I spent a considerable amount of time talking about what I don't like about my current job during my interview yesterday (it seems like it was much longer ago). I spent much less time on what I need to feel satisfied and engaged with my work. There was plenty of talk about solving problems, but what is so appealing about solving problems? Well, I get to be creative. I made the case that my ability to see things differently from my colleagues is one of my strengths and allows me to generate more value for the division/company. I frequently link this difference in perspective to my unusual (for an chemist working in the analytical area of the pharmaceutical industry) academic training. Maybe there is more to it than that. I'm starting to think that I should start emphasizing it even more when I talk about my career in interviews, annual reviews, or any other career type of venue.
One thread common to most of my big problem solving moments are intuitive insights that lead to a solution or a flash of inspiration that results in some new experiment. These ideas are rarely the result of an orderly thought process. If I go through another round of interviews with yesterday's company or pursue other positions, perhaps I should start mentioning something about intuition and/or creativity. If they balk, perhaps that position is not right for me. Opportunities for creative thinking and problem solving should probably be in my top two or three criteria for a job. If it's all linear, routine work, I will get very bored and lose interest. I lose interest in more routine tasks now. I crave situations where I can look at a problem and try to find an answer that nobody had thought of before. That's my strength. That's where I excel. I need to make sure my career stays on a track where my creative abilities can be stretched, strengthened, and refined.
No comments:
Post a Comment