4 Ways to Make Career Envy Work for You

4 Ways to Make Career Envy Work for You4 Ways to Make Career Envy Work for You Envy. Jealousy, The green-eyed monster. Whatever you call it, almost all of us have experienced it before in our careers (and if you havent yet, you probably will). Whether its sparked by hearing how much your colleague makes, seeing someone else get that promotion youve been eyeing or hearing about an old classmate getting your dream job ( brewmaster , anyone?), career envy can put you in a serious funk - but it doesnt have to.J ealousy and envy are gifts saysSally Srok, Founder and President of Inner Compass Consulting . Theyre informing you of an unfulfilled part of your destiny.So the next time career envy rears its ugly head, dont just feel sorry for yourself - get proactive with these four steps.The first pangs of envy are intense - often, it feels like a punch right in the gut. But before you give in to anger, sadness or bitterness, its important to take a step back. A great way to do that, according to Miriam Leia Bekkouche of mindfulness coaching firm The Brain Spa , is to practice a few deep breathing exercises.First, take a deep breath Jealousy can be intense. Breathing helps you ride the wave instead of letting it sweep you away. Even one long exhale activates the calming (parasympathetic) system of your body so that you can regain your balance, Bekkouche says.Instead of dwelling on your envy, compassionately acknowledge the fact that youre feeling it.Being able to feel an emotion and stay present enough to identify whats arising as its happening takes skills, Bekkouche says. This simple action is helping steer clear from any automatic tendency to spiral into a whirlpool of envious thoughts or to drown in shame for feeling jealous in the first place.Once youve had the chance to recuperate a bit, its time to explore what specifically is making you feel this way.Our emotions are our greatest allies in letting us know whats swimming around in our unco nscious, Bekkouche says. Jealous of your friends new title? Your emotions may be pointing you to some hidden career goal you werent quite ready to acknowledge publicly. Envious or your colleagues corner office? Perhaps its time you consider what your ideal work environment would look like.When reflecting on what exactly youre envious of, its also important to identify whether its a small- or big-picture issue.Identify if it is the actual role you desire, or only elements of it, Srok recommends. For example, you may envy your bosss job because she gets to think of big ideas, while you handle the details. This information tells you that you look forward to working in a role that involves vision-thinking. You may be jealous of a salespersons job because he gets to travel. If the saatkorn career envy appears repeatedly throughout yourlife, it may be giving you information about your calling.Another valuable exercise is to think whether or not you would really be happy with what what ever the person youre envious of has.If its purely because they are progressing in their company faster than you are in yours, or are making more money , this is standard envy, and we are all a little guilty of this from time to time, says Steve Pritchard, HR Consultant for Cuuver . The simple fact is, different industries pay different amounts at different levels - they may have a job title that sounds impressive, but it may pay several thousand dollars less than your current role. The grass is always greener on the other side.Similarly, you might covet a prestigious promotion somebody got, but would you really be willing to take on the additional responsibility that it entails? Or if a friend scored a job in an exciting but demanding industry like entertainment, would you realistically be okay with sacrificing your work-life balance? Oftentimes, the answer is no.In some cases, of course, the answer will be yes - and thats fine It just means you have some extra work to do. Wh ich brings us to our next pointJealousy can have a positive side in that it can become a motivator for you to work harder, Pritchard says. So the next time you resent a coworker or friend for their success, try to turn that envy into inspiration.But dont let that momentum lead you to make a rash decision like quitting your job without thinking it through first. Instead, put together a plan with tangible, realistic steps that will help you work toward your desired result.A great way to do this is to find the job requirements for your dream job and put them next to the skills you are learning in your current job, Brown says. Look for overlaps and work on the areas that will strengthen your skills each job you take after that should help develop the skills you need.Career envy may not be particularly pleasant in the moment youre experiencing it, but it can be a powerful way to help you take control of your career.Jealousy is likely to show up every once and a while. And, although w e may all agree that wed like to see less of it around, why not treat it like an ally on the journey when it does show up? Bekkouche says.