What matters most to you typically comes from your values. This is true in your personal life as well as your work. People who value relationships, for instance, often have lots of friends and choose to work in socially-connected environments or as part of a team. Others who value autonomy and adventure generally prefer to work alone, in remote areas or in niche professions where they call the shots.
Knowing what matters to you and what you need in your work, such as time with others or time alone, goes a long way to helping you choose what type of work and working conditions make you happiest, and best able to bring your talents and skills to the task at hand.
Transition Coaching
The challenge for many of us, however, is this: we are in careers, jobs or professions that don't feel like a choice - we simply ended up here. A friend who gets us an interview where they work; an entry-level job evolves into something we don't particularly enjoy but the money is good; we get comfortable doing something for years and lose our self-confidence, believing we are unable to do anything else. All of this spells one thing: boredom, dissatisfaction or burn out. We need a change... A new job, or better yet, a new career... but where to start?
Typically, many people start looking for new opportunities by perusing the classifieds, looking to find positions that could fit with a particular set of experiences, skills or competencies they have collected over the years. Resumes are updated and sent out, sometimes we are called for interviews and maybe we land the new job, which may or may not be better than the last one. If we are lucky, we're happy. If not, the cycle starts again.
Another strategy is to network: get to know people in your field, make sure they have your business card or phone number and stay in touch with them, lest an opportunity come across their desks that fits with what you do. This strategy has potential as you have developed another source of job opportunities - jobs that are not advertised in any of the usual places. This still involves sending out resumes, and going through the recruitment cycle and again, may get you the dream job, or may not.
In my experience as a Career Transition Coach, the best strategy is to start with the end in mind. If you want to be happy in your work, then start with knowing what makes you happy. Your values will tell you this. Take the time to really understand your values; ask yourself what is really important to you, what makes you feel alive and engaged? Is it work-life balance, so you have time with your family? Is it a strong feeling to make a difference in the lives of other people? Is it about learning and trying new things? Is it about being creative, bringing new ideas to life?
When you begin with your values, you have a head start on everyone else scanning the job ads. First of all, you start with self-awareness, and in really knowing yourself, you set yourself up to make choices that align with who you are. Secondly, with your values clearly articulated, you now have a set of criteria to use in vetting potential job or career opportunities - and you have something to tell your network so they will know which opportunities to send (and not send) your way. Finally, you are looking for work based on who you are as well as what you do. This alone will help you find and keep the kind of work that brings out your best qualities.
Many people say life is short. Yes, it is... but it is also deep. Getting to that depth starts with delving into what is most important to you and using your gifts, talents and capabilities to make a contribution to the world based on your unique set of attributes. Start your job search or career transition with an exploration of your values and you will likely find your life - at work and everywhere else - more satisfying than you imagined possible.
Career Transition - What to Do Before You Even Think About Updating Your Resume
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