By Shannon Terry
“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”—Lao Tzu
With the New Year upon us, I started thinking of the many people who are starting 2014 with the intention to find a new career or job, one that is more in alignment with their true Self. If you are ready to create that new job, work situation or the right livelihood—right now—read on for some fresh ideas and advice.
I recently listened to Dr. Wayne Dyer speak about “The Power of Intention” on a PBS program. He talked about how we can create the things we want and desire in our lives.
One of the 12 tenants he discussed is “Think from the End,” which means to be able to see yourself as you will look, seem, feel and be once you have the object of your desire.
He used the example of his 16-year-old son wanting a little yellow sports car of some kind, and the way in which the son was “thinking from the end.” He constantly envisioned himself driving around in that hot car. He researched different dealerships and ways to obtain the car, he literally put himself in it—he took test drives. He not only imagined it, but he actually felt the way he would feel once that car was his—how happy he was, how cool it felt to be cruising through town in this little yellow girl-magnet. He got a picture of the car he longed for, and put it on his computer screen saver, a constant reminder of his goal, his dream. It is important to act AS IF what you want is already in existence. I bet you know where this story ends…Yep, with the son smiling ear to ear, driving his little yellow car at last.
What is your intention in your job search?
Do you have a clear vision of your dream job, or whatever type of job you are seeking? Not everyone wants a “dream job.” Some may just want something that pays the bills, a job they can tolerate for about 40 hours a week without major depression. That’s fine too! As the saying goes: “It may or may not interest me, or you, what you do for a living.” Either way, however, you have to be clear on what you want, what your intentions are in your job search. How will you know the right offer when it comes if you aren’t sure of what you want? How can your support network help you if they don’t know how to help you visualize your ideal job?
Help Wanted!
The first step toward success in this process is to write your own job description and job opening advertisement. What would it say? What specific skills and responsibilities are included? What details are important to YOU?
Getting crystal clear about what you want, in as much detail as possible, will not only help you clarify your job search, but will also attract that very type of opportunity to you.
Two important things to remember here are to act as if what you want is already true in the present, as the Wayne Dyer example illustrated, and then to focus on what you want (vs. what you don’t want.) Also, remember the rule that goes, “first thought/best thought” and try to incorporate this into the process, too.
Here are some specific ideas to help you write your own job description:
What details are important to YOU? Job Title? Salary? Benefits? Work Environment? Commute? What specific skills and responsibilities are included?
Some clients I have worked with outlined details including:
• a job that doesn’t require a lot of Excel spreadsheets
• not working from home
• a really good health package
• a flexible schedule to accommodate children’s sporting events.
Maybe you really want contact with the public in your work. Perhaps you loathe working on the telephone. Maybe you thrive in a vibrant, multitasking, fast-paced environment. Do you work happiest in a large corporation or a mom-and-pop shop? Do you wear business suits or overalls? Are you sitting behind a desk, or are you constantly driving to see clients around the city, county or state? Do you work long hours and weekends to climb the ladder, or do you work two part-time jobs for more variety and flexibility?
Do you see where I’m going with this? These examples are just a beginning. The resources “What Color Is Your Parachute” and know “The Job Hunter’s Survival Guide” have excellent info on a similar process to this to excavate what you really want in a job.
You have to be clear on what is important to you, and what you will and will not be flexible about or sacrifice for a job (if anything). Have a realistic salary in mind by carefully considering all angles (benefits, including amount of paid vacation, 401k options, etc.) Consider gas/child care costs for that company and location. Know how you want to spend your working hours—what activities do you do each day for your work? Know what kind of people and company environment you want to be surrounded by. Is the type of work the company does important to you? Does a company’s vision and mission statement inspire or bore you, or maybe it doesn’t matter much? Remember, the only right answers to ANY of these questions are whatever the honest and true answers are for YOU.
Getting crystal clear on what you want, in as much detail as possible, will not only help you clarify your job search, it will also help that very type of opportunity to come to you.
Picture This
Step No. 2 is to make a vision board of your new job, using pictures and phrases you cut from magazines, etc., to represent the way your work space looks, to show the type of work you are doing, to symbolize the way you will feel once you surmount the challenge of the job search process and triumphantly report to your new position. One of my mentors, Christine Kane, has a great free resource on this called The Complete Guide to Vision Boards (christinekane.com).
If some of this seems odd to you, consider this: Is giving it a try going to hurt anything? So go ahead and get out a pen and notebook and brainstorm some lists. Get some magazines, scissors, glue and poster board and get creative!
Then take a drive past that company you’ve heard is such a good one that’s near your house and imagine your five-minute commute there every day. Stop in and pick up their annual report (dress nicely). Post sticky notes on your bathroom mirror with the job title you desire. Why not? Take steps to envision what you really want before it’s actually happened. Pretend it already has. Dare to try something different!
Shannon Terry is a former corporate trainer and instructor on topics ranging from on-the-job customer service, sales and software skills to environmental education, team building activities, and life skills for teens. She also has been a Resume Writer and Coach for more than 10 years. She loves developing fun, clear, attention-keeping presentations and workshops for her job search clients. You can read some feedback from her past workshop participants at: www.resumeconfidence.com. Contact Shannon at shannon@resumeconfidence.com or 727-348-9802.