Are you looking for a new job?
Are you fed up with what you do? Do you believe you should do something different and bigger?
I have good news for you. You will find the right job for you.
But do not take a personality quiz to determine what you should do. No need to follow Elon Musk’s Twitter and dream about being like him. Nah, don’t bother.
Finding your dream job is easy if you are willing to risk and explore foreign shores.
A little party to start your perfect job search
Ok. Get ready. Start.
When you get to the point you want to change your work, you must be:
- Frustrated that you haven’t developed any new skills
- Unhappy with your salary
- Tired of your boss
- Burned out from stress and unpaid over hours
It dawned on you that you had to change something. It doesn’t make sense to sit in your office doing the same thing you’ve been doing for the past few months or years. You’re coming out of your comfort zone.
But you don’t know exactly what you want to do. You only have a blurry idea. So, you are afraid of this change. You don't want to lose your regular income. You are terrified that you may not find anything.
Doubts should not redirect you from your path.
To achieve that, celebrate yourself. I applaud you for making this decision. Be proud that you want to try something different. Before you start your new job search, prepare a brief party for yourself.
It is an incredibly crucial step in the process.
Get your guns filled
Before you start looking, you need to think about what you want to do. You can’t just sit at the computer and browse job offers. That’s not going to help you.
It is time to analyze.
Write down a list of things you know and can do. Point out what you like and what you want to learn. Make an exclamation mark next to duties you hate doing. Once the list is more or less complete, sleep on it.
When you have fresh eyes, see what you did. Laugh at yourself.
Sort the list based on your preferences.
Do you see what stands out? Great. That’s what you are looking for. When you don’t do this exercise, you will be lost in vague job ads that you feel you could do. But in fact, you have a slim chance of succeeding. Be aspirational and fun, but also realistic.
The perfect job is out there
When you know what you are looking for, you are likely to find it. It is just as easy.
My friend works as a data analyst at a bank. He hates his job and has recently decided to change it. Hurray. Well, not that fast. He is lost. No preferences were set, and he applied for random jobs. Like:
- Project manager in Indonesia
- Drone pilot
- Account manager for campervan rental service
- Branch manager
- Sales representative for an investment company
He liked all these and had a feeling they were not rocket science. The job was not suitable for him after the interview, or he did not succeed.
It is a demotivating experience, isn’t it? Can you relate?
A perfect job is not random.
You can’t wake up and know what your perfect job is. I have only one friend who has achieved that. She woke up one day and decided to be a photographer. Now she’s an accomplished and well-known celebrity photographer.
For the rest of us, the perfect job is a combination of who we are, what we know, what we want to learn, and how serious we are about our decisions.
Get your two and two together
My dear friend, the perfect job is a journey. It is a fun exploration and discovery.
The more you know yourself, the closer you are to finding your perfect job.
Easy, no?
My other friend can only handle a job for two years. Then, she has to move on. Yet, each work she has done has given her new experience and perspective about what she’s meant to do.
No job you have ever done was a waste of your time! You don’t need to be satisfied with every single job. Experiment with what you like and dislike.
Expose yourself to variations of jobs and see where they take you. You aim to build a colorful mosaic of work experiences.
When you zoom out, you see the bigger picture. You found that in each job you loved teaching others, so you might want to teach. Or that you like working alone. So, you avoid working in teams.
All you need is experience working to decide what truly works for you and what your perfect job is.
Get over yourself
The most difficult part of the process is getting over yourself.
Like many others, you seek quick solutions and wins. That won’t work. You are unlikely to find your perfect partner in one day, and you are unlikely to do so with the perfect job.
Stop being sad, disappointed, frustrated, or blaming others for your situation.
You are in charge of your life and your decisions. All you have to do is decide.
Yet, decisions are often wrong, and it is hard to admit failures. Yet, you can allow yourself to be vulnerable. Feel stupid, silly, and incapable. As long as you can get over yourself, it is a healthy part of the process to find your perfect job.
Remember that the perfect job is only part of your life's purpose. It might not solve other struggles and confidence issues. But it can help you feel content and meaningful.
So, how do you find your perfect job?
Take on a journey and decide to have fun with it. Be happy about the experiences you collect along the way. You will apply it in your next steps.
It is so easy.
Think about this as an opportunity, not a burden. The perfect job is out there. Be closer every single day by getting to know yourself.