Design Your Own Career Quiz – 3 simple questions to ask yourself - Part 1.
Are you in the right career? Are you considering switching career? Do you have a career? Here are some straightforward questions to ask yourself to help you get on the right path ...
There are many times in our lives when confusion reigns. It could be a trickle or a torrent ... but whatever it is, it is frustrating. You could be frustrated in your current job and want to move on ... but to what? You might not be in 'a career', and want to discover what yours is! Or, you simply might want to double check that you are truly doing what is 'right' for you today.
So here are 3 simple questions that may help you pinpoint what may in fact be a better option for you.
Each of these questions should be met with some honest self-assessment. Really think about your answers. Write them down in a journal and record your thoughts on your ideal career. Once you have an idea of what to shoot for, you can better aim your actions in that direction.
1. What do I enjoy doing most?
This is a simple question, but sometimes hard to answer. It is similar to the question “What would you do anyway even if you didn’t get paid?” Think back over your working life. Was there a job or position that stands out to you? What was it about that job that you enjoyed?
Sometimes what you enjoy doing most has nothing to do with your career at all. If you have a favorite hobby, think about what you like about that hobby. That can give you clues to what type of job functions you like. For example, one scrapbooker may enjoy the creative outlet of her hobby, while another likes getting all of her photos organized.
2. What am I willing to put up with?
Even people who are working in their dream careers have parts of the job that they don’t like. There is always something that you’d rather avoid. No job is going to be 100% to your liking. With that in mind, ask yourself what you are willing to put up with.
Some people are incapable of working alone, with others cringe at the thought of working with a team. You may not mind dealing with paperwork, while others avoid it like the plague.
Come up with a list of things you are willing to compromise on. If a long commute stood between you and a great job, would you deal with it? Are you willing to put up with committee meetings if it meant you could have a great career?
3. What is my priority in my career?
Everyone has different career priorities depending on their current goals. Your new job should be in line with those priorities. Do you value flex time? Is long term stability an important factor for you, or do you need something temporary? Do you want a career that will have you traveling, or would you like to stick close to home?
Okay, you have some answers ... now you want to make sense of them.
Do you answers fit in with your current life?
Great! You are close to having designed the life you want. There will be some 'loose ends' that need sorting. So put them in the order that makes the most sense to your passions, and design them in.
Help!
Right ... I'll interpret that cry as meaning that you've discovered or confirmed that the life you're in has been designed by others - certainly not by yourself!
First things first. Are you being realistic. Apologies for shattering any dreams here, but there are bills to pay. Can your dream career support you? Find out!
Step one is discovering whether anyone else is earning a living (or part of a living) with 'your' career choice.
This can be a straightforward obvious yes ... or might require you to do some research.
Either way, find out everything you can about that career path, through forums, trade associations ... and ... get on the net and seek!
Part 2 shortly - stay tuned (and subscribed)
Vic Carrara
www.empowersu.com
Vic Carrara owns and writes for www.empowersu.com, a site devoted to designing better life choices. Discover some fresh choices, motivational & inspirational words, reviews and lifehacking freebies, as well as some discount offers after subscribing yourself.
Copyright 2007 - Vic Carrara. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and send a link of where you are publishing this article to me here.
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