We all have priorities in life, and having a stable career or profession is one of the most important things for us to take care of those priorities. Truth, some job may take you where you want to go when it comes to a career. However, it’s also crucial to find a profession that is good for your lifestyle. In other words, the goal here is to have a job that allows you to live the life you want. Here are a few tips to guide you towards your ideal career.
1. Take the trade-offs into account
Keep in mind that there will always be trade-offs. One way or another, you might get one thing but need to give up other things. For instance, many professionals who receive high salaries need to have work during the weekends, have longer working hours a day, or may not get paid for overtime. The same goes for people running their own business who need to work long hours and very hard. As for individuals who do shift work, they might have free time after working hours, but on the other hand, they may not like their hours or wish for more flexibility to do personal things.
2. Identify your unique talents
Career coaches also advise people to ask themselves two important questions relating to their innate skills: What do people come to you for? What do people thank you for? As a matter of fact, the traits or skills you do not think of as special gifts are the ones that could lead you to the best job for you. For instance, you might be amazing in photography, cooking, writing, graphic design, or finance, but you’re just thinking of them as your hobbies. Remember this, if you’re a resource for others, then that skill set is already a valuable asset.
3. Be clear on your non-negotiables
Another important thing to think of is the things you will and will not deal with in your new job. For instance, your manager at your previous job requires you to work beyond your working hours every day without questions asked. However, you wish to spend time with your children, seek a new job that aligns with that life. Rank the three most important things in your personal life. Ideally, the priority is your non-negotiable, and the next two are the bonuses if a job affords them.
4. Figure out what industries are interesting you
Before you start hunting for a new career opportunity, you must first assess what industries you naturally gravitate towards. Sit down and take a moment to talk to yourself. For starters, think broader and focus on the fields that seem intriguing to you. Are you interested in civil engineering or construction and want to learn about technologies like 3D laser scanning or modeling? Do you love the idea of working in the entertainment industry to write for magazines or TV shows? Do your research about the industries. If possible, it’s also best to talk to individuals in those fields and learn about the entry points and growth areas.
5. Strive for the ideal job, not your dream job
Maybe we can all agree that there’s no such thing as a dream job. In reality, you need a job that perfectly aligns with your particular priorities, interests, and skill set. Let’s give an example. A job as a fashion magazine editor may look fancy and all sparkles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it translates to happiness considering your core values. Start small, then dream big. You can opt to be part of a startup first to hone your decision-making and leadership skills to enter big companies in the industry you prefer.
6. Discern a profitable passion from a hobby
This may or may not apply to you and your goals, but it’s also important to think about who would pay for or benefit from your passion or hobby. Be realistic. You might be in love with this particular activity that makes you genuinely happy when you do it. But is it a profitable passion? If you want to contribute your passion to the industry and earn from it, you should assess first if you can turn it into a career. At the same time, consider that turning your passion into work may lead a “love to do” to a “need to do.”
Discover your true lifestyle, from your habits, interests, and passions, before you head out to hunt for that ideal job. Figure out what risks work for you and expand your comfort zone as much as you can. As they say, the path of passion is where you face challenges that scare you enough. And like we mentioned above, there might not be a ‘perfect’ or ‘dream’ job, but there are ways for you to find a career that suits your lifestyle.
