Photo credit: Tony Webster via Foter.com / CC BY

Teen driving.  As American as apple pie and football.   It used to be one of the most anticipated rites of passage.

At 15 1/2 in many states you’d get your learner’s permit then at 16 you could get your drivers license with no restrictions.

At that time roads were less congested, there were fewer regulations associated with driving.  Drunk driving was not yet in the public consciousness.

But as the data came in, it became clear that teen driving was high risk.  And fatalities and near crashes were clearly linked to teen’s inexperience. See the link between teen driving and fatal crashes.

What does this have to do with your career?

Stay with me, I’ll get there soon enough.

And so Graduated Driving Licenses (restricting when and how you can drive) were instituted.  And with that fatal crashes among teens dropped significantly.

When states had comprehensive GDL programs, those with at least five of the most important elements in effect, there was a 20 percent reduction in fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. – John Hopkins study

Mentorship works

That is awesome.  By having good mentorship (adult supervision) as teens transition into unrestricted driving and as they learn with fewer distractions (other kids in the car with them) and risks (night driving), they get the experience to be effective independent drivers with significantly reduced risk of injury.

But a new trend has begun.  Teens delaying getting their drivers licenses until they turn 18 or even later.

fewer than half (44 percent) of teens get their license within 12 months of the minimum age for licensing in their state – AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Why are they delaying?

Among the reasons given for the delay were that gas and other driving costs were too expensive (36 percent each); they could get around without driving (39 percent); and they did not have a car (44 percent).

Regardless of the reason it is cause for concern.

These findings raise concerns that young drivers will become licensed without the benefit of the training and point to the need to modify the laws to include 18-year olds.

So what is my point in telling you about teen driving statistics and this trend toward delaying licensing?  You may have a teen driver (or one who will soon be crossing that threshold).  But you may not be in that situation.

But the lesson still applies to you.  How?

Lets talk about you and your career.

Stop reading now if you just want to punch the clock and leave every day not worried or even thinking about work outside of work.

Stop reading now if your goal is limited to just earning money in the same job year after year, getting pay increases as they give them to you…or not.  And not actively managing your career.

Still reading?  You’re not satisfied with just getting by.

‘I’m Outta Here!’ Why 2 Million Americans Quit Every Month

even in a climate of business uncertainty and an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, more than 2 million Americans are voluntarily leaving their jobs every month. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics calls the category “Quits.”

A study by Harris Interactive indicates a full 74 percent of people would today consider finding a new job.

Wow!  So the next 3 out of 4 people you talk to at work would bail for the right opportunity. Crazy.

3 in 4 people would bail for the right job opportunity. No mentor = #CAREERFATILITY Click To Tweet

A recent study by Accenture reports:

1) They don’t like their boss (31%),

 2) A lack of empowerment (31%),

3) Internal politics (35%) and

4) Lack of recognition (43%).

Do any of these strike a chord?  Are you just putting up with things?

Business Insider survey of 225 executives reports 22 percent want to launch their own companies. Why are they willing to make the sacrifice and take the risk? They want to run an enterprise their way. Deep in their hearts, they feel and know they will enjoy more satisfaction and fulfillment by establishing a healthier business culture.

Melissa Llarena of Career Outcomes Matter reports even higher numbers, particularly for Generation X employees. She cites the biggest reason for “quits” is that employees no longer trust corporations. To wit, nearly 40 percent of men and 25 percent of women want to become their own boss, she says (54% of Millenials, 46% of GenY, 35% of Gen X-ers and 21% of Baby Boomers, by age).

Is that you?  Are you one of the new Millennial Side-Hustle Generation?  Or just want to run things your way?  Be your own boss and run your own company?

So you’re not one of the get-along-er’s.  You want to get good raises.  You crave challenge and are willing to do what is required to get promoted.  Current job or company not doing it for you?  You will make that job or career change to align with your career trajectory and lifestyle.  What does it take?

ACTIVE MANAGEMENT

When you left high school or college.  Were you trained on this? Did they show you what steps to take to get ahead?  How to progress in your career?

As you were prepared to enter the workforce it probably looked something like this:

• A single meeting with a high school guidance counselor and maybe an assessment test to tell you what career you might be good at.
• Maybe ROP (Regional Occupational Program) training to ease you into the workforce.
• Or a career day and some resume help from your college as you near graduation.
• Parents help giving you suggestions (like “You need to get a job, son.”)
• A Temp Agency application package.

