“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed

by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

The author of this quote may be dubious (it’s commonly – yet improperly – attributed to Mark Twain), but its relevance to your career isn’t. Twenty years from now, you’re much more likely to regret the career opportunity that you let slip away, than the work mistakes you actually made.

And there’s more than a “warm and fuzzy” quote to back this notion up.

An article recently published by the American Psychological Association (APA) examined six studies that explain why “not taking that job” may wind up being your biggest career regret. Here are a few key takeaways:

• Your most enduring regrets more often stem from discrepancies between who you are and the person you wanted to become (i.e., your “ideal self”), not who you think society and expectations said you should become (i.e., your “ought self”).
• This imbalance is due, at least partly, to the fact that we cope with regret in different ways. In general, we are quicker to act with ought-related regrets (i.e., ones related to duties and responsibilities) than we are with ideal-related regrets (i.e., ones related to goals and aspirations).
• Consequently, ideal-related what-ifs are more likely to remain unresolved, leaving you more likely to regret not being all you could have been more than all you should have been.

The Career That Got Away

Left unattended, your discontent over passing on what could’ve been your dream job will likely linger. You may wind up with unresolvable regrets, because you cannot take back or fix something you never actually did.

Our advice? Throw off those bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor of your mediocre job. Explore. Dream. Discover. Actively seek out opportunities to realize your full career potential. In today’s job market, these opportunities are more plentiful than ever. And the Exact Family of Companies is ready to help you seize the right one.

Contact an Exact Staff Career Agent today – you won’t regret it!

Combining in-depth interviews, personalized assessments and 20 years of recruiting success, we’re the ideal partner to help you:

• identify your strengths;
• evaluate your career options;
• find assignments and full-time positions that align with your career goals and aspirations.

Search jobs here.