Who Wants a Job?

Looking for a job sucks. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. The worst thing about looking for a job is you might find one.

Have you ever heard the old joke: What does JOB stand for? The answer is: Just Over Broke. For most of us that is just what a job is – a way to have a small income that may or may not take care of financial responsibilities. A job is often a dead-end and a trap. If you become dependent on a job that doesn’t offer real opportunity for advancement and just barely covers your bills, you could end up in a trap that you might not ever get out of.

The truth is that most of us have to work for a living. So how do we get out of the job-trap?

It takes a real effort to change our thinking. We have to first get rid of the idea that a job is what we need. What we really need is a career. Most people get their jobs accidentally. They answer the right ad or they see a help wanted sign at the right moment. Sometimes this can lead to a great opportunity and even a dream job. How many people do you think get those things by accident?

Here are three steps to help you change your attitude and get the career you deserve:

1. Decide what you want to do.

Easier said than done, maybe. This step is about gathering and evaluating information. This process can take some serious soul-searching, but it can also be fun and even exciting if you go about it with the right attitude.

Often things that we have been interested in since we were children will help us determine the type of work we should be doing. Start by examining yourself and what you like to do. This will give you some clues of what to look for.

Now get real. If what you like to do is knit sweaters, but you need to earn $75,000 a year, you should ask yourself if that is realistic. Maybe you like to play basketball, but you are only 5’ 8” tall and you have never been able to make a basketball team. That might not be a great opportunity for you.

Make sure that the career you choose is in line with your values. Make sure that it is work that you can perform. Most important make sure it is exciting to you. If you get excited about getting into a new career, that excitement can be the fuel you need to get there.

Gather information. Check with the Employment Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Talk with people who work in the field you are considering. Are their real opportunities for your chosen career, if not get creative with your thinking. What career opportunities are associated with what you like to do? What other things could work for your career?

The Rolling Stones said, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

2. Find out what it will take to make your career real.

Now that you have decided on a possible career for yourself you have to decide if you can realistically get there. If you have been working in a warehouse for 9 years and now you decide that you want to be a Computer Network Administrator, you have to realize that you will need training to make that career real.

The training will probably include technical training so you know how to do the job you want to be doing, but it also might include training so you can make the transition from your old blue-collar career to a new career in a white-collar environment. Don’t underestimate the cultural changes it will take to change your career.

How long will training for your new career take? How much will it cost? Do you have the aptitude to learn what you need to learn and make a successful change? Will the investment in training pay-off in a lucrative and satisfying career?

These are all things that you need to decide before you can decide on a career change. Be open to possibilities. Talk with people who can help you. Be professional in the way you go about this, you never know who is going to help you get your first break in this career.

3. Take Action.

You’ve put in all the hard work of deciding what you want to do and finding out how it can realistically be done. Don’t waste all of that effort. Do it.

There are always more excuses to not do something than there are to do it. You only need one reason to go ahead.

Your career change is probably going to take some sacrifice and pain, but doesn’t your life include those things now? If you’re sacrificing your days and your energy in a job you don’t enjoy that is leading you nowhere, what do you really have to lose?

Take action now. Suffer through the hard part while keeping the vision of your new career and your new life in front of you. Someday, when you’re sitting on the beach on a well-deserved vacation you will think back on the sacrifices you made to get into your new career and you’ll be glad you made them.

If you are considering a career in Information Technology (I.T.) give me a call I can help no matter what step you are on. John Chandler 503-641-0201.