How to find your ideal job

Are you still searching for perfect job?

Here’s an exercise for you to complete over the next week to help you come up with a “development commitment” plan that can be adapted to any type change of changes you want to make in your life.

This plan works whether you are looking for a new job or want to strike off on your own.

• Get out a sheet of paper, or pull up an Excel document, and create three columns on it.
  • At the top of Column 1, write: “Things I have in my job now, or in past jobs, that I don’t want in my next job.”
  • On Column 2, put down: “Things I have in my job now, or in past jobs, that I want in my next job.”
  • Column 3 says: “Things I haven’t had in any job that I want as part of my next job.”
• Fill in all the blanks as appropriate.

Keep in mind that these things can be anything, including job duties, work environment, type of people in your office, type of customers you work with, number of hours you work, wages, dress code, benefits, respect from your boss or coworkers – whatever comes to mind.

• As the week progresses, add or delete items in any of the columns.
• Highlight those items that speak loudest to you. Which are the most important to have…or not have…in your next job?

Setting goals

Don’t worry about setting goals at this point; this is merely a tool to help you more clearly identify what you do and do not want.

• At the end of the week, go to the third column and put a minus sign in front of those items that require development.

They could be anything from moving to a new location to getting more education to leaving a relationship that does not allow you to grow or express yourself fully.

• Identify five items in the last column that are absolutely non-negotiable in any job you have. Mark them with a plus sign.

How do you determine what’s non-negotiable? Go with your gut. Just don’t let the expectations and desires of others rule your thinking.

Watch your self-talk

And watch out for words like “can’t,” “won’t,” “impossible,” “stupid,” “illogical,” “selfish,” “unrealistic” and the rest of those judgmental terms as you work through this process.

Many times, these words were internalized when we were children, as they were spoken by mostly well-meaning adults who wanted to keep us safe.

What’s changed, of course, is that you are an adult yourself now. It’s up to you to decide if these terms hold any relevance for you today, or if they need to be thrown onto the trash heap.

You have the right to want what you want. And you have the right to be supported in whatever decisions you make.

Let those decisions take you where you want to be.

Now you’re ready to come up with a list of actionable goals on which to building your action plan. A coach can help you create a plan and hold you accountable to it…and to yourself.