Three Steps Towards Creating
the Perfect Career
by Leslie Godwin, MFCC

How many of us have either fallen into our less-than-satisfying jobs, taken the safe route in some way rather than what we really wanted to do, or taken a job out of a need to pay the bills? Have you ever thought about finding or creating the kind of career where you feel that this is "what you are meant to do?"

By the way, this should include a plan to pay the bills, but if that is your only criteria, that will be the primary reward.

There are three steps to creating the perfect career for yourself. Here are some of my thoughts on this critical aspect of doing what you love, and loving what you do:

STEP ONE: CALLING:

What do you love? (This has to do with identifying your calling.)

What are you drawn to? What do you do where you lose track of time? What do you care about most, and consider one of your very top priorities?

How do you want to spend your day?

STEP TWO: SKILLS:

How do your skills fit in?

Break them down. Don't think of yourself as a nurse, think that you are good at:

• communicating
• caring about people
• getting things done on a deadline
• working with a team
• handling crises, ....

Break down your skills to the most basic elements, and see what your list looks like. Don't edit as you go! Write down at least 10 things you are good at and do regularly, and then add five more.

STEP THREE: MARKET AWARENESS:

How can you get paid to do this?

Who needs what you want to do?
Who can pay for it?
How can you "own" a concept or niche in your market?
-for example, Volvo = safe family cars; Dominos = pizza delivery; Leslie Godwin = Making career more meaningful (I hope that is what comes to mind!)

• what will your concept or niche be? come up with at least five ideas right now, and don't edit them yet or be critical in any way. What do you want to be known for?
• what do you think of as you review your list after brainstorming? Do you see several different entire careers you may need to choose between? Do you see one theme continue to repeat? Most people are not very focused on this at first. If you have five or six concepts that fit together well, either you have done a lot of work on this already, or you may be limiting your imagination so you will seem more focused. It is a bit unconformable to start out without a laser focus, but how else can you discover something new about yourself?

Leslie Godwin, MFCC is a Career & Life-Transition Coach, Writer, and Speaker. She publishes a free email newsletter on career and life transition. For information, email godwinpss@aol.com and mention that you'd like to be on the email newsletter list.