This HR Professional’s Story Confirmed What I’d Feared All Along About My Career
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Yesterday, relaxing in bed with a book in hand, I finally discovered why I’d been frustrated for so many years at work.
It’s funny how another person’s story can change your entire outlook on life. That’s exactly what one story in Jonathan Fields’ recently released book, Sparked, did for me. But before I get to that, I should probably explain the fascinating concept behind the book and why I was reading it.
Sparked promises readers the ability to discover their unique imprint for work that makes them come alive.
This follows Fields’ popular online Sparketype assessment, which gives people insight into what type of work they like to do from a variety of categories, including Maker (my Primary Sparketype), Nurturer, Sage, Advisor, and Advocate (among others).
I found myself drawn to this book recently, seeking clarity for the next steps on my solopreneur journey. Writing has always appealed to me (as evidenced by writing 4 thriller books and the frequent essays and articles I put out), but I’ve still felt confusion over what I should do now that I left my job 3 weeks ago. I’ve considered offering consulting services in my old domain of HR/Compensation and have questioned what I should go to the market with first.
Funnily enough, there was one story in the Essentialist chapter of the book (which is my Anti-Sparketype or type of work that drains me) that confirmed exactly why I’d been so burnt out and frustrated in my prior roles.
The story follows an HR leader named Monisha, who had spent the first few years of her career in recruiting.
Yet she eventually realized that the part of her work she enjoyed most was more analytical in nature. She transitioned to the HR field of compensation & benefits, where she could use her skills as an Essentialist in a way more suited to her career goals. Reading through Monisha’s story and discovering how much project planning and data analysis have drained me over the past 8 years in compensation & benefits made me realize that I’ve been on the wrong path my entire career.
Thankfully, I’ve also spent the last several years leaning into my Maker tendencies.
