Career Change - Is Your Career A Good Fit Or Is It Causing Pain?


Do you leap out of bed in the morning looking forward to the day ahead?

Do you love your job and find that your working day goes past in the blink of an eye?

Are you a solicitor, secretary, scientist or social worker because your parents or your careers teacher thought it was a good idea?

Would you choose to do your job, even if you were not being paid? No?

Well, take heart because the same goes for others! So many individuals are working in jobs which they find unfulfilling and meaningless. Many work in jobs which are inappropriate for them, simply because the pay is good. Others don't even have the sweetener of a decent hourly rate to make them feel better about what they are doing.

How do we find a career which will do more than keep the roof over our head? How do we bring joy and excitement back into our working lives? How can we find a way of fulfilling our life's purpose through our work?

The first step is to think about our aptitudes. If we do something we have a talent for, life instantly becomes easier. If we are good at something it usually means we are able to excel at that thing in the workplace and this makes it easier to achieve and enjoy professional success.

A client worked as a wages clerk. The pay was quite good but she hated the work as she had always struggled with figures. She faced every working day with fear and dread. Working with her coach she explored career possibilities and sat the MAPP assessment tool which highlighted the possibility of using her creative writing skills in the workplace. The client looked around for another job and found a very junior position in a large PR company. There were some drawbacks - a longer commute and a longer working day. However, she decided to take the job and now declares this as the best move she ever made. Work became a joy.

What are you good at? What lessons did you look forward to at school? What have you chosen to study since school? What do you choose to do in your spare time? Think about your talents. Are you using them?

The next step is to consider your values - the thoughts and feelings which are part of you at an unconscious level. A client recently left the employ of one of the large supermarket groups because the way they conducted their business breached her personal values. The client tells us that her working life has improved immeasurably because she is now standing up for her beliefs.

What are your values? What do you get "hot around the collar" about? Can you clearly identify your personal values blueprint? The big challenge is to determine exactly what our aptitudes and values are. So often we live our lives in a way which is appropriate for others. We push our own needs down, we adapt our behaviour to fit what is required and we lose touch with who we really are.

We cannot expect to wear shoes which do not fit us, without discomfort. So why do we expect to be happy in jobs which are the wrong "size" for us?

Donnie Harrison is a personal coach and professional mentor working with individuals who are building private professional practices, especially in the healthcare sector. Further information from http://donnieharrison.com







Related News



British Council Explores Women Career Options - Alarab online

Alarab online

British Council Explores Women Career Options
Alarab online, UK -7 hours ago
... as women in non- traditional careers and encourage and challenge attitudes among young people in the region to consider alternative employment paths. ...

Securing employment in an insecure market - Zawya (press release)

Zawya (press release)

Securing employment in an insecure market
Zawya (press release), United Arab Emirates -12 hours ago
... potential to find fitting employment with benefits and job security. The jobs.abudhabi.ae Careers Advice Lounge facilitates this for NAJAH visitors. ...

South Plains Job Fair Offers Employment Opportunities - KCBD-TV

South Plains Job Fair Offers Employment Opportunities
KCBD-TV, TX -1 hour ago
The South Plains Job Fair offers workers who are unemployed or desire a career change an opportunity to seek employment and network with over sixty-five ...


Bye-bye to career employment for Baby Boomer men - Examiner.com

Examiner.com

Bye-bye to career employment for Baby Boomer men
Examiner.com -Oct 1, 2008
"Career employment – meaning employment with a single employer from middle age to retirement – is no longer the norm. So if workers are to remain in the ...

Job 'mismatch' deplored - Blacktown Sun

Job 'mismatch' deplored
Blacktown Sun, Australia -19 hours ago
Blacktown TAFE hosted the first Blacktown Employment and Careers Expo. The TAFE, Blacktown Council and the Blacktown Regional Economic and Employment...

TheCareerProject.org Celebrates One Year of Helping Job Seekers ... - MarketWatch

TheCareerProject.org Celebrates One Year of Helping Job Seekers ...
MarketWatch -8 hours ago
Recognized in both the academic and employment communities, The Career Project has been featured in numerous blogs and articles, including The New York ...

Students needed - Canada.com

Canada.com

Students needed
Canada.com, Canada -5 hours ago
But as the employment development officer in Vanier College's student employment centre, Popovitch is frustrated at not having enough candidates to fill ...

SAG, AFTRA and AEA Announce the I AM PWD Campaign - American Chronicle

SAG, AFTRA and AEA Announce the I AM PWD Campaign
American Chronicle, CA -2 hours ago
Inclusion in the Arts & Media of People with Disabilities Announcement Recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Los Angeles, New York and ...

PSU Holds Ag Career Day - PA Farm News

PSU Holds Ag Career Day
PA Farm News, PA -10 hours ago
"Even if students are not at the point in their academic career to begin seeking an internship or full-time employment, they are highly encouraged to attend ...

Secrets of Finding Work Past Age 50 Is the Topic of Next Experts ... - MarketWatch

Secrets of Finding Work Past Age 50 Is the Topic of Next Experts ...
MarketWatch -7 hours ago
... such as career transition, changing careers and industries, choosing a career direction, job search, as well as offering guidance for self-employment, ...