But does that really help?

It’s like taking on the challenge of building your own house and someone giving you a blueprint and saying, “Go do it.”

Yes, you could probably get a house built.  But it would require figuring a lot of the pieces of the puzzle that are not included in the blueprint (like how do you put the pieces together – like frame the house).

I see this all the time.  People come to a point in their career where they need to head in a new direction.  They were laid off.  Or they are realizing they’re stuck in an unsatisfying job or career.  Or they just aren’t able to pay the bills on the low salary they’re getting.  Or the commute is killing them and they have no life outside of work.

Regardless of the reasons, they find they’re on a road without a roadmap.  They’re lost and don’t know how to proceed.

Their friends, family and coworkers are pretty much useless.  They’re often in the same position.  You can’t ask them for advice and get much that would be useful.  Just the typical platitudes of “Do what you love.” or “Work isn’t supposed to be fun.”

Really?

Don’t be that person

But there is an out.  There are options for you. But you won’t find them by following the herd.  You won’t find they by managing (or not really managing) your career by default.

You need is a mentor.  A guide.  A coach.  Someone who’s seen things from your perspective and from the other side of the table – as a hiring manager, executive and company leader, career and small business strategist.

You also need to find out what you bring to the table.  Often the skills and interests you take for granted and never acknowledge, you neglect to leverage for your benefit.  And that leads to decades of under-performance and being paid less than you’re worth.

And you find yourself scraping by month to month.  Buried in student loan debt.  Or hoping the job or company you work for today will be around next year or in three to five years.

Or you’re nearing retirement and not sure how to make the numbers work.

So what should you do next?

I can help.  Let’s start with the basics.  One Thing.  Something that you can do today. Regardless of where you are in your career.

Doing this ONE THING is critical to set you up for a SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL REVIEW conversation (if you want to get paid more or promoted).

Doing this ONE THING will ensure you’re doing the things you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly to support your case to get that RAISE, PROMOTION, or be able to jump to a higher paying, more satisfying job elsewhere.

Doing this ONE THING on a regular basis could rocket your pay, status, and CAREER TRAJECTORY more than anything else you do to work on your career.

Go get this ONE THING here.

Then do the quick 30 minute exercise (yes, you can miss one sitcom this week).  And start implementing it.

Are you in a situation where you need more focused help?  Maybe you need to make a change now.  And time is of the essence.

Well then contact me for help now.

Whether it is an annual review assessment (giving you a perspective your friends, family and coworkers and boss won’t).  Or it could be a resume review or rewrite (you’re considering a change or have seen rounds of layoffs and your job could be next and you want to be prepared).  Or you have already lost your job and need an effective resume now (and you weren’t a trained resume writer – so you just don’t know what to do).

Don’t leave big money on the table

Don’t go it alone.  Why risk missing out on a 3-6% pay increase, promotion or job change opportunity.

• 5% of a $50,000 job is $2,500 per year X 30 years in a career = $75,000 you’d be leaving on the table.
• 5% of a $100,000 job is $150k you’re missing out

Help doesn’t have to cost you the average $12,000 of executive coaching

Now typically executive coaching services run $200 to $500/ hour and are typically 2-6 hours a month for an average six months.

That translates into a typical $400/hr X 5 hrs per month X 6 months = $12,000.

Often times a company will pay this executive coaching fee to grow their C-Level executives.

But why should they get all the support to grow their careers and expertise?

What about you?  How can you get help?  And what if you don’t have a six or seven-figure salary to make a $12,000 fee a drop-in-the-bucket?

I can help you here too.  For my coaching services you won’t pay $12,000 or $2,000 per month.

Get help today at a fraction of that

You too can get one on one coaching for an hour call a month plus unlimited guidance by email.  Not for $2,000 per month, or even half that.

For $497 per month you can get that help today.

Still too steep?

Rather than monthly calls, we can do one intro call then email follow up from there.   This will then bring the cost down to $247 per month.

Don’t suffer in silence.  Get help today.

Still not sure?  Then get the ONE THING today to get started – no cost, no risk.  Just check it out.  You’ll be glad you did.