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Searching
for that Perfect Job
by Valerie Young |
I just got off the phone with Maura, a
bank teller in Ohio who is desperately searching for more satisfying work.
Maura told me she loves to cook and has been thinking about opening a restaurant.
"Great!" I said. "How do you feel about working seven days a week, managing
a staff with a high turn-over rate, and dealing with the public?" Her response? A
resounding "Yech!"
Then there's my friend, Pete. Ever since he was a kid, Pete has been an avid book-lover.
He reads two or three books a week. "I'd love to own my own bookstore," he tells
me; to which I replied, "Do you think you'd enjoy ordering, taking inventory, and
sitting behind a counter waiting on people?" Silence.
Before you label me a career crusher, a dasher of dreams, you need to hear the rest of
the story. I've a great belief that if you want to get the right answer, you need to ask
the right question. So, I told both Maura and Pete to forget about work for a moment.
Instead, I asked each of them to tell me what they wanted their life to look
like.
Starting with your life, rather than your vocation, has some distinct advantages. When
Maura thought about what kind of lifestyle she wanted, it became clear that she likes a
lot of time alone--something totally incompatible with managing a restaurant.
Pete is a night person. He stays up until 1:00-2:00 a.m. every evening reading. And, since
his day job doesn't begin until noon, he enjoys sleeping late in the morning. Not exactly
business owner hours.
The ability to imagine alternatives is a powerful step in the career decision process.
Albert Einstein called the imagination "your preview of life's coming
attractions." Shaping the future begins in your own mind. Just as you can mentally
relive past experiences, says Dennis Waitley, you can also "pre-live"
experiences that have not yet happened. "The more vivid the vision," he says,
"the more real the design for the future."
To create your own vision, simply find a quiet spot where you can sit or lie comfortably.
Close your eyes, or fix them on a spot in the room. Then, just as you would remember a
past experience, create in your mind's eye a detailed moving picture of how you would like
your new work and life to look and feel.
- What do your surroundings to look like? Do you live in the city, the country, the
suburbs, by the shore, near the mountains? Is it tropical or do the seasons change? Or, do
you travel to different locales as part of your work?
- Do you drive to work? Walk? Bike? Ski? Or, do you pad down the hall in your slippers to
your comfy home office?
- What kind of people (if any) do you work with? What percentage of each day do you
interact with others?
- What time of day do you begin working? When do you stop? How would you describe your
overall pace? Does it vary or stay pretty much the same?
- Do you see yourself working primarily with your head, your hands, or both
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