Do you hate your job?
With so many people out of work, it truly is a wonderful thing to have a job! However, there are many people across the country that actually have jobs they hate. If you’re one of those people who loses sleep tossing and turning every Sunday night dreading the idea of going back to work on Monday morning, this is just for you.
To start, I am going to make the assumption that you have already assessed your present work situation, defined what made the job intolerable, identified what about the job or work was of value, and decided on a work culture fit in terms of your personality. If not, you may want to take stock of your current work situation before going any further. That way you get a good feel for what you really want in the future, and you won’t inadvertently take a job that is a complete mismatch.
Here are several tips to keep you moving forward in your quest for a dream job.
Tip #1
Of the skills you have used in the past, identify which ones you enjoyed using and of those which ones you could transfer into a new career. Did you enjoy working on projects using Publisher? Were you a volunteer who loved working with patients? Have you always had a thing about carpentry, or helicopters, or design work? Keep those interests, experiences and skills in mind. Write them down because you may want to use some of those skills in your next role or as you advance toward a new career path.
Tip #2
As an idea or jumping off point – consider taking a couple of free career assessments to give you some ideas. Remember, career assessments are only tools and certainly not something you would want to base your entire career future on. A couple that might be of interest are: http://www.truecolorscareer.com/ or http://www.princetonreview.com/ or http://www.jobehaviors.com/ – again these are just to bounce some ideas around. They won’t give you answers on a new career.
Tip #3
The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers an Occupational Outlook Handbook site that provides some background information on jobs. It also offers info on education or training needed, salary and potential job prospects, work required for specific roles, and the conditions one would encounter while employed in a particular position.
To access the site and the Occupational Outlook Handbook go to http://www.bls.gov/oco/ where you’ll either be able do a search or find all occupations listed in alphabetical order. Do some research and find between five and fifteen jobs that are of interest to you. See if you have any of the skills required and jot down both the skills you have and the skills you need. This will also give you an idea if you are even remotely interested in acquiring the skills needed.
As an exercise, write down your transferable skills, complete a couple of assessments (of your choosing), and conduct the research suggested in the above.
By using these tips you will have amassed some great information about yourself and prospective new career paths. Remember, that is the goal for right now. You want to find out what will make the most difference to you. This will be worth in the end! By the end of your exercises, note taking, assessments, and research, you’ll come to love Monday mornings again.
Still more to come. Watch for more tips to shift you from I hate my job to I have my dream job!