Before I work with any client I always ask them one question:
“What is the #1 thing holding you back from career success?”
To this question, I get dozens of answers. Dozens and dozens. Like, way too many dozens of eggs left over from a Halloween prank-fest dozens.
But all of those answers are rewordings of one single problem. Always. It’s always:
“A clear focus on what I want to be doing.”
I hear you. So loud. So clear. Trust me when I tell you I know the frustration. The feeling that somehow everyone else has been let in on some secret that you’re not cool enough to know.
The secret though? That’s bullshit. Most people feel the same way you do!
Why? What the hell man?! It’s because we’re not taught how to manage our careers. We’re taught what to know to get certain jobs and sometimes how to get jobs, but rarely, if ever, how to figure out what we want to do for a living - much less manage our careers once we’re in them.
We’re left to our own devices and frazzled HR directors and recruiters who have no time to have a career growth chat because they have to run payroll, get the new benefits system up and running, and talk to Joe about not wearing his daisy dukes (yes, even on casual Fridays).
So what then? What are you supposed to do?
For starters, you absolutely don’t have to figure out your career all by yourself. It’s a great idea to get objective help in this arena. Below is a roundup of some resources you might find helpful:
You could start with career blogs. There are so many talented people out there offering help, to you.
You can hit up some super comprehensive, totally interactive websites like: The Muse or Career Contessa.
If you're a more tactile cat and you prefer a good book try picking up a copy of Born for This by Chris Guillebeau or A Job to Love from the School of life.
Want someone to do the heavy lifting for you? Leverage recruiters and even temp agencies! Their job is to analyze your skills and place you in a job you’d thrive in. You could try some national agencies like Premier Staffing or Robert Half.
You could try taking a few tests. There is one called Strengthsfinder that many companies rely on. Once you know what your strengths are you can make sure you are focusing on those in whatever role you’re in because working to your strengths = happiness.
Oprah apparently has an awesome (and free) career assessment test tool!
And of course there are career coaches. It truly IS the most comprehensive and impactful option.
Now I know private coaching isn’t an option for everyone - so many coaches offer lower cost group programs or self-paced online courses. There are so many amazing coaches out there - you just need to do a little research to find the best one for you.
See what I’m getting at? Don’t feel like you’ve got to do it on your own. Try one, two or a few - whatever feels good to you. But don’t leave your career to chance. Figure out what you love to do, want to do and make a plan.
Want more help? Get on MY LIst and I’ll send you helpful, actionable advice each and every week:
Yours in you’re not alone in your career goodness,
EBS
