What Career is Right for Me?

This is not just another blog. It is an invitation to act. Get ready with a pen and paper. 

Are you thinking about transitioning careers, or what your job should be? You may find yourself here because you are asking, “What career is right for me?”

That is a big, looming question that does not have an exact answer. If you want an answer, let’s change the question. How about, “How do I create the career that is right for me?”

This is an especially difficult question when we doubt our own ability to create what we want. Oftentimes we don’t even know what is right for us. If you are feeling stuck, move forward with small concrete steps to creating more career confidence.

What is career confidence exactly?

Career confidence is not just self-confidence. It is the combination of how clear you are on your life’s passions and purpose, and how that translates into your career plan and goals.

What could you do if you had more confidence in creating the right career?

What could you do if you had more confidence in navigating the unknowns in your career?

I’m here to tell you: a helluva lot.

What if I am just not that confident?

Practice makes confidence. And it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Before we have confidence, we usually need to do the scary thing we fear first. Confidence rarely comes before the action you want to take, but what you can do is close the gap between where you are now and the next step you need to take.

Closing the gap just means breaking down your goal into smaller and smaller action steps, until the next step feels like a stretch, but doable.

How do I develop career confidence?

To develop more career confidence, it requires a one-two punch. You have to 1) know your ideal vision for your life and 2) then make actionable, small steps that align with your vision.

You can get clear on your vision over a period of time; it doesn’t have to be one eureka moment. Just doing a visioning exercise starts opening doors for you to operate in the world differently. Getting clear on your vision is the number one thing you can do to get closer to creating more career confidence today, enabling you to create the career that’s the best fit for you.

Your Vision

How do I know if I am making the “right” decision?

Take it from a coach, no one likes making mistakes. Some will do anything to avoid failing, even if it means never seeing one’s dreams come to reality. I have seen some people being afraid of even thinking of what they want; in the moment, the fear of people putting their dreams down is stronger than their desire to have their dreams come true.

If this describes you, then know that it is okay and a common experience. No matter how you feel, take this time to completely throw “how is this working to work” through the window.

Now is the Time to Grab a Pen and Paper

For the next 5+ minutes, prepare with a deep breath and ask yourself (without any question of how to do it):

What do I want in my career and life in one year from now if everything was totally ideal?

Remember, set aside HOW you will get there, and simply focus on what you want to create. What will your work and life look like in this one year ideal future? What would change specifically from today?

Proceed after this 5+ minute exercise.

Reflect on the Experience

What did you see? Feel? Did you have an easy time once you got started? Or did you feel stuck? Both are valid responses and give you valuable information. It’s okay if it seems really idealistic or hazy.

If you know what you want your life to look like, then what is slowing you down or stopping you?

If you don’t, then what is keeping you away from knowing your own desires for yourself?

I know firsthand the importance of having confidence about your career. I have been stuck and controlled by the fear of making mistakes before I reached out for support to build career confidence and start taking actions to achieve my vision. I learned action creates confidence, not the other way around. If you want to make the most of your life and learn how to take action today to create more career confidence and love your job, make a complimentary introductory call here and we can see if it is a good fit to work together on your career and vision for life.