As of Friday afternoon, I’m officially on summer vacation. That means that my mornings can start like this:

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And my afternoons can look like this:

I love knowing that I have the next two months to recharge, relax, refocus and redecorate (can’t wait to get started on the nursery!). When the end of June rolls around, I’m always so thankful to be in the teaching profession.

Growing up, I thought it was normal for your whole family to spend the summer hanging out together. Both my parents were teachers, and we all had the same schedule. As a result, we took fantastic vacations on a really regular basis, spending lots of time in Canada, Cape Cod, and North Carolina.


Zip-lining in Jamaica – my last family vacation before getting married. Gotta love the matching shirts…

It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I realized most families didn’t have 10+ weeks of vacation time together. I had a pretty amazing childhood, and when I got to graduate school, I made a conscious decision to cultivate a similar lifestyle for my future family.

It turns out I’m not the only one choosing “lifestyle” as a top priority when it comes to career decisions (Hello, Mrs. Cowgirl!). Edgar Schein, a professor at MIT, developed a model known as Schein’s Career Anchors. The model is designed to help people identify what’s most important in an occupation. Everyone has different priorities, so even though individuals might have very similar educations, training, and backgrounds, they make very different career choices.

Here’s a list of the eight different career anchors*. Which one anchors your career decisions? To help you decide which fits you best, you can ask yourself, what am I least willing to give up in a job?

Technical/Functional Competence

This kind of person likes being good at something and will work to become a guru or expert. They like to be challenged and then use their skill to meet the challenge, doing the job properly and better than almost anyone else. They feel gratified when they are recognized for their skills.

Managerial Competence

Unlike technical/functional people, these people want to be managers (though their motivation isn’t strictly monetary compensation). They like problem-solving, dealing with other people, and responsibility. They feel gratified by promotions or increased responsibility.

Autonomy/Independence

These people have NEED to work under their own rules. They avoid standards and like to work alone. They feel gratified by increased autonomy.

Security/Stability

Security-focused people seek stability and continuity. They avoid risks and are generally ‘lifers’ in their job, often staying with the same company for thirty or more years. They feel gratified when their loyalty is recognized.

Entrepreneurial Creativity

These people invent things, are creative and, above all else, want to run their own businesses. They find ownership very important, but they’re willing to share the workload. They easily get bored. Wealth, for them, is a sign of success. They feel gratified when their income increases or the probability of the organization increases.

Service/Dedication to a cause

Service-oriented people are driven by how they can help others more than by using their talents. They might look for jobs in public services or HR. They feel gratified when helping others.

Pure Challenge

People driven by challenge seek constant stimulation and thrive when tackling difficult problems. Such people will change jobs when the current one gets boring and their career can be very varied. They feel gratified by unique or challenging work.

Lifestyle

Those who are focused first on lifestyle look at their whole pattern of living. They not so much balance work and life as integrate it. They may even take long periods off work in which to indulge in passions such as traveling or artistic hobbies. They feel gratified by job flexibility.

Personally, I know my primary anchor is Lifestyle, though Pure Challenge is a close second. I get bored easily, and I like solving new problems in different situations. I’ve had some really exciting opportunities to switch careers, including working for Apple and serving as a regional library director, but I haven’t pursued them. Although the possibilities sound awesome, I’m just not willing to give up time with my new little family, regardless of salary, prestige, and challenges.

Apparently, in Western cultures, there’s a trend towards increased importance on the Lifestyle anchor. In fact, one study suggests that since the 1980s, a growing number of would-be executives defined lifestyle as their primary career anchor – as many as 50% thought it was the MOST  important thing when considering a job. With recent changes in the economy, many young adults entering the workforce have seen parents lose their jobs after devoting their entire lives to a corporation. Therefore, many young employees are less willing to make similar sacrifices for advancement and instead choose to focus on the work-life balance rather than traditional Baby Boomer career goals.

What is your career anchor? Have you made career decisions that allow you to focus on your family and lifestyle rather than other aspects of your occupation?

* Schein, Edgar H, (1990). Career Anchors (discovering your real values), Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, San Francisco