Get Clear on your Career
Posted on December 11, 2020 by Jen Rose Narayan, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Not Sure What Your Dream Job Is?
Have an idea, but are unsure how your previous experience fits into it?
Have you been thinking about a side hustle and your inner critic is getting in the way? Regardless of your current career struggle, it doesn’t have to be like this forever!
Relax and Reflect
Now is the time to sit back, relax and take distraction-free time to reflect and write about what you want. You will have the opportunity to understand how you can leverage your experience and education to achieve your goals by answering my pointed and thought-provoking questions.
Promise me Something?
Don’t hold back, and be as specific as you can.
Write down exactly what landing your dream career would look and feel like.
As the saying goes, “If you believe it, you can achieve it!” and after working with hundreds of clients to land their dream job, I know it’s true.
This is You Time
Make sure you carve out at least 1-2 hours of distraction-free time so you can reflect and write down all your thoughts. Have a pen and plenty of paper on hand!
I have some questions to get you started, but don’t let that limit you! If there are other questions or thoughts that come to your mind, write that down too!
Questions to Answer & Reflect On:
Answer the following questions to get clear on your passion, skills and overall Unique Selling Points (USP).
If you find yourself repeating answers, that’s actually a good thing! This shows you are on the right track and really getting clear on your strengths and how you add value.
What do I want to do more of, outside of work?
What types of tasks/work feel effortless to me that others struggle with?
What are the three skills/traits people compliment me on?
What topics do I research often?
What are some accomplishments/career achievements I am proud of?
What are my hobbies/passions? Can I turn this into a side hustle?
What am I really curious about?
What are my strengths/differentiators?
Why should an organization choose me over someone else?
When was I last in the zone and the happiest with my career?
All Done?
Once you have answered these questions (slowly and deliberately), some common themes will likely be revealed, and you will gain a more objective perspective of the value you offer.
The idea is that the answers will naturally start pointing you in the direction of your actual dream job and not just a job.
If the answers do not come to you right away, that is totally okay!
Rome wasn’t built in a day! Leave it alone and come back to it occasionally and just be open to possibilities.
You might start noticing new opportunities being presented to you that you wouldn’t have considered prior to doing this reflective exercise.
If you need further guidance in this area, I would love to help! Feel free to drop me a note. I also dive deeper in the topic of Career Clarity and all things Careers in my Land Your Dream Job course.
Jen Narayan, Career Consultant
