Overview
Does your job situation feel right? Or, do you feel bored, under-employed, under-challenged, undervalued and underpaid. If you feel lost and confused, take a quick quiz to clarify your situation.
You are not alone. Studies show that 90% of employees think about leaving their job on a regular basis but only 5% take action because most people feel “trapped” in their job due to their personal and financial circumstances.
Making a change often freezes us with fear because we think of it as an “all or nothing” proposition. But it’s not! A transition is a process. Getting started can be difficult or daunting. Here at JobJoy we make it easy, as outlined in our [AnythingPopup id=”2″] ‘What to do when you hate your job.’
Most people can only think of 30 jobs off the top of their head—teacher, doctor, lawyer, truck driver, police officer, nurse, receptionist, professional athlete, and all the other jobs that are clearly visible in our society. If none of those jobs light a fire in you then settling for the same old, same old feels like your only option.
But it’s not! There are over 60,000 jobs operating in North America today, and thousands in your geographic region that you are not aware of. There is no ‘perfect’ jobfit for you but several dozen jobs that you are suited for! The key is to understand how to make that match. Here’s what we do at JobJoy to make that happen.
You are an incredibly gifted person with lots of talents and particular motivations that launch you into action. However, if you are reading this page, you probably do not have clarity about your motivational pattern and how that translates into specific jobs in specific work settings that will recognize, reward and motivate you for what you do naturally and effortlessly.
This simple proposition is the main theme that I outline in my free monthly seminar. If you live outside the Ottawa area, take a few minutes to complete our free assessment to identify some of your natural abilities.
Think about it. The facts, people, and events of your life make up a powerful story, chock-a-block full of valuable information and meaning about your right work and your purpose in life. This information is valuable. It is accessible. And it is affordable because you own it. You can’t afford to ignore it any longer.
This proven assessment process was outlined with examples in my first book JobJoy: Finding Your Right Work through the Power of Your Personal Story, now out of print, but soon available again as a revised and expanded JobJoy Bootcamp. Thousands of individuals have made successful career transitions. To get an idea of this process in action, read the Success Stories of real people just like you who have made transitions to work lives full of passion and job satisfaction. These stories are featured in our free monthly newsletter along with an informative article that will help you make the same kind of transition to job joy!
That journey starts with a single step. Sometimes a career change can seem overwhelming. The idea of change can raise more problems than answers. The key is to break it down and focus on one thing at a time. By waiting until your plan is perfect, you increase the chance that no moves will be taken.
Call today for an Initial Session. The truth of who and what you are in terms of work runs like a vein of gold through your life. However, like gold mining, you must move a lot of ore to get at the gold. That is the purpose of our core service JobJoy Reports, to identify and define your Key Success Factors and match them to specific jobs in specific work settings that will recognize, reward and motivate you.
If you already have specific job targets in mind then you may need to leverage your unique talents and motivations into a Job Search or a Resume. Every career change involves three distinct phases: Assessment, Targeting, Marketing. Determine which phase you are currently in. Do you need to figure out where to work, i.e. which organization or work setting will recognize, reward and motivate you? Are you ready to target specific employers in your preferred geographic location? Do you have a strong value proposition you want to market to those employers with a high impact resume, with a mastery of the interview and salary negotiation process? Career change is not rocket science but it does have clearly defined elements that you need to understand in order to attain your goals and objectives.
In order to avoid dealing with the hard stuff–such as fear and finances–we sometimes cling to certain ideas as shortcuts to success. For example, we might think that ‘The Way to Be Successful is to Pick a Career in Order to Make Enough Money to Someday Quit and Do What You Really Want to Do.’ Studies confirm that this isn’t what successful people do. Instead, they have that “fire in the belly,” their commitment to their right work is unwavering.
For years you’ve been molded by what you do. If you spent 5-7 years as a mechanic, or a lawyer, or working in government with a Masters in Public Administration, only to determine that you hate your job, then it is very difficult to picture yourself doing anything else. The problem is that many of us were taught to be rational when we make career decisions, so we buried our passion. Your working identity is wrapped up in this negative experience of work.
However, your strengths are still there and have real value in the world of work. Passion and work are compatible. In fact, research shows that most successful people have learned to follow their passion. When we are passionate about our work, we are able to be spontaneous and joyful because we are tapping into our natural strengths and abilities.
When you communicate and demonstrate these strengths to employers in terms of their value to make money, save money, improve productivity, attain efficiencies, meet difficult deadlines, work with new products or technologies–then you will be hired into a jobfit that allows you to grow and succeed.
Career transition does not follow a straight line and no two transitions are the same. It can happen in a matter of months, or it can take 2-4 years. Sometimes, it is smooth sailing, and sometimes it is a case of three steps forward and two steps back.
If you start today, you will be much closer now than you were 2 weeks ago and, if you persist, in 2 weeks you’ll be further ahead than you are now.