Avoid the 11 Costly Mistakes Career-Seekers Make

 Most people spend approximately 25% to over 67% of their waking hours working. Eventually, most everyone will want to work in a career that they enjoy and are paid well enough to live a prosperous life. Yet, far too many people end up being miserable in their job and find themselves stuck in a career that they did not choose. People then get discouraged, produce less, and become disgruntled. Unfortunately, people then blame themselves or those they work for, when in truth there is rarely anything wrong with them or the people they work for. Instead, maybe their job selection process is flawed which causes them to fall into the wrong positions.

You have considerable control over selecting your work conditions to get the position you are passionate about by following these 11 steps.

Step # 1 Avoid following the normal trial and error career selection process

You probably follow the trial and error path to select your job or career. You take jobs that appear to be the best opportunities and try them out. You adjust to what your bosses and the companies want in hopes of advancement. You eventually discover that you are stuck in jobs or careers that you really don't like. You might switch to other jobs and try them out and eventually end up in the same unhappy position. You will want to avoid falling back into the trial and error selection process.

Step # 2 Avoid following a career path to please others

Many people feel obligated to follow a career to please others or that they feel they “should” pursue. Spousal influence, peer pressure, family tradition, parental pressure, societal pressure, and other outside influences are frequently allowed to dictate career paths. In these situations, you end up working to suit the needs, wants and expectations of someone other than yourself and deep conflicts arise. These conflicts cause you stress, unhappiness and income reduction. You end up working at a position you do not like and eventually disappoint the people you wanted to please in the first place.

Step # 3 Focus first on what you want and enjoy in your ideal career

You have your own inner wants, needs, and feelings. Many times it is easier to follow how others view you than to look for and accept the truth about yourself. The only way you will know which career is best for you is to focus first on YOU to discover what YOU want and what is important to YOU.

Step # 4 Discover your true passions

Most people are passionate about something, but have suppressed their feelings for a number of reasons. You will want to discover what you are passionate about so you can find the position that will allow you to feel fulfilled. Your passions are always with you and you probably do not recognize or understand them. You will know you are passionate about something when you become naturally excited just thinking about it and even more excited about doing it.

Step # 5 Discover your true desires and priorities

Most people do not take the time to discover what their desires and priorities are in life. They seem to just go with the flow and hope that they are heading in the right direction. Yet, the one big reason people feel so frustrated while working is that it conflicts with their true desires and priorities. An example of a desire is: wanting to work outdoors with people. An example of a priority is: placing your family first.

Step # 6 Discover your true values

Everyone has his or her own value system. Unfortunately, people rarely look into their own values and instead frequently accept the values imposed by the companies they work for. Just look at the damage caused to the many employees of Enron, World Com, Global Crossing and others whose beliefs did not agree with the misguided values of the CEO's and higher executives. Were all of the employees misguided? Certainly not. Yet, most failed to discover their very honest values, and were penalized anyway, because they conflicted with the values of the leaders of the companies.

Step # 7 Discover your true talents

The most productive and enjoyable position for you is the one that comes naturally and is easier to do because it fits your talents and skill levels. You will enjoy working, be much more productive, and generate more quality results when you maximize the use of your talents at work. Your increased productivity and higher quality results will attract greater rewards to you.

Step # 8 Create or find the position the matches you

Unfortunately, many people who actually know what their ideal income positions really are choose not to pursue them. Either they feel guilty pursuing them, or they feel that they are unattainable, or more frequently they do not know how to get them. You want to find or create the position that will allow you to fulfill your passions, desires, values and talents. Now you can create the position to suit you, instead of taking a position and adjusting to it.

Step #9 Get help from the right person

People are led to believe that they can easily look within themselves and discover themselves on their own. Self-help books and assessment tests claim that reading the books or taking the tests will reveal all you need to get your ideal career. Yet, both methods fall very short of actually getting to the truth. Discovering what you really want, what your true talents or values are is not a self-help process.

