Don’t Look for a Job. Find a Career
I Just Want a Job
I get lots of calls and emails from lots of people in lots of different phases of their careers, from new grads just starting out to baby boomers forced to work beyond retirement…and everyone in between.
The situation of each caller may be different but when I ask what kind of position is being targeted, the answer is often the same, “I just want a job.”
That’s definitely the wrong way to go about finding work. Unless what you do to earn a paycheck is in line with your interests and abilities, it’s a good bet you’ll spend a lot of years being unfulfilled at best and miserable at worst.
No matter where you are in your career, if you’re going to find any enjoyment out of where you spend about 75% of your daytime hours, you need to engage in work that’s right for you. Otherwise, you’ll end up just going through the motions, whether you’re employed for 50 years or five…and either time period is a large chunk of your life.
You’ll be happiest (and consequently perform better on the job) if you find work that matches your interests, skills, and personality. If you can’t stand being confined to a desk all day long, then an office job is probably not for you.
Move From Miserable to Motivated
One of my friends spent 10 years working as a secretary, a job I later found out she absolutely hated. Not because of the employer but because she found it almost unbearable to be locked behind a desk all day long. But it paid well and was secure right up to the minute it was over due to company downsizing.
Within a few weeks, she went to work for a housecleaning business and after about a year with that firm, started her own housecleaning company. She loves the variety of going to different places every day and doing work she enjoys and finds satisfying. Seven years later, both she and her company are thriving.
But you don’t have to become an entrepreneur to find a career that suits you well. Think about work that matches your interests and abilities. For example:
- If you like being outdoors; doing research; solving problems; advising others; taking care of kids, seniors, or sick people, you can build a career doing just that.
- If you enjoy taking apart computers and putting them back together or working on your car, you can find careers doing those things.
- If you like math, science, and technology, you can find careers that fit those interests too.
Think about what Bill Gates said about his life’s work, “Paul and I, we never thought that we would make much money out of the thing. We just loved writing software.”
Sue Montgomery is founder and president of Resume Plus (www.resumeplus.com). She is a professional resume writer and career coach who markets people for the jobs they want. Contact Sue directly at 937-254-5627 or email sue@resumeplus.com.