18 Mar
How Can You Find a Job That Meets your Needs and Makes You Happy?
Posted in Uncategorized on 18.03.10
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
If you’re one of the individuals out there who has job in today’s economy, you probably consider yourself very lucky; however, while you may be employed, can you also say you are happy? Regardless of the state of the economy, I would like to stress to you the importance of finding a job that fits your needs and gives you some form of bliss.
If you accept and work at a job that isn’t the right match, it not only hurts you, it also hurts your employer. Eventually, your entire career path may suffer as a result. Instead, find a job that calls upon your strengths and makes you happy. After all, a job that utilizes your strengths and has a working environment and situation you enjoy will most likely be a good fit in the long run.
When you evaluate your current employment situation, there may be a number of reasons why you are unhappy:
- You are bored at your current job
- You’d like to change careers, but you don’t know where to start
- You may be currently unemployed or facing unemployment
- You may still not know what you want to do, or
- You thought you had it all figured out, but later discovered it’s not what you expected
Fear not! There are ways to overcome potential obstacles and find your happiness in your profession! What are your options to finding a career that better fits your needs?
If you don’t want to chance losing a job in this economy, you can start a change by doing research – it doesn’t affect your current job and will only benefit you in the end. If you are unemployed however, time may not be on your side, but there are benefits. The bright side to unemployment is you have the chance to reflect on your professional goals and development. Once you’ve really figured out what you want, you can make changes – this is the perfect time to do lots of research and figure out what is right for you.
You may find yourself lacking the skills for the job you want. What can you do? Consider building upon them by volunteering or taking a night class. Also, remember the professional skills you currently have, which are transferable, including things like management and leadership experience, research, computer literacy, etc. You may also want to consider the skills you’ve learned from your hobbies and other life experiences as well.
Another helpful option would be taking a personality/career assessment. These evaluations can help you identify what’s important to you in a career, what you like to do and what you’re good at. They can also give you some direction, or at least some options you hadn’t thought about. There are several assessments out there. For example, we offer a free career assessment (valued at $195) which measures your strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. Based on your results, you can do some research and browse through careers that match your strengths and interests.
Sometimes finding your best career options may require some outside help. Using a recruiter to help discover your best career options can be very helpful. These professionals have a thorough knowledge of job descriptions and duties, average salaries, potential growth options and can give you a better sense of what type of work you will do. They may also even open up possibilities you hadn’t considered in the past!
In the end, remember to try and not get overwhelmed as finding the right career path can take some time. As you discover and research more about your strengths and needs, you need to stay motivated and committed. If you choose a job that utilizes most or all of your talents, you will most likely be successful in that field and enjoy that success in the long run!
Sources:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/10/12/quiz-are-you-satisfied-by-your-job/
