Career Development: Don't Imitate an Imitation

I just finished reading Gerald Nachman’s outstanding book about the Ed Sullivan Show, Right Here on Our Stage Tonight, and was particularly intrigued by the story of one of the greatest of all impressionists, Will Jordan, generally considered the first person to do an Ed Sullivan imitation. Jordan’s Sullivan was so spot-on, and became so well known, that it became the virtual blueprint for the avalanche of Ed Sullivan impersonations that followed.  As Nachman notes, “Many of the [later] imitations were based on, or rudely stolen from, Jordan’s concept of Sullivan.”

Reading Jordan’s story prompted me to wonder: How often do people try to chart their own lives and careers by “imitating an imitation”?

Think of it like this: A person may embark on a certain career path based on what other people say she should be doing. Or she reads articles about “the top growth careers for the next decade” and thinks that money and opportunity should be the driving factors behind her career choices. Or she leaps onto the manager track because she hears that that’s the only way to make career “progress” (which she equates with getting promotions).

By listening to these outside voices, a person can form a mental image of who she should be and what she should be doing as she pursues her career. But this person in her head is often a pale imitation of who she really is, can be, and wants to be. So instead of trying to identify and capitalize on her true strengths and unique value, she spends her development efforts struggling to emulate this imitation self.

She then wakes up one day to wonder:  Why don’t things feel right? Why do I feel like an imposter?

The remedy for avoiding this “imitating the imitator” syndrome?  First, find your own authentic career fit. Dr. Beverly Kaye, CEO of Career Systems International, describes “career fit” as a match of three things – personal values, skills, and interests – with your current situation. Get clear about each of these three career fit components for you, and don’t shy away from exploring ways to realize the match – even negotiating with your manager to modify your current job.

Second, open your mind to the idea that, when it comes to career progress, “up is not the only way” (to quote the title of one of Dr. Kaye’s books).  Instead of a career ladder, think of it as a career lattice - a multi-directional model in which you can move up, sideways, or even back down, depending on your career or personal goals and your own assessment of career fit.  Again, expand your thinking as to how you can customize a path that works for you.

Keep in mind that career development starts with a clear understanding of your own unique, ideal combination of values, skills, and interests. Don’t imitate an imitation. If you’re going to model your career development actions on anybody, model yourself on an original – your own self-created vision of who you are and what will work for you.

For more resources on career development, see the Career Systems International website.