How to Find a Rewarding Job You Love
Many people get stuck in a career rut. Perhaps you’ve chosen the wrong career or are simply burnt out. Matching skills and abilities with the right job can provide a rewarding job that you love, according to Quint Careers. Evaluating your strengths, weaknesses and the activities you enjoy most can help you find a more rewarding career path.
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Instructions
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Take a career assessment. A career assessment helps identify your strengths, weaknesses and career matches. There are a variety of free and fee-based self assessment available (see Resources). Make a list of your top career choices to investigate further. Your local unemployment office (sponsored through your state department of labor) also provides free career assessments.
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Conduct a self-assessment. It’s important to take inventory of your job dislikes and likes. List everything that you despise doing on a job. For example, perhaps you dread dealing with numbers or planning events. A rewarding job for you won’t contain these activities. Also, answer a few honest questions. Determine what you enjoy doing in your free time. If you enjoy working in the community, a job that involves this component would be a good fit. Think about activities that energize you. If you enjoy negotiating when you purchase a vehicle, sales might be a good fit.
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Check out career details. After getting a few career ideas, it’s time to investigate them further. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (see Resources) offers detailed information about careers, including the training required, job outlook and salary statistics. It also has a “nature of the work” section which describes what professionals do on a daily basis in the career.
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Test out a possible career choice. Some careers require a large time commitment with additional education and training. Before taking this step, test the waters. Apply for internships in the new career. Call companies directly to ask about internships. Job shadows are another way to get exposure to the daily tasks of a job.
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Tips & Warnings
If the initial careers assessment results make you scratch your head, consider taking several assessments. Look for patterns that emerge. This will lead to a job that’s a good fit for your skills and personality.
Don’t forget to refresh your resume when applying to new jobs. If you’ve gained internship experience, list these skills. Also, think about “transferable skills.” These are skills in your previous job that apply to the new job. This will make your application materials more marketable to new employers.
