While the focus will clearly be on who’s taking home the title this Sunday (and how a combination of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will shake out), the real question is: what Super Bowl snack are we eating?
Whether you prefer hot wings or boxes of pizza, snacks are a fixture for every Super Bowl party. So even though we don’t have a team in the big game this year (maybe next year, Bears), we wanted to celebrate the Super Bowl by asking one very important question:
If you and your career were a Super Bowl snack… what would you be?
Nachos
Career: You’re the jack-of-all-trades. You have a little bit of everything to offer, from Excel skills to graphic design or customer service. No matter what your actual job title may be, the your list of hobbies outside the office is extensive. Your interests range far and wide, from art to zoology and everything in between.
Sometimes this wide array of skills can make it challenging to feel satisfied with a career that doesn’t include all your passions.
Advice: There may not be a “perfect job” that lets you do everything you love. Instead, try to incorporate your many interests into the job you have now. Does the Accounting department need help with a big payroll project, or could you use your design skills to help the Sales team?
If you’re involved with a nonprofit, offer to teach colleagues about the cause during lunch. Host a donation drive, or work with the company to sponsor a fundraising event. If you’re an athlete, start a company team. There’s no reason to separate your personal and professional interests.
Veggie Platter
Career: Surrounded by greasy wings and melted cheese, the vegetable platter at a Super Bowl party can seem like a pretty safe choice… and your career could be following a similar path. Your career is on track: you know where you want to be in five years and what you have to do to get there. You’re the reliable choice at work: coworkers know they can come to you, and you’ll do good work. You clock in and out every day, like you should.
… but you don’t push the envelope: you’re not thinking outside the box or taking risks. Coworkers rely on you for help with normal projects, but they don’t come to you with their pie-in-the-sky ideas. You’re the safe option at work.
Advice: Venture outside your comfort zone at work. Take on a project that requires learning a new software or skill; join a different office committee; or bring a crazy idea to your manager… see what they say! The risk could pay off for your career.
Jalapeño Poppers
Career: You’re fearless in your career: you take risks and you push boundaries. You try new things. If you win, you win big… and if you fail, you also fail big. Everyone knows who you are because you can’t help but make your presence known. You’re sassy, spicy, and you say what you mean. You have big ideas about where your career and the company could go.
This fiery, risk-taking attitude can sometimes get the best of you: you say something brash to a coworker, or you make a risky choice without thinking through the consequences. If you’re not careful, these missteps can become all people remember about you… instead of all your successes.
Advice: Don’t lose your spice! This gutsy, “flavorful” approach to work can earn you opportunities other people won’t get, and taking risks is an important part of growing. But it’s equally important that you don’t put the company or your own career in serious jeopardy. Being too abrupt with colleagues can burn important bridges, for example. Investing your team’s budget in a software you didn’t thoroughly vet could backfire in a big way. Take risks, but do the work to justify them.
Chips and Dip
Career: Chips and dip are the most popular and iconic Super Bowl snack. Chips bring people together. And you could be doing the same in your career. You’re the social glue. Regardless of your industry or your role, you can’t help but bring people together.
Networking and relationship building comes naturally to you: you have friends on every team in the company, and you’re up to date on everyone’s lives, in and outside the office. You’re friendly, approachable, and always willing to grab a coffee with a coworker.
Advice: Building strong relationships at work, particularly with top performers and management, will usually help your career… as long as you’re also getting your work done and hitting your goals. Make sure socializing and making friends doesn’t happen at the expense of your responsibilities.
If you’re doing well at work, try putting those social skills to use! Attend local networking events, and build more connections within your industry and your city.
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