How’s my career health? Good, I think...

How healthy is your career? If you're like me, it's been a while since you asked yourself this question. Nevertheless, it's a question every higher education professional should ask themselves.

In Peter Weddle's book, Work Strong, he makes an interesting analogy between physical health and career health. Just as you can be sick and not know it, your career health may be in jeopardy and you don't even know it.

If you are having serious problems with your career, chances are you are aware of it and know you need to do something about it. But what if the signs are more subtle? Maybe you like your profession but can't get along with your department? Maybe you like the school you work for, but don't feel passionate about your academic or administrative field?

A number of factors influence our job satisfaction. Some factors are good and others not. On a day-to-day basis, it's healthy to focus on the positive and live with the negative. But, for a long-term strategy, this survival tactic can prevent you from tackling issues you really need to address.

Hopefully, you're enthusiastic about every aspect of your career. But regardless, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on where your career is headed, what you want to achieve, whether you enjoy how you spend your day, whether you like who you work with, or feel appreciated by your employer.

That's just scratching the surface. If there's an issue with your career, you likely know the questions you need to ask yourself even if you haven't taken the time to do so. To continue with Weddle's medical analogy, finding a good treatment for your career may be what you're looking for, but the first step is to get a good diagnosis.