YOUR CAREER MATTERS

10 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THE CAREER YOU DESERVE

“Every man’s life is a fairy tale written with God’s finger. The difference between a unhappy fairy tale ending and a happy fairy tale ending are the choices that we make along the way”        Hans Christian Anderson

   There was a time when most people, including my parents, who found   a stable job that paid reasonably well stuck with it until retirement.  It  never occurred to them, to ask themselves questions like,“ Do I really    enjoy what I’m doing?’ or “Does this job allow me to express myself?”

   Today, people are asking themselves those questions about their employment, due to the ever growing demands placed upon them from their employers. People are prioritizing their lives to obtain a better quality of life, to the point of taking a reduction in pay.

   If you are really enjoying the job that you have -stop here! You will not need to read any further! However, if you are not quite satisfied or not actually enjoying what are you doing- keep reading these tips – they may help you on your way to find your dream job. 

1. First, ask yourself- What is it I don’t like about my job? Make a list of what you do and don’t like! Is this the type of job,  the company or the way you have to do your job?

      In general –rank how much you are satisfied with your current employment- from 1 to 10. Below 6- you are not in the right place. However your best insights will come from being in silence- stop for moment, give yourself a break to hear what you want.

      Overacting is well known psychological defense that prevents us from getting in touch with our inner selves.

2. Let’s say you don’t like the kind of work you do, but you struggle with not knowing what you do want to do. Ask yourself, what are my talents, hobbies or things I enjoy doing in my leisure time?

     Begin to align your talents and abilities with your ideal dream job- which will lead to purpose and fulfillment. They are not given to you with no purpose.

     Who ever said  fun should begin after work? The most successful people have fun doing their jobs, they have their business in their hearts and their hearts in their business. You can rarely succeed in something that you hate, right?

3. Don’t limit yourself by remaining in the same job or field, just because you have been trained or you have studied that in the University.  Maybe your ladder is laying against the wrong wall?

4. Check out your  belief and value system- are they working in your favor? Are you carrying too much baggage? Is it really important to work in a “prestigious” job that you hate?

      Just to brag in front of friends and relatives or may be thinking it will give you an advantage in the eyes of the opposite sex? Forget it.

      Researches show that majority of men and women are willing to support their partner in pursuing their dream career! (Unlikely 50-60 years ago when women looked at men mainly as a provider, and men looked at women mainly as housekeepers and mothers).

5. Once you define what you want to do, devise a plan how to accomplish your goals. Establish a dead line of when you would like to meet your goals.

      Draw a detailed picture of your dream job – include how much you’ll be making, how your office will look like, what hours you will work etc. Put your vision on paper. Don’t be humble- you can get what ever you want and the way you want it!

6. Once this decision becomes your priority- design all your life around this priority. Do not try to fit new ideas into old style of life. It never works that way. Commit  to your goal 100% . 99% is not enough.

7. “Withdraw” all your energy from the old job- stop taking training, investing efforts, making plans- minimize your input in all aspects.  I’m not suggesting to walk off your job tomorrow and pursue a career as ballroom dancer or wind-surfer (nothing wrong with that though).

     Put all that energy into your career transition. What ever you focus on, it will expand. Keep your focus and you’ll began to see new possibilities and meet people that will help you get where you want to be.

8.The fear of failure or failure of success is undivided part of this process. You can either try to make the career transition gradually, which rarely happens, or make the quantum leap.

      Feel the fear and do it anyway.  There is no other way to confront your fear. Start packing up your parachute. If you are on the right track you won’t break your head.

9. Surround yourself with supporters. Consider hiring a career coach/consultant/advisor- somebody that will hold you accountable regarding your goals, will support you and guide you. 

     Their success depends on yours. However, you can not hire someone to do push ups for you, right? Our friends play different role- they’ll listen to our complains and help us when we are discouraged and down, but they won’t give you assignments and call you to check if you called 5 companies, mailed your resumes or took that class, right?

10. Never forget you are 100% responsible for your own life and for the decisions you make. You are not alone and a lot of people have been there before you. Go for your dreams! You deserve better life. 

Svetla Bankova