How did you get to where you are today in terms of your career?  The answer usually falls in to one of two possibilities: 1) you knew exactly what you wanted to do and set out on that path, or 2) through a series of circumstances or choices you fell into the career you currently have.  A lot of people start out unsure of what they want to do with the rest of their lives, take a job out of necessity or interest, and just stick with it because that is what they started out doing.  Sometimes people luck out and end up really loving what they do–even if they did not pre-plan their career.  For others, most of their working life is fraught with dissatisfaction because they are doing something that they really don’t enjoy.  If this sounds like you then start thinking about what would be the right career for you.

1. Know your strengths.
Many people are more apt to think about what they wish they were good at rather than what they actually are good at.  Take some time to self assess and identify what comes naturally to you.  Start making a list of those strengths. 

2. What gets you excited?
Between your current work role and your personal life, what do you gravitate towards?  Those things that we are truly interested in have a way of manifesting themselves in all areas of our lives.  Someone who enjoys helping people at work will also find ways to help others outside of work.  This example suggests someone who is altruistic and might have a higher level of satisfaction working in a non-profit environment. 

On the flip side, a good way of identifying when you are outside of your interest area is when you find ways to ignore the work you need to do.

3. Find like-minded people.
Once you begin to formulate your career ambitions, the next step is to find people who support and complement your strengths and interests.   If your current choice of career is not too far off from where your real interest lies then chances are you can find people within your current network who can help you to rise to your best level.  But, if to be truly happy and have the best career for you, it requires great changes then it may also mean creating a new branch of your network.  The key is to surround yourself with people who will support your push into a new career and future.

Since work is such a large part of life why not do something for which you are best suited?  It is never too late!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 10:21 pm and is filed under Work/Life Balance, job search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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