Clayton Reed Parsons, MA, MLA, is a professional Career Counselor and Coach and Principal of Alternative FUTURES, a full service, nationally recognized career development consulting firm. A longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, Clay is an expert in helping people find meaningful work and manage their careers.

Do you have a healthy or unhealthy career? A healthy career enhances your life and dramatically increases your possibilities. An unhealthy career complicates your life and severely limits your possibilities. Despite the obvious downside, the majority of us actually have unhealthy careers and don't realize it. Although we are all different, here are a few common issues which affect career health. Answer each of the following questions truthfully.

• Is your work meaningful to you? To others? To society as a whole?
  
  
• Are your values and beliefs reflected in your work?
  
  
• Does your work fit your personality?
  
  
• Do your abilities and skills fit your work?
  
  
• Do you like what you do? Are you good at it?
  
  
• Do you work with people you respect? Do you fit in? (culturally, personally, socially)
  
  
• Are you continually learning new things and adding to your capabilities?
  
  
• Does your work provide a good financial return? Do you have adequate benefits including pension and health care? (A difficult one!)
  
  
• Is your commute acceptable? (This is becoming more and more important!)
  
  
• Is your work schedule acceptable? Does it give enough time for you to pursue your personal life?
  
  
• Do you fully support the success of your business or organization?
  
  
• Where is your career going? Is there a future in it or are you just treading water?
  
  
• If you answered most of the above questions in the affirmative your career is healthy.

Keep up the good work. If you found it difficult to answer these questions, found yourself analyzing their relevance or came up with several negative answers you have an unhealthy career and you need to do something about it.

I can help you get healthy again. Call me.