio, was web and social media savvy and I wanted to put to good use all the leadership and speaking skills I had learned and applied. So I thought… “why not project that forward to help others break out of their shell and help them get on with their challenges and personal development, with leadership, team building and speaking”.
And here is the best part. If one should happen to develop a product or service that someone is willing to pay for, then the INNERpreneurship can be easily migrated into an ENTREpreneurship.
An INNERpreneurship could be many things, like;
- a cause
- a charity
- a philantrophy
- a product
- a service
- volunteerism
- a book
Everyone has a passion they can turn into an INNERpreneurship to fulfill their personal growth and create social change.