Finding Your "Right Fit Work"

Some people wonder if they can afford to narrow their job search focus to what they really want. I think they can't afford NOT to focus their attention on the right job fit.

Think of building a house, or taking a trip. You need a picture of the house you want, and a destination in mind. Then you can put together the blueprint to construct that desired house or directions to reach your intended goal. Without the original intention, it's impossible to figure out how to get there from here. Otherwise, you are simply starting to build with no idea of what the end product should look like. And perhaps you'll end up with something structurally unsound or ugly. Or you start driving and hope you'll end up somewhere cool, and instead end up in the industrial part of town where there are no restaurants and it feels a little creepy when it starts to get dark.

It's the same thing with a job search. By envisioning exactly what you want to do, you establish a goal and an intention toward which you can work. With a destination, you can map out a plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be.

Let's think about it: you currently are either unemployed or in a job you don't really like. Neither state is desirable. So don't you want to avoid getting into the same kind of situation? While being unemployed isn't within your conscious control, the fact that you lost your job means something wasn't working for you there. I know, that's kind of "woo-woo" thinking. I'm not meaning to blame you. I'm just saying maybe there's a message there. Maybe this is your chance to find something more suited to your talents, abilities, personality, and preferences.

I lost two jobs in a year - and believe me, I wasn't happy about it. Angry and bitter are two words that come to mind. And if you told me I was to blame for it, I'd bite your head off. Yet, there was something true in the concept that "God did for me what I could not do for myself." It was time for me to leave the first job after 11 years. And the second job? I knew I was in the wrong job the minute I stepped into the office on my first day. That I lasted 8 months was a miracle.

Then I sought the same kind of work, and kept getting close to being hired but didn't end up with the job. So I thought "hmm...what message is the universe trying to send here?" "Try another line of work" was the answer, loud and clear. And I did. I realized that I love coaching people. And when I began to help people informally with their job searches, I realized I had a gift for this line of work. It worked for me to do it on-line, because of some other personal considerations. I'm really happy and feel I've found my "right fit work." Work in this context means being of use, even if I'm not paid.

I don't have to denigrate or deny the value of my past experiences - I use them all the time to help people with their work dilemmas. It simply was time to move on to another phase in life. That's how I view the fact of getting fired or laid off - as an opportunity to follow my heart, passion, dreams - whatever it is.

All of us have talents and abilities that are natural to us, and this blog is devoted to ways you can discover yours - or rather, uncover them, because they are there whether you recognize them or not. Once you have, I provide many tools to help you identify the kind of work situation that would allow you to happily and productively use those abilities and talents. Finally, I give you examples of how to market yourself to secure that "right fit work" - a job or career or business that is the "right fit" for YOU.

If you have any questions about how to establish your job destination, ask them in "comments" and I'll answer them to the best of my ability.