Have you ever stopped to observe what motivates you the most at work?
Opportunities for professional growth, recognition for the work you do, responsibility for the tasks you perform, the nature of the activities you engage in, and the design of your job—all of these can be considered motivators because they can bring satisfaction.
“But how can I discover what type of work brings me satisfaction?”
The concept of Career Anchors can help with that!
Career Anchors are the guiding principles of a professional journey. They are the motivations that drive people to choose a particular profession, change jobs, seek a promotion, or reposition themselves in the market, among other things. It’s a concept closely associated with professional self-awareness.
Each person identifies more with a specific Career Anchor, but what are these Anchors? There are 8 of them, and they are presented below:
Career Anchor A – Technical/Functional Competence:
People committed to a career of specialization. They are motivated when they become experts in a specific subject and seek challenging work. They aim for specialist positions in a particular field.
Career Anchor B – Managerial/Administrative Competence:
These individuals seek to achieve the highest levels of responsibility within an organization. For them, specialization is a trap; they understand the importance of understanding functional areas but aspire to general management roles.
Career Anchor C – Autonomy and Independence:
People with this anchor seek a career that provides greater independence and allows them to set their own terms.
Career Anchor D – Security and Stability:
This category includes individuals who need to feel secure in the workplace. They seek more predictability in the future and want to “know where they stand.” They are attracted to jobs with good retirement plans and a solid reputation.
Career Anchor E – Entrepreneurial Creativity:
Professionals with a knack for creating new businesses and organizations. They are not necessarily people with artistic creativity but have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Career Anchor F – Dedication to a Cause:
People with this anchor focus on values and dedicate themselves to causes more than their talents and competencies. They are professionals who want to contribute to a better world through their work in some way.
Career Anchor G – Pure Challenge:
Professionals in this anchor category define success as overcoming impossible obstacles or the ability to solve unsolvable problems. They need to feel that they can achieve anything.
Career Anchor H – Lifestyle:
Often, this anchor is misunderstood as being for people who don’t prioritize their careers, but that’s not the case. The point is that individuals anchored by their lifestyle seek to integrate all their needs: individual, family, and career. They can be highly motivated by work but understand that it should be just one part of their overall life. They want above all flexibility.
It’s important for you to be aware of your career anchors because with this information, you can engage in projects and create a purpose for your work that is more aligned with your motivations!
We are your team, and we care about your well-being!
