A guide to finding a career

Many people choose careers because they are believed to be consistent “wage earners” regardless of the economy, yet are unhappy despite maintaining employment. Moreover, there are a number of ways in which to identify and obtain your “dream” career.

Overview

Many people train for jobs or get degrees to obtain jobs that are considered as the secure money maker at the time, and are expected to remain stable regardless of the economy. Yet, many secretly think about dream jobs which may seem frivolous. Or perhaps they have vague ideas of what else they’d like to do but are unable to identify to define it and are reluctant to job hunt. Deciding to look for a new career or "career job" can seem intimidating.

Suggestions for identifying your ideal career

1) Some suggest imagining what your life would look like in five years if everything ended up as you wanted. Another form of this exercise is to imagine someone reading your eulogy and thinking about what you would want them to say regarding how you spent your life. Morbid perhaps, but writing your own eulogy can help you to identify what you want to do with your life. 2) Ask friends, family workers, trusted co-workers, pastors or anyone who knows you well, what they think you do best and what they think you’d enjoy doing most as a career. 3) Make a list of everything you truly enjoy, including anything you think of no matter how seemingly impossible. Your ideal career is likely to be hidden within somewhere, though it may be comprised of multiple items together. 4) Once you’ve identified something that excites you, research how people get jobs in this area, if more training is needed, what are the best jobs and average salary. 5) When you’ve begun to focus on a specific job, set meetings with individuals who excel at that job, preparing ahead of time what you want to know. Many will want to help someone eager to join their field. 6) Take courses which will provide you with additional credentials, demonstrating your motivation but will also provide you with contacts you can network with and who may send a possibility your way. 7) Talk to people who are happy and successful in what they do and ask them how they accomplished this. Prepare specific questions and ask for specific advice. See if they’ll be willing to become an informal mentor by meeting for coffee every week or so to touch base, get update provide further suggestions. As you learn more about how they succeeded, imitate anything that seems to apply to what you are seeking. After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery.