Starting a company is like going to war.
Audrey MacLean Venture Capitalist
We all have risk tolerances. We can be risk taking, risk tolerant, or risk averse. These also can change depending on the specific circumstance or objective. For example, I can be risk taking at work but in all family affairs, I am risk averse.
People often go into a profession based on their risk profile. For example, many engineers fear change. Most engineers self select into the profession because they are risk averse. Other professionals seek the thrill of the chase of money are risk taking. Others are somewhere in between and are risk sensitive.
I’m seeing many more people saying: “Enough is enough.” “I don’t want to work for commercial companies or small business. I want job stability.” This person’s personal risk appetite had changed from risk taking to risk averse especially when he factored in his age.
How did you make choices on your work/career/jobs? Were they random choices, you fell into work because work was available? Was it situational because it was the path of least resistance? Was it tactical because you like to solve problems and engineering was the optimal profession for you?
Life Lesson Earned: I believe that career management should be based on making smart choices. Are you: 1. Risk taking; 2. Risk sensitive; or 3. Risk averse? Each of these color your vision of life, work, career, and job. One is not better than another. It is what it is.