Finding a Career that Fits

How can you find the perfect job for you? I did, and you can, too! All you need to do is spend a little time doing some self-examination and introspection. Take a close look at yourself, your likes and dislikes, your talents, and your dreams and eventually you can embark on a road towards the career you've always wanted, but didn't necessarily realize.

During my thirties, I left a career I had worked in for fifteen years. Generally, I had been unhappy and unfulfilled in my job for a very long time. When I resigned, I knew I needed to find a better career for me, one that would fit both my personality and my skills. The following is a list of the steps I took to find my ultimate job:

- The first step in the self-examination process is brainstorming. That is, writing down whatever comes to mind during the process. There's no need to contemplate the items on your list. Just put them down. Take out some paper and a pen and take a few minutes or so to create three separate lists:

o Careers I'd Like to Have - Jot down any type of dream job you can think of for yourself, without regard to how attainable you think it may be. The key here is, think big! Don't try and convince yourself that this or that career would be an impossible goal. You may be surprised to find out that you may encounter a related occupation that may just be feasible for you.

o Thing I Like to Do On this list, jot down all of the activities and hobbies you can think of that you enjoy doing. Include activities or duties from other jobs you've had that you enjoyed performing. This is important when considering possible career choice that will hopefully last a long time.

o My Talents - Finally, and this is the most difficult task of the three, write down your fortes. What are you good at doing? Everybody's got some sort of talent. It's not always easy to realize the strengths inherent in you, but they're there. Discovering your hidden abilities will take a lot of contemplation, but it is critical to the process.