Career Clock (wage earners)

Understanding where you are in the arc of your career or project is important to determining your aptitude for risk or earnings (two different things):

1. Your value as an employee

2. Your preparedness for risk as a business owner

I developed this illustration as an answer to frequent clients that are starting their first business. 

I work with many career employees who are making their first risk in business (inventors, artists, startups, technology, etc…).  After years of working for someone else they are ready to strike out on their own.  Many, however, don’t truly appreciate how insulated their life has been as an employee.  Employee positions do not involve any personal risk (one is simply trading time, talent and responsibility for a given wage).   It may be worth discussion, but if you are considering self-employment or business ownership it is a good place to start. 

If you are already an owner (or self-employed…and there is a difference), this illustration may turn your wheels a little about where your value is in a business (and what other talent you may need to surround yourself with, in order to be most profitable).  This is titled “Wage Earner’s Career Clock” for a reason (owners don’t typically derive their income from a wage; earnings and wages being two distinct things).

In this illustration, MONEY exists outside the circle.  Getting to the money requires four things:

• Time
• Talent
• Responsibility
• Risk

MEINC_CareerClock1 (printable PDF)