Everyone is looking for that perfect job: The one that checks all the boxes. While admittedly most of us know very few people who would label their job as “perfect”, the hopeless romantic in all of us still believes that WE can be the ONE person who seamlessly lands that ever elusive perfect job.
As career coaches, many people reach out to us hoping that we will be their silver-bullet to career bliss. Indeed, one of the questions we hear most frequently is: what do you know about ABC industry and will you be able to tell me about different jobs that I might not know about? In desperation, they are literally hoping we will be able to help them find their needle in the haystack.
As seasoned coaches and HR professionals, we certainly do know about a lot of different industries and jobs. And, leveraging our rolodex may open some doors for you, or even get you your next job, but your investment will feel short-lived because it won’t equip you with the skills and knowledge you need for the longer term. The reality is that organizations and the jobs within them are constantly changing, and they will only continue to evolve more rapidly in the future. In fact, it’s quite likely that a job that might have been perfect for you two years ago no longer exists.
When planning for your career, shift your focus from a search for the “perfect job” to an on-going assessment of your own strengths and interests, coupled with continuous efforts to research and build your knowledge of the changing world of work. This will help you build good, sustainable career management practices that will set you up for both the short and long term. While this task may seem daunting or time consuming, adopting some best practices as good career hygiene will turn into regular habits that will set you up not only for your next role, but for your career. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Adopt a Growth Mindset. At the foundation of any successful career of the future is a growth mindset. The research overwhelmingly agrees that the average person will change careers several times in their lifetime. As jobs disappear and new types of work continue to emerge, a growth mindset is critical to help you embrace the development that will be required. Research growth mindset and discover some practices that you can easily embed in your daily life to sharpen this important skill.
2. Really Understand You. Self-awareness is at the heart of career clarity. And while most of us think we know ourselves really well, the research disagrees. Only 10-15% of people really understand who they are and the impact they have on others. Invest some time in discovering your strengths, values and motivators. Think about your stress behaviours. Solicit feedback from people who know you well and review past inputs like performance reviews or 360 assessments. Consider the themes over the years and start to create a profile of who you are and the work you like to do. There are some great free assessments on-line that can inform your thinking as well!
3. Stay on top of the external market! Many of us avoid thinking about our career when we are humming along in our job, but that is actually the best time to keep up with the external environment. This doesn’t have to be a laborious endeavour. Engage in activities that will keep your finger on the pulse of your industry, profession or areas of interest. Subscribe to job alerts for both realistic and aspirational roles. Spend 15 minutes a week reviewing these alerts. You will be surprised how quickly you build your knowledge on what industries are hiring, what skills employers are looking for and how different company cultures reflect themselves. Pay attention to common skills or accreditations required and assess if upskilling may be of value to you. Commit to reading one article per day on LinkedIn or another source on a topic of relevance. Challenge yourself to commit to a networking schedule; spend 30 minutes a week reaching out and maintaining your professional connections. Keep a journal; document your findings from your research activities, making note of companies aligned to your values, new skills you are intrigued by, and people you’d like to meet.
4. Roll up your sleeves. Most learning comes from experience and there aren’t many effective short-cuts to gaining experience. The process of finding your “sweet spot” takes time, and a fair amount of trial and error. There are a few ways that you can accelerate this if you’re committed to doing so. Conduct detailed and strategic information interviews with people in areas of interest. Inevitably they will share something you didn’t know or introduce you to someone new who can expand your learning. Test your interest in different kinds of work by volunteering for work outside of your comfort zone. This could be through formal volunteering opportunities or pro-bono work, where you can add value in exchange for experience.
5. Make a plan. In the quest for that perfect job, many people are afraid to make a misstep lest they miss precious time pursuing their goal. Unfortunately, without clarity on what that perfect job is, time ticks away just the same. So, using the best information you have available to you from all of the above strategies, make a plan. Choose a path, articulate what you want to achieve, what success looks like and a timeframe within which you want to re-assess. Stick to your plan. Afford yourself the opportunity to re-evaluate as you need to, and don’t be afraid to declare if you’ve found yourself in the wrong spot. We learn from detours, and they help us identify our next destination.
If you are worried about what comes next in your career, take heart! In our practice, we have seen clients have success with adopting even one of the above steps. Trying out one or more will help lead you to more strategic, informed career decisions, setting you up for future success.
Purpose to Impact is a talent management consulting and career coaching company helping organizations create a culture where employees can have meaningful careers, and helping individuals align who they are with what they do. Subscribe now at www.purposetoimpact.ca for regular career advice and check out our services page for more information on how we can help.
