If you truly want to find a job you love, first and foremost, it’s a paradigm shift.  It’s not about simply applying for a job, but recognizing that you aren’t merely looking for another “boss” –

You are your own boss.

Look Inward First

No matter what work you do or who you are working for, it ultimately comes back to our own power to recognize what is a good fit for us. 85% of the process of finding the work you love comes by looking inward first. Click To Tweet

To find a job you love, start with identifying your:

  • God-given skills & abilities – what are some things that you do well. Can you teach, organize, supervise, plan, develop systems, sing, construct, etc.? If you have trouble coming up with these, ask 3 to 5 friends or family members for their input. Ask yourself why someone would hire you. What have you done to bring value to others? What makes you remarkable?
  • Values, dreams, and passions – to identify these, remember back to meaningful times in your growing up years. Think back to activities, times or events when you felt a great sense of happiness and personal accomplishment. Remember, this is a process of discovery.
    Ask yourself these questions as well:
    – What is it that you find naturally enjoyable?
    – If money were not important, what would you spend your time doing?
    – When do you find the time just flying by?
  • Your Unique Personality Style – start with listing the adjectives that best describe you.  Creative, Theoretical, Studious, Analytical, Expressive, Verbal, Adventurous, Dominant, Cheerful, Playful, Solemn, Outgoing, Calm, Logical, Etc. Take a Personality Assessment is often the best way to really get a firm understanding of your own personality style, what really motivates you and what can trigger negative behavior and stress for you. Find out more about the personality assessment here.

In turn, you’ll see clear patterns form that point you toward successful career decisions.

One very important point to remember is that your job is something you do. It is not who you are. Don’t confuse (1) vocation, with (2) career and (3) job. They are three very different concepts. Your vocation should encompass your calling or mission. It will stay fairly constant. Career comes from another word from which we get “careen”. You can go around and around having several careers within one vocation or Mission. Job is the smallest component. Knowing that the average job is now 2.3 years in length, we know the average person will have 14-16 different jobs in his/her working lifetime. But the vocation or Mission is the gyroscope in that process of constant change.

To help you identify your vocation/mission, get Dan’s free workbook, “Develop Your Own Mission Statement.”

The Job Search Process

Companies are desperately looking for people who are clear on their value and are ready to join their teams.  Identify 30-40 companies and send them an introduction letter and resume. This allows you to not wait for someone to have an “opening” or for that company to take the initiative to advertise a position. That’s how we find the 78% of jobs that are never advertised anywhere.  

But then having found those companies and sent out your introduction letters and resume – you have to be aggressive about making personal contacts.  Ultimately, it comes down to a personal meeting and selling yourself effectively.  No reputable company will hire you based on seeing your resume only.  You have to be creative about getting in front of the decision makers – phone calls, walking in the front door, waiting in the parking lot in the early morning are all legitimate ways to make those personal contacts.  You cannot sit at home and wait for a job offer to come in.

If you committed to walk in the front door of 8 businesses every day next week in your local community, I’m confident you’ll get multiple job offers.  No, this isn’t the complete process, but it’s a quick and effective way to get things moving. The first offer may not be exactly what you want, but by offer number 4 or 5 you’ll have your confidence back and be able to negotiate for what you really do want.  

To get the full process, get 48 Days To the Work You Love

A Look At Most Asked Questions When Searching for a Job

Over the years, I’ve addressed thousands of questions about how to find a job you love in my podcast, on my blog and in my weekly newsletter. Here are a few that you may have as well:

You can do this. You’re not too old. You’re not in too small a market.  You need to present yourself with confidence and optimism, and you’ll find the world is waiting for what you have to offer.

Just remember, no one cares as much about your success as you do.  No one will be more enthusiastic about having you on their team than you are.  No one will take more initiative for getting you a position than you do.  

You are selling a product, and that product is “You.” True, selling is simply sharing enthusiasm, so you have to be excited and enthused about the product you have to offer. Click To Tweet

Don’t Overlook Other Possibilities

As you look to find or create work you love, don’t overlook the changing models of work. More and more jobs today are not your typical 9 to 5 in a cubicle. You may be able to make more money as a freelancer or independent subcontractor. So keep an open mind as you look at new opportunities.

And along that same note, instead of looking for a job where you’re looking for someone to pay you to do a task, take some time and look at how you are serving and can serve those around you. Be generous with your skills and abilities. You may find your vocation simply by offering value to someone else.

 

Remember, It’s Not Just About the Money

 “Law school sucked all the life and creativity out of me.”  

“I’ve never been happy practicing law.”  

“I have never had a sense of purpose.”  

“I feel destined to do something great, but have no idea why or what.”  

“I work only for the money.”

These are statements from a young attorney – who in his last position had been sick for 6 months, “triggered initially by stress.”  But a new “career opportunity” presented itself and he is now working in a prestigious position with a Fortune 500 company.  Unfortunately, the sickness is returning, starting with the symptoms of a choking feeling and shortness of breath.

Ultimately, money is never enough compensation for investing our time and energy.  There must be a sense of meaning, purpose and accomplishment.  Anything that does not blend our Values, Dreams and Passions will cause us on some level to choke.  On an ongoing basis, each of us have opportunities to “reassess what’s important.”  A life well lived must go beyond just making a paycheck – even if it’s a very large one.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:10; “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”  If money is the only reward of your job, you will begin to see deterioration in other areas of your life – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in your relationships. 

'That every man find pleasure in his work — this is a gift of God.' Ecc. 3:13 Click To Tweet

P. S.  I have to add an interesting side note.  Proper alignment in doing work we love does not mean the family will be eating rice and beans – in fact, the opposite is more often the case.  Proper alignment releases not only a sense of peace and accomplishment, but money is likely to break in on you like an exploding dam.

To help you identify your vocation/mission, get Dan’s free workbook, “Develop Your Own Mission Statement.”

48 Days To the Work You Love Online Seminar