Have you ever felt stuck in your day-to-day job? Stress at work can be devastating to your personal life. Just think for a minute, you spend a good part of your day getting ready for and being at your job. That is something that could take a toll on you over time.
Now, if you emphatically feel stuck, here are suggestions to get the one you like:
Jot down on paper – Take a pencil and a notebook to jot down your desired career goals in the form of a question. Then, list as many answers. As an example, you may choose to scribbling down “What should I be doing with my time and life?” Then after that stay seated for a half hour to an hour compiling a list of answers to the question . You can easily do over and over again until you find the right answer (at least on paper).
Discuss with friends and relatives – Sometimes our friends understand or know us in ways we’re not able to for ourselves. While socializing with a friend or a relative, let them know that you’re in a crossroad in your life or career. Ask their advice on what they think you enjoy doing. There’s a good chance that they can pinpoint the skill sets that you like using over and over and suggest a direction.
Talk to people at work – Much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers see you in a different light. In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment. Make a list of what they say and see if there are any common threads you can explore.
Talk to an agency – If you are searching in your career, it’s likely you maintain resumes, sometimes, up-to-date. Sometimes you may get lucky and catch a job placement specialist in between recruiting schedules and discuss with them your career goals. I’ve done this a few times before and some, not all, have been open to talk. The result are usually good.
Complete a career assessment exam – Keep this in mind: all professions require different career paths. Makes sense, right; registered nursing career require a different set of skills from a firefighter. There are online sites where you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee. Also keep in mind that, from above, a lot of job placement agencies where headhunters work have this software and will let you take the test in their office. I’ve taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough. They ask you to click on answers to questions regarding your professional expertise and goals. Again, this is another place to see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.
Jot down ideas, like in a journal – It’s always good to browse for common threads in your writing. Look out for common themes. Also, what you don’t like is almost as important as finding what you do like. As an example, if you’re averse to an overbearing supervisor, then you might want to start your own business. If you hate nosy coworkers you’d probably prefer your own office.
Understanding your career goals can be puzzling, yet very critical to you. We spend 1/3 or more of our lives earning a living for ourselves and family. Hence, its worthwhile to figure it out.