Linda R. Dominguez is a Personal and Professional Coach and she writes a very interesting article entitled: “THE TOP 10 QUESTIONS and SOLUTIONS to HELP YOU with a CAREER or JOB CHANGE.”
We have all heard that if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life – or as Arnold Toynbee once said, “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” The following ten points are a start on the journey of finding the career or job that will bring fulfillment.
1. Do you enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work? Are you experiencing the typical signs indicating that you are not enjoying your job as much as you did at one time, i.e., being unwilling to put in extra hours, not volunteering for projects, feeling elated on Friday afternoon and depressed on Sunday night?
2. Do you feel energized by your work? Do some parts of your work drain you? Create a list of those parts that energize you and those parts that exhaust you. The “energize” list is the list to build on — the “exhaust” list is the list you want to learn more about. (Is there a pattern with people or tasks? Do you want to do what you are currently doing, but for a different company?)
3. Are you happy at work?
If you are not happy, take a few minutes to determine why. Are you unhappy with the type of work you do, your company, or your manager? Or is your life lacking “balance”? What was it that drew you to this job in the first place?
4. Examine your strengths and interests.
Keeping on top of your strengths is critical – both for your value to your organization, and for your self-esteem. Know which skills you enjoy using the most — these things are what you want to do more of in your next job.
5. Speaking of skills, are yours up-to-date?
At least once a year, take a look at whether your skills are still state-of-the-art. Keep up with your industry, stay on top of new technology and trends in your field to stay current and competitive. If your organization offers tuition reimbursement, take advantage of the opportunity to update your skills with the benefit of financial support.
6. What job is right for you?
Relax quietly and picture your ideal work day one year from today. Describe a full day from morning until night. What are your surroundings? (Are you in an office building, a home based office, an RV?) Is your work culture high energy and fast-paced or is it slow and peaceful? What are your duties during your workday: creating, managing, building, technology-based, or helping others? Compare the results of your visualized workday with your current circumstances — the differences will help you identify the changes to make. Then, set a specific strategy to make those changes.
7. Looking for a lucky break in the job market?
People don’t get great jobs or careers from “luck.” Luck is just an opportunity for which you are fully prepared. When the next great opportunity presents itself, make sure you are prepared to accept the challenges.
8. Once per quarter, update your resume.
Everyone knows this one, but few actually do it. Keeping track of your recent accomplishments and new skills will help you when your performance review is due, and it will increase your self-esteem. If you wait until you “really need” a resume to create an update, you may find you’ve forgotten some significant points.
9. Set clear, concrete goals for change.
When we say, “I sure don’t want to be doing this a year from now,” we’ve made a statement of frustration — it’s a start, but not a goal. Try saying, “Next year at this time I want to be _______________.” Then set specific action steps to get there, including additional formal education, learning new skills, and expanding your network.
10. Take charge of your career.
When we don’t take advantage of the choices available to us, we become victims of circumstance. To find the right career and move ahead, we must start from the inside, learning what it is that we value, need, want and do well. Then, we must increase our personal bandwidth through constant learning, growing and a take-charge attitude about our careers. It’s a journey — value each step of the way.[1]
We only have one crack at life.
God has meant it for us to live life to the full. Are we doing it?
Take time to consider carefully today.

[1] This piece was originally submitted by Linda R. Dominguez, Personal and Professional Coach, who can be reached at LindaD@Executive-Coaching.com, or visited on the web at http://www.executive-coaching.com

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