When I was growing up things were much different for everyone in business.  It is popular to talk about the major “advances” for women in the working world but I recognize that this degree of change has been across the scale and has little to do with what we all tend to define as progress.  I had a perception for many years that successful employment was defined as working for one company your entire career and retiring from that company with a retirement package.  I recall watching shows on TV where people joined together in a party to see a person off into their retirement after having worked in that company for 30 to 50 years.  I think I strived for that feeling of appreciation at the end of my career by a group of people that valued what I had given in time and heart for the business.  I believe many of us have been ‘disappointed’ when we changed course, leaving a stable position for another one.  In reality, the times are different for the professional today.  I can look back at the value of every move I made, the new experiences I gained, the information I absorbed, and the wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet with each change.  My advice to the new professional is different now because of that experience.  I would advise that the new professional continue to look to add value to every employer but put your focus on absorbing all you can for your career’s sake.  Market your company but FIRST – Market yourself!  Keeping the belief that you are marketing yourself will keep you honest in your communication, provide a deeper sense of pride in what you are doing and help you to look at the changes you make as new opportunities.  You won’t rely on the appreciation of others in your contribution and won’t be hurt when the employer doesn’t appreciate the level of your contribution should that occur.  

I have been extremely fortunate in my career path but there were times when I couldn’t see that.  Time and history have allowed me to view these changes in a more positive way.  Even when I started doing something that wasn’t particularly appealing at first, I found I grew.  I learned things that helped me in my next move.  I could apply principles I learned from the past to the new situation that made it better.  Every person has a set of skills and beliefs that make them uniquely applicable to a position.  Developing your skills and finding out what you believe in are the first step but feeling confidence to put them to use in a new way is the reward for a lifelong career path.  You might be the only one standing in your “retirement party” but if you have applied yourself in each new “job” with JOY, you will have peace.