I have the privilege of interacting with clients at different points of their career journey. For some, it is after they have been let go from their job by their employer. In other instances, it may be after a family relocation. With still others, it may be when they themselves determine working at their current company or in their current industry is not what they desire to do anymore. And, for others it may be after they have obtained a new degree or skills certification. Sometimes clients will say to me I know exactly the work I want to do. This is the type of career I have had; it is what I am trained in, and I need to find a job in this discipline as soon as possible. In other cases, there is more hesitancy and doubt. There is acknowledgement that while they may have done work in a particular field for a long time, they have never really enjoyed the work. For others, there is a curiosity as to what other things they may be able to do.

While those who are more in doubt are open to the thought, it is of benefit for just about all of those who go into job search to take a step back at the beginning of the job search process to determine what type of work, industry, and location of that work that they may want to do. To do so will require self-reflection. It will require introspection of what they have done in their past in their life, (whether in an actual job for which they were paid, in a volunteer role, or perhaps as an assignment in school), and ask themselves the following questions. What have I done in my life that I feel is an accomplishment of which I am proud? How much did I enjoy myself in completing that accomplishment? What were the skills that I used that helped make that accomplishment a successful outcome to me?
 
Instead of just thinking about their past accomplishments in their head, they should take the time to list them out. Ideally, they come up with several. Perhaps 20 to 25 should be listed. If they cannot think of that many, at least a grouping of 15 accomplishments will do. Then the accomplishments should be ranked, with the job searcher identifying they are most proud of, then the one their 2nd most proud of, etc. At least, look to identify the Top 7 accomplishments. And, again, look to see what skillsets seem to be present in each of those accomplishments.

If one was to feel that perhaps identifying this many accomplishments will be too onerous a task, at least give yourself time to reflect. What are the stories of your life that you remember with joy? What are the ones that you seem to remember repeatedly? What did you accomplish in those stories? If you are not sure, ask yourself these inquiries. What was the problem or challenge that I faced at that moment? What actions did I take or in conjunction with those around me? What was the result of those actions, and how did they benefit, yourself, those around you, or those for whom you might have been solving the problem? Again, look to list these stories down, and, look to identify skill sets that you have used. Does it appear that those skill sets are used repeatedly in your life?  

What do those who have known you for any length of time continually compliment you on in terms of getting things done in a situation that involves finding a solution to a problem? What may be types of job roles or fields you have given thought of being a part of in the past? If you say to yourself, that mindset was long ago, and there is no way at this point of my life I could get involved in that field, do not be so fast to dismiss it. While, you may not have the desire or motivation to complete a long degree process in that field of study, is there a shorter-term certification process you can invest in? Is that certification process available to you easily, (say online, and to be done at your pace in the comfort of your home). Could a field that once was of interest have aspects of it that play on talents and skills you exhibited throughout your work life, that are now transferable to that area you thought you might once in which to be involved?

Yes, the world may keep changing. New technologies and jobs come along all the time. At the same time certain roles may become less and less prevalent. However, that does not mean throw out your past experiences entirely. The bottom line is that we all have talents and skills that we are both blessed to have and enjoy using that can be very beneficial to others. Taking that examination of your past experiences and successes is an outstanding way for you to determine what those skills are for you, and how you may choose to use them in your next venture in life.

September 2023 - Closing Thoughts