Career or Job?

I came across this in my morning Coffee Reads, and thought I'd pass it along. Michael Santarcangelo has just taken up the mantle of Career Catalyst at CSO, and has put in his first installment as a columnist. Here's what he has to say.

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a job and a career? I have.

As a result, I have spent the last decade considering the difference between practitioners and professionals, jobs and careers.

Along the way I have been honored to train thousands for successful careers as Certified Information System Security Professionals, founded the Security Catalyst Community and developed the Catalyst Career Compass program. In fact, I'm working with a group of amazing people right now to re-launch the Security Catalyst Community and incorporate a guild, complete with a mentoring program [ for details in a few months]. Seems a focus on professionalism and career success has always interested me. Now I have the opportunity to share ideas and strategies for career success in this column.

Why me?

I have cultivated a unique blend of skills and abilities: I am a professional speaker [the capability to teach others], a published author and have over a decade of experience forged in the trenches. Over my career, I have contributed time and effort to advancing the profession through service to [ISC]2 and CompTIA. Most importantly, I am human catalyst focused on harnessing the power of people; in fact, I hold a degree in Human Ecology [go Cornell!].

When pressed, I explain the role of a catalyst in three steps:

1. Observe, absorb and actively engage to learn and experience as much as possible
2. Step back to process, distill and probe deeper with questions to uncover what matters
3. Connect with people, where they are, and communicate what counts.

As a catalyst, I am able to guide a journey that goes beyond finding a job and earning a paycheck to a more rewarding path of developing a successful career. While we can explore the finer points of finding a job, I see this as an opportunity to do more: we can seek out examples of career excellence and amplify the good.

We are fortunate to be in a profession of great impact; with that comes great responsibility. As we engage on this journey, I hope to explore the difference between professionals and practitioners as we cultivate the skills and aptitudes the changing landscape demands.

A few years ago, I shared some collected ideas in a keynote and workshop titled Are you making a living, or a life? Adapted to the focus of making a career instead of working a job, allow me to share three concepts from my own experience:

1. Strive for integration over balance

When something is balanced, there is no movement. The concept of balance in the workplace is misguided and creates a false friction and unnecessary stress. Instead of balance, consider the power of integrating the passions, joys and experiences of life into everything you do. In my experience, it is easy to talk to a colleague about digital cameras, golf or motorcycles. When the time comes to explain a key point or ask for a favor, that commonality and shared experience goes a long way toward understanding and action.

For more of Michael's insight, visit CSO Security Leadership.