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Many people struggle to find a career that is right for them. You may be looking for your first job and may have no idea where to focus. Or perhaps you’ve had many different jobs in the past and none of them have seemed right. Whatever the case, there are a number of different strategies that you can use to help pinpoint your ideal job. Here are just some ways to help find the job that is right for you.
Find your passion
Having a job in an area that you are passionate about can help to make a job more rewarding. Consider your personal passions – they could be music, animals, sports, or gaming. There are likely to be many careers out there that touch on these passions. For music lovers, there are plenty of different careers in the music industry such as being a DJ, songwriter, or music teacher. While some may be extremely difficult to get into (such as working as a vet if you’re an animal enthusiast), other related jobs may be a lot easier such as pet product retail, dog grooming, or even marketing for pet products.
We give a lot of credit to 'the right job' because it often sounds more appealing than what we’re doing now. But, you can be passionate about a specific career while still being realistic.Click To TweetDo a personality test
Certain jobs can be better suited to certain personalities. A
Consider your skills
You may have certain skills that could help you in a certain career. These could include hard skills like writing, accounting, driving, programming, or speaking another language. Alternatively, you may possess valuable soft skills such as good patience, self-motivation, time management skills, or problem-solving skills. A job that uses your skills is likely to be more rewarding and possibly less challenging.
Find the ‘sweet spot’ career
The sweet spot should ideally be the one that combines your interests, skills, and personality. Finding a career that matches all three isn’t easy, but if you can match at least two of the criteria you’re likely to be on the right track. You could be surprised by the number of niche careers out there that you didn’t know existed – you could be just what an employer is looking for.
“Before you start looking for your dream job, there is one question you need to ask yourself; what is it that you really want to do? You really need to think about this long and hard. Your own conclusion is what provides you with a starting point. Your
college major may give you a platform for identifying your career goals. But provided it’s feasible, it is perfectly normal if you wish to pursue a field that has nothing to do with you major. Perhaps you spent four years of your life doing something that you did not really like. But why make the same mistake all over again?” – Land Your Dream Job in 6 Unexpected Ways
Talk to a career advisor
If you need help finding that ideal career, you could also try talking to a career advisor. They may be able to help you identify your passions, personality, and skills if you aren’t able to do so yourself. Career advisors may also be able to help you overcome certain obstacles that could be preventing you from getting the ideal job such as mistakes in your resume or missing skills.
If you're looking for help in reviewing and updating your resume, we've created a list of our resume review and resume writing partners. Many will provide a free review of your resume.