Hi, thank you for submitting your question; it is a thought-provoking topic to answer but even more challenging to have to decide on expertise toward a specific field. Deciding on which field to pursue, with so many from which to choose, is indeed a daunting task. Some might say, follow your heart and select a field that you think you will enjoy working in long term. Others might recommend that one should first consider which fields have the most demand to help assure stable employment. Still others might suggest selecting from among the fields that offers the greatest compensation opportunity. The correct answer, depending on an individual’s aptitudes and situation, probably lies somewhere in between what we enjoy doing, whether it provides marketable skills, the amount of demand within the field(s), how much it benefits society, and if it pays enough to generate acceptable return on the personal investment. When applied in the proper environments and contexts, knowledge, hard and soft skills, behaviors, and attitudes, can take us much farther than we might imagine.

From a personal perspective, I have observed that individuals can find challenge and reward while working in areas that are not necessarily aligned with their main field of study. For me, my first two degrees are engineering technologies, the two graduate degrees have education specialization, project management certifications enhanced business aspects knowledge and skills, and dozens of hard and soft skills courses have improved other workplace performance areas. During my career in communications field, I’ve used both expertise’s (technical and education specialties) where one expertise area often supplemented the other. As example, roles I’ve performed during my career include technical writing, courseware development, technical project management, technical instructing/delivery, training delivery administration, and technical personnel management. If the field you decide to pursue, it’s a very personal decision, challenges you, is work that you enjoy doing, and it benefits others (business, individuals, etc.), most else with take care of itself.

Here's some advice that a bit more research-based and whether you’re working within an institution, for a corporation, or for your own business, it’s workplace performance that ultimately determines the degree of success or failure. For workplace performance, (1) environmental support factors and (2) individual performance factors are among the most critical success elements. Environmental factors refer to the workplace performance support factors that are controlled by the organization (i.e., institution, corporation, or business). Environmental Support Factors include (a) information/processes/procedures/supervisor feedback, (b) instruments/resources/tools, and (c) incentives (both positive and negative ones) such as compensation, opportunities to advance, improvement plans, etc. Individual Performance Factors refer to the workplace performance factors that are mostly under the control of the performer (i.e., by the worker, employee, us). Individual Performance Factors include (a) training and work aids to help enhance individual’s knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes, (b) possessing the capacity (mental and physical) and availability to do the job, and (c) having motives that align with the available incentives and the realities of the job.

Workplace studies strongly suggest that environmental support factors (i.e., data, instruments, and incentives) have significantly more impact on worker performance than do individual performance factors (i.e., knowledge/skills/attitudes, capacities, and motives). It is also recommended to attend to the environmental support factors first and to then address individual performance factors thereafter. Thus, if you are the business owner or accountable manager, assure that your employees have (a) well-documented processes with frequent/relevant supervisor feedback, (b) adequate resources/tools to do their jobs well, and (c) appropriate and appropriately managed incentives and consequences contingent upon workplace performance. Likewise, if you are the performer, honestly evaluate whether (a) your motives align with the job/workplace requirements (that we truly want to do the job), (b) that you possess the capabilities (i.e., the requisite mental and physical abilities) to meet or exceed the job/workplace performance expectations (this can be determined by you during your recruitment process), and (c) earnestly and proactively gain and maintain the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed to perform your assigned tasks and to consistently meet or exceed the expected workplace performance levels. Importantly, individuals should also help themselves by holding their supervisors accountable for addressing environmental support factors.

Thank you again for submitting your question. I hope that my response has provided to you some useable guidance.

27 September, 2024 02:34