Create the Ultimate Career

We owe it to ourselves, to fill our days with work that we enjoy. How can we ever be happy and successful doing work that we hate?

The cost of working in a job that we don’t enjoy is huge.  And it’s not just the hours in the office.  Negative feelings overflow into all areas of our lives, reducing our levels of fulfilment, satisfaction and happiness.

Signs include, waking up feeling lethargic or grumpy; needing regular visits to the espresso bar; through to, coming home from work and fuelling our emptiness with food.

If you are experiencing Career Hell Syndrome, here are some practical steps to create a new rewarding career.
 

STEP 1 -  Rediscover your skills and talents

Everyone has skills and talents.  Skills are learnt.  You are born with talents.  Unfortunately we can forget what they are or under value them.  As author Greg Anderson states, “We are all potentially brilliant and creative, but only if we believe it”.   Look at all areas of your life and reflect deeply:

·                 What are you good at

·                 What would you like to be good at

·                 What excites you

·                 What do people compliment you for

·                 What have you been good at in the past

·                 What takes your interest and

·                 What you would feel guilty getting paid to do.

               

STEP 2 - Create a niche

A niche is an area where you have specialised skills.  The benefit of creating a niche is that you will become viewed as an expert and you don’t have to compete with others.  The good news about niches is that you can create your own to showcase you talents and passion.  This makes it so much easier to build your reputation and market your skills and talents with confidence and self-belief.


Here are some questions to help you clarify your potential niche.

·                 To what problem can I apply my interests, skills and talents?

·                 What businesses or organisations could benefit from my skills?

·                 Are there any opportunities in my current role which will connect me with my potential niche?

 

STEP 3 – Clarify how best to sell your skills

There are many options to employ your skills.  But first, get clear on what your ideal job looks like.

·                 How many hours a day would you like work

·                 How many days a week would you like work

·                 How much money would you to make

·                 Where will you work from

·                 Do you do the same work each day or must you have variety

·                 Who are your customers, clients, co-workers.

 
Next, clarify what is the best structure to showcase your niche.  Is it:

·                 Self employment

·                 Contracting your services

·                 The flexibility of temping

·                 Running your own business

·                 Working for small, medium or large sized company

·                 Forming a partnership or alliance

 

STEP 4 - Invest and make it happen

When you are clear on your new career, go find it.  Transfer negative go-nowhere energy into positively shaping your new career.  Remember, to get, you have to give.   If it took you three, six or even 12 months to secure that ultimate job, would that be worthwhile?

 
In addition to keeping in touch with the job market, you can take control and shape your future career by:

·                 Visualisation.  Get a clear picture of your ideal work day.  How are you feeling?  What you are doing?  Picturing these images in your mind creates motivation and confidence.

·                 Learning.  Upgrade you skills or acquire new ones.  Read about of the latest developments and trends, and talk to people who work in your proposed niche area.

·                 Relax.  Take time out to disconnect and appreciate all that is good and working well in the other areas of your life.

 
When Marie became a first time Mother, she was determined to find a new career path for which she was passionate.  Using one of my favourite techniques (asking a question to get the answer), she focused on the following - What am I passionate about and how can I turn this into a business?  She repeated the question several times each day, like an affirmation.  After one week, she felt like a detective searching for answers, with a sharpened focus.

One month later, while skim reading her pile of her fitness magazines, the answer became obvious.  She was passionate about health and fitness.  She enrolled in an on-line study program, and started designing fitness programs for her Mother friends who wanted to get back in shape with a program that worked around their parenting commitments.

As they saying goes, do what you love and the money will follow.  Identify opportunities, develop your skills, establish contacts, challenge yourself, and become the best in your field of interest.  Opportunities don’t just happen, they are something you create.


TAKE ACTION

Using the steps above to gain insight allocate some time over the next week to:

1.       Identify your skills and talents

2.       Identify opportunities to promote your niche skills