JEDDAH – Amid a highly competitive environment compounded by global economic slowdown, many found themselves either jobless or underemployed – both resulting into anxiety. Confucius said, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." Passion counts as much as education and experience, but identifying what the passion seems to be the riddle. In this regard, Bayt.com offers some advice to pick a path one will love walking toward his/her career goals. Be realistic about job satisfaction Every job has its ups and downs, with good days and those days you wish you stayed in bed. You can't expect perpetual euphoria, but when you love your job it will feel like an extension of your identity, not a grueling chore or ordeal you are committed to. On most days, you'll be able to wake up welcoming the tasks and challenges ahead of you with calmness and humor. The good news is that yes, work satisfaction does exist and it takes all sorts of forms and shapes; you just have to identify what satisfies you. Lots of people love their jobs and their careers, so it is possible to achieve! Explore your values Determining what really matters to you early on will save you a lot of headache and heartache down the line. There are plenty of tests and scorecards available, both online and with career professionals, that delve deep to identify what you value, but you can try to work it out on your own. Ask yourself what really and truly matters to you most, and rank everything in order of importance. You may find on that list items as varied as a home in the country, a beach house, a short commute, time with family, a boss I can talk to, a team I can learn from, insurance for my family, a company brand I am proud of, on-going training and development, job security, a job that will give me prestige, rank and social standing, a salary that will make me rich or famous, a company cause I believe in and so on. The lists may be very long or very short, and will be unique for each person, but it is important you prioritize them so you are clear about what your priorities are. Explore your interests Ask yourself these questions: What do you really like to do? What do you do, when you can do anything at all? What do you really look forward to? Examine those things that make you happy. Do you enjoy doodling all day? Then perhaps you're a budding artist. Do you look forward to practicing your French language skills, to teaching kids, writing haikus or taking visitors on a tour of the town? Whatever it is you love to do, don't consider it unimportant. If you think your skills in a particular area could be better, remember that it's never too late to learn and that most people excel at the things they love to do (here's a listing of courses happening in your area). It also helps to close your eyes and envision yourself where you want to be next month, next year, next decade. What does it look and feel like? What are you doing, and what did you do to get there? Don't be afraid to dream big and to think outside the box as you map your interests and aspirations to possible careers. Identify your skills and strengths All of us have skills. Some are highly developed, some are recently-acquired. In today's career market it's all about how transferable your skills are, rather than how exactly they match traditional requirements. Paradigm career shifts are becoming as common as narrow linear career moves, but you need to know what your skills are, and how to package them for where you want to go. We're not just talking about those hard-earned technical skills you acquired in college, but soft skills and your ability to lead and inspire and motivate and engage with people. Be ready to retrain Retraining doesn't have to take you away from the workplace for any extended period of time unless you want it to; you can pursue a learning programme while you work. Whatever gaps you have identified between your skill-sets and interests can be filled with a very diligent programme of study, be it self-learning, a course or an all-out new degree. In today's workplace learning is very much adopted as a lifelong commitment, so be prepared to be in it for the long term. Research, research, research This can involve a lot of reading about industries and companies you are targeting, as well as actual job roles and career paths (you can start with Bayt.com's research reports, if you like). But it needn't stop there - talk to people who work in your field of interest and get a feel for what a day in their life looks like; find out how the role resonates with your skills and interests and values. Ask for an informational interview to visit the company you are eyeing and get a feel for it. After the interview, ask for a tour of the office. Speak to people who work there and people who used to. Find out what people like most and least about the job role, the career and the company. Make sure that the job sits well with your life goals and interests, and that it does not disagree with any of your core values. Ideally, the more you learn about it the more excited you should feel. But what about if you are in a job already that you don't really hate and don't want to leave but feel rather lukewarm and stressed out about? Begin in the same way as above by being very realistic about your expectations and then understanding what it is you really value and want in a job. Then start analyzing what it is specifically that is impeding or hampering your wellness, motivation and productivity in your workplace. Some people will actively and happily choose to change their attitudes towards the job, rather than any major thing about the job itself. Self-realization and the choice to be positive may be all they need to get rid of that daily sinking feeling. The most important thing to realize is that you are in control of your career and that those gaps you have identified will not trip you up. You know they are there, understand their dimensions and have consciously chosen to smile at them indifferently, or cope with them head on. – SG
