6 Steps to a Career You’ll Love
Work is called work for a reason. And yet, the right career can help make your life more fulfilling. Making a wise choice can enable you to avoid a lot of misery and fund a lifestyle that you enjoy.
The wrong choice can lead to financial challenges, and it’s not fun to go to a job you don’t like day after day.
Use these steps to choose a career that’s right for you:
Step 1 – Brainstorm Possible Careers
Do this with a colleague, friend, family member, or just by yourself. The goal here is to throw things up on the wall and see what sticks. You have to keep the voices in your head quiet. Otherwise, they will tell you all the reasons why you can’t do any of these things. This step is to not say no to yourself. This step is to really have fun and explore possibilities!
Step 2 – What are you willing to do for that ideal Job?
Are you willing to go back to school, take an entry level position, move to another city or country?
Step 3 – How Do You Like to Work
What’s your work style? Do you like working 9-5, must be outside, work from home, working with a team, individual contributor, employee, contractor, your own office, cubicles?
Step 4 – What are Your Top 5 Skills
Then based on that work style, what are you good at? Good communicator, teamwork, initiative/self-starter, flexible, introvert/extrovert, negotiating and persuading. Pull that picture together of how you like to work and the skills you excel at.
Then use how you like to work, your top skills and most importantly what you are willing to do, to narrow down your brainstorm list to the top 5 jobs you would like to do.
Step 5 – Research based on how you like to work and those skills
Do your research based on those top 5 jobs that meet your criteria defined in the previous steps. Then find out everything you can about those types of jobs, requirements and see how your history fits into those jobs.
Step 6 – Get Out There
Based on your research, network, network, network. Reach out to everyone you know, friends, family, colleagues past and present, people you went to school with. Make sure you are clear and consise on what is it you would like from them. Then see who you can set-up informational interviews with or shadow to learn more and confirm this is something that you want to do in your next chapter in life.
The perfect career will be something you love, that you’re good at, that also fits your dream lifestyle and work environment.
If none of your options are appealing to you, you might want to consider going back to school for additional education. Another few years of schooling might sound dreadful, but a few years is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of your life.
A poor career choice can be costly down the road. Take the time to make a wise decision. It will be time well-spent in helping make Mondays exciting again!
Please reach out if you would like help figuring out your next career, happy to help!