9 Ways to Find Your Career Path When You#8217;re Feeling Lost

9 Ways to Find Your Career Path When You8217re Feeling Lost Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QATodays Question Some people just know what they were meant to do but some of us need a little help finding our direction. What advice do you have to help job seekers looking for the right career paths? How can they identify paths that will be fulfilling and rewarding?1. Get in Touch With Your Inner ChildI have found that following your inner childhood dream normally points to what you are supposed to be doing in the world. As children we see no limitations, so we gravitate toward doing the things we dream about. When we become adults, we forget how to dream because the troubles of life consume us and we just do what we need to do to survive, whether we are purpose -filled or not. Elle Clarke, Elle Clarke Media Group 2. Follow the ExcitementWhile youre job hunting, it will be apparent that the companies and job descriptions that excite you are steps in the right direction. Ultimately, you want to land a job that doesnt feel like a job to you. It needs to be something thatll excite you and bring out your passionate side. Jonathan Razza, Liason Technologies 3. Track the Tasks That Matter to YouAs you go through your workday, keep track of activities that make you feel fulfilled. Youll start to recognize your interests and values, and that can steer you in the right direction. Adrian Granzella, The Muse 4. Exploit Your Gifts and TalentsWe all have areas we excel in. If you can exploit what youre good at, you will have a high chance of success and fulfillment. When this happens, it is then time to sharpen your skills in order to be the best version of yourself. Sean Douglas, Life Coach and Motivational Speaker5. Apply Your Passion to Something That PaysBills wait for no mans (or womans) success, so its a good idea to pick a career path that also pays the bills. For instance, my dream job is to live off revenue from my novels. My actual dream job is to make a living writing website copy, blog posts, and social media positiones for clients. I thoroughly enjoy both. Alexis Chateau, Alexis Chateau PR 6. Figure Out What You Believe InBefore you try to find a career, its crucial you know what you believe in. Its hard to have passion for something you dont believe in. Many people choose a career based exclusively on money unfortunately, thats the incorrect way to do it. Money is an outcome youll get regardless of where you go. If you work hard, youll make money. One of the most important contributing factors to success, though, is passion in your job. That begins with knowing why you do it and knowing what you believe in. For example, Apple believes in making the best products in the world that innovate and change our lives. Its a simple belief it means the status quo isnt good enough and they channel that belief into how they do business and operate. As someone trying to find his or her focus, the most important question is What do you believe in? Until you can answer this, youll keep bouncing between jobs and feeling unfulfilled. If you find a career path that gives you a sense of purpose, then its likely youre on the right path. Max Soni, DotComSEO 7. Utilize the Resources in Your CommunityJob seekers should explore their options by utilizing resources available in the community. For example, WorkSource and Goodwill are organizations that provide different kinds of job search training and career exploration. Small Business Association (SBA) is good for people who are thinking about being their own bosses. Then, job seekers should schedule informational interviews with alumni of schools they went to and professionals of different industries. The purpose of informational interviews is to talk to pr ofessionals who can provide insights into what it is like to work in a particular industry.Last, if job seekers are sure that they like a particular industry or position, they can ask for a referral at the end of an informational interview. Always bear in mind that learning and growing are the themes of all these activities. Andy Chan, Prime OPT8. Consider What Youd Like to GainThink about what you want to gain from this specific chapter in your career. Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming to figure out your entire career in one fell swoop. To make it less daunting, try to focus on your key priorities for this particular phase in your career. For example, if developing strong functional skills is important, go to an established company where that function is core to the strategy of the business. Joseph Liu, Career Consultant and Host of Career Relaunch 9. Talk to the People Who Know YouWhen searching for a career, its important to speak with family, educators, friends, and coworker s. Individuals close to a person can share observations of their skills and personality traits. When you better understand your own skills and personality, it can make it easier to look at career fields that can put those to use. Chris Rapone, Combined Insurance .openingBlock img width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto margin-bottom 20px .openingBlock .alignleft width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto .middleBlock img border-radius 150px -webkit-border-radius 150px -moz-border-radius 150px box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -webkit-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -moz-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) .middleBlock strong font-size 24px color 1f77a0 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb max-width640px displayinline-block clearnone font-stylenormal font-size 16px color 666666 background f9f9f9 .middleBlock .contrib utorBlurb p font-style normal font-size 16px color 666666 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb .socialIcon border-radius 0 -webkit-border-radius 0 -moz-border-radius 0 box-shadow none -webkit-box-shadow none -moz-box-shadow none

How to Walk Your Talk

How to Walk Your TalkHow to Walk Your TalkIf you work in an organization, youve heard this complaint repeatedly. Leaders and managers say they want change and continuous improvement, but their actions do not match their words. The leaders exhortations to employees ring false when their subsequent actions contradict their words. A CEO once asked me, Why do they do what I do and not what I tell them to do? Another asked, Do I have to change, too? These are scary questions coming from leaders. The power of an organizations leaders in creating the organizations values, environment, culture, and actions is immeasurable. Want to know how to walk your talk to enable organization change and improvement? Want to take power away from the oft-repeated employee complaint that managers dont walk their talk? Start here to learn how to walk your talk. Or, use these ideas to help your organizations leaders and managers walk theirs. Its the shortest journey to empower change and the work environment they desire. Tips About How to Walk Your Talk The most important tip comes first. If you do this first action well, the rest will follow mora naturally. If the ideas you are promoting are congruent with your core beliefs and values, these actions will come easily, too. So, start with a deep understanding of why you want to see the change or improvement and what change or improvement you want to see. Make certain it is congruent with what you deeply believe. Then, understand and follow these guidelines. Model the Behavior You Want to See From Others There is nothing more powerful for employees than observing the big bosses do the actions or behaviors they are requesting from others. As Mahatma Gandhi said, Become the change you wish to see in the world. And, it will happen. If You Make a Rule or Design a Process, Follow It Until you decide to change it, follow the rules that you lay out. Why would employees follow the rules if the rule makers dont? Act as If You Are Pa rt of the Team Dig in and do actual work, too. People will appreciate that you are personally knowledgeable about the effort needed to get the work done. They will trust your leadership because you have undergone their experience. Collaborate on Achieving Goals Help people achieve the goals that are important to them, as well as the goals that are important to you. Make sure there is something for each of you that will result from the effort and work. Do What You Say Youre Going to Do Dont make rash promises that you cant keep. People want to trust you and your leadership. Build Commitment to Your Organizations Big Goal You do have a big, overarching goal, dont you? Other than to make money, why does your organization exist? Utilize Every Communication Tool Use every possible communication tool to build commitment and support for the big goal, your organizations values, and the culture you want to create. This includes what you discuss at meetings, in your corporate blog, on your Intranet, in social media, and so forth. Use Strategic Conversations Hold strategic conversations with people, so people are clear about expectations and direction. Gerard Kleisterlee, Philips president, is holding strategic conversations with as many groups as he can. To build internal confidence, stimulate cross-boundary cooperation, and spark new-product speed to market, Kleisterlee is sponsoring what he calls strategic conversations dialogues that center around a focused set of themes that Kleisterlee believes will define Philips future. Ask Senior Managers to Police Themselves They must provide feedback to each other when they fail to walk their talk. It is not up to the second level managers and other employees to point out inconsistencies. (Confronting a manager takes courage, facts and a broad understanding of the organization.) Senior managers must be accountable to each other for their own behavior. In 1513, Machiavelli wrote, There is nothing more d ifficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old system and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new one. Given these thoughts from Machiavelli - true for centuries provide leadership and sponsorship through walking your talk. Incorporate these tips and behaviors to ensure the success of your organization. Walk your talk.