How Do I Find A Job That I Love?

By Susan Harrington

This is a question asked by people I coach in all different phases of work life. From college graduates who are just starting out in their careers to seasoned professionals who might find that the career path they have worked in no longer holds their interest or has much meaning for them. Here are a couple of tips for starting the search for the job you will love.

Where you are in this career search, makes a difference in what you do to find a satisfying answer. If you are at the beginning of your career life, whether you are a younger twenty-something or if you are entering the work force after taking time off, for instance to raise a family, you might find it especially helpful to take a few career tests. Career tests help match your personality, skills, and interests to careers that might fit you the best. There are many different types available and you can find them on the Internet as well as administered by career counselors. The Internet has some for little or no charge as well as more complete tests that seem to cost about $50.00 and up. Once you start looking at these tests, you’ll find there are scores of different ones to choose from – which is the best one? Hard to say, they all seem to point in similar directions and give different type of detail. Tests based on John Holland’s test are commonly recommended and give job titles associated with your profile.

If you already have career experience and are looking for a career change, you might benefit from trying a personality profile test. The Meyers Briggs test is often used for this purpose. One that I like a lot is the DISC Profile. These tests provide insight into your personality “type” and help you to understand what environment, job qualities, people and situations your “type” finds most rewarding, challenging, productive and works best. They may or may not list possible job titles for you to explore, but give you deeper insight into yourself and how you work. I’ve found them to be surprisingly accurate and informative. These usually cost money – but again, search around on the Internet, free ones are out there sometimes.

Another step to finding a job you love involves one of the first activities I always have my coaching clients do. I always have them identify their top 5 values or core beliefs. I’m not talking about values from a moral standpoint, I mean what you value, what’s important to you. Understanding and naming your values helps you clarify what you really care about. When you understand what you really care about, you can begin to structure your life and your work (and looking for the type of work) around living those values. When you live and work in alignment with your values, you will be amazed how fulfilling your life and work can be.

After you’ve identified your core values, brainstorm some ideas about job situations that are going to allow you to live those values. Come up with a list of possibilities. If you have friends or family that can help with your brainstorming, get their input. Getting other people’s perspective can provide insight that you just don’t have when you work on it by yourself. Your ideas may involve a complete shift from what you currently do for work, or it may be more of a lateral move or even just a different position within the same company. Be creative and keep an open mind. Select your top three ideas and begin to research them.

This is often the place where people stop and get stuck. They drop the ball, and don’t pick it up again. Why? Because the next steps require some effort, and a lot of us would rather complain than do the work. But if you really want to find the right situation for yourself, isn’t it worth some effort? Ask yourself, “How bad do I want it?”

Research involves finding out whatever you can about your top three possibilities. Look for books on the subject, use the internet, find special interest groups that have members in the job area, and of course, my favorite research tool, informational interviews. Find people who are already doing what you are interested in doing and ask them for an informational interview. It’s a great way to find out what a job or career direction is really like and it gives you a sense about whether or not it would “fit” you. Informational interviews are also a great way to get out into the world and practice interacting with people working in the area you might be interested in. It will give you a better sense of the type of people you’d be likely to work with, a look at their environment and it never hurts to have made a contact. Most jobs are obtained through knowing someone, networking or being referred by someone. The more contacts you make, the better.

Lastly, if you can, work with a professional. Seek the assistance of a professional career counselor or coach who can help you identify, define and support your efforts to find the direction that fits what you are looking for. Finding a job you love is very different than just getting a job. What I’m talking about takes a willingness to look inward and do some real self-discovery. I’m not talking about therapy, I’m talking about asking some good questions of yourself and taking responsibility for finding the answers. This can be difficult to do on your own. Having someone to ask those questions and hold you accountable can be a powerful tool to move you toward your answers. Additionally, it’s really helpful to have someone keep you on track with the steps you take to pursue your direction, the tactical part of just getting things done. It’s so easy to have great intentions and still have days and then a week or several weeks fly by and not do what you need to do to make progress. If you’re already working and want to make a change in what you do, no doubt your life is already very busy. It can be difficult to motivate yourself alone to do the extra tasks you need to do to get yourself moving towards a new direction. If you’re not working, it can be difficult to generate the self-discipline and motivation to get into action and stay focused all on your own.

It’s easy to become discouraged in this process. Because it is a process, and it takes a little time. But taking the time, making the effort, answering the questions about yourself has big payoffs. It’s a great feeling to enjoy what you do for a living.

Finding a job your love is worth the effort.

Susan Harrington is a Career and Life Coach who works with clients throughout the world. She helps forward thinkers make successful careers. Download her free Special Report, "5 Steps to Finding Meaningful Work" (a $27.00 value) at her website http://www.susanharrington.com

Contact her at (503) 372-5097 or email susan@susanharrington.com

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