We humans cannot see our face without using a mirror or a photographic image. Just as you must look into a mirror to see what you really look like, you must have another person act as your objective mirror to see what you really want to do and be in life.

Your other-person-mirror must be totally devoted to you and must be able to actively assist you in seeing within, where you may have been reluctant to look before. They must provide you an objective, non-critical mirror. Seek out and get someone to be your objective mirror to discover the truths about yourself, to find or create your ideal position. Career coaches are trained, motivated and focused on assisting you in becoming “The Worlds Leading Expert on You.”

Step # 10 Go after the position that best suits YOU

Devise a program to attain your very distinct target positions. You will not be trying to “get a job” like so many others. You will be able to focus on getting a very specific income positions. You will not waste time, money, effort or emotional energy on pursuing unwanted position. You will want to recruit your ideal positions, even if they appear not to be available. Why? Because you have now become an extremely valuable and in essence, very marketable source of productivity. You will be very surprised how easy it is to actually get the position you love. Bosses prefer people who are enthusiastic about a job because they love it, and customers are easily attracted to professionals or business owners who love their work.

Step # 11 Recognize that your career wants and needs will change

Many people think that because they finally found the position they are passionate about, that they will want to stay in it forever. The position that is ideal today will probably not be ideal in a couple of years. Why? Because your passions, desires, priorities and needs will most likely change with time. Your values, or at least your understanding of your values might also change. As they change, your ideal career positions will also change. You will want to continually keep a pulse on yourself to determine your new priorities to reshape your career positions to what is important to you in each stage of your life.

About the Author

Provided as an educational service by Bill Dueease of The Coach Connection, where “connecting great people with great coaches” is their goal. You may receive a free copy of the article “The Ten Paths to Human Improvement” by contacting The Coach Connection at 800-887-7214 or 239-415-1777 or coaches@findyourcoach.com, or www.findyourcoach.com/0o-career-coach.htm

 Bill Dueease

More Articles 

A New Challenge for Teachers: Encouraging Girls in Science, Math and IT Related Studies and Careers - Valerie Giles
One key challenge educators face is the importance of encouraging girls to excel in math, science and computer science studies. As technology continues to drive the world of business, those challenged or generally disinterested in science and math...

Secrets To Searching For The Career You Really Wanted - John Rivers
Career search is a very stressful and difficult process. This is even made more intense today because so many companies are reducing their workforce. Thus increasing the number of applicants for a shrinking number of jobs. The competition...

Find Your Ideal Career (or Business) And Create Your Life Resume - Maria Marsala
Want a career (or business) that brings a smile to your heart? Don't know exactly what that career might be? This list of ideas can start you on your way. Make the process fun by scheduling a visit to your favorite place -- the beach, mountains,...

Portrait of a Portfolio Career: An Answer to the “Perfect Job”? - Nina Ham
Copyright 2005 Success from the Inside Out Do you cringe when you look at your resume through the eyes of a prospective employer, afraid the wide range of jobs listed will disqualify you? Or have you put together a single-track career record but...

A CAREER WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT? - RAY ROCK
A CAREER WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT? That is the million-dollar question and one you should think about and consider very carefully. Whether you have just left one of the educational facilities to start your working career, or decided to change...

Face reality - Forced Career Change will happen during your working life. - Michael Harrison
Most of us enter the world of work as employed and soon start to wish that we could change career or be our own boss. It is probably true that after a while a large percentage start dreaming they could work from home or start a home based...

The Top 3 Resume Mistakes of Career Changers and How to Avoid Them - Rita Fisher CPRW
The Top 3 Resume Mistakes of Career Changers and How to Avoid Them! Copyright 2004, By Rita Fisher, Certified Professional Resume Writer 1. Lack of focus in the resume Are you going from a Production Manager position to Pharmaceutical Sales? ...

Career Advice: Career Success Requires Management Of Change - Ramon Greenwood
Career Advice: SUCCESS REQUIRES MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE by Ramon Greenwood Change is certain and constant. Benjamin Franklin would have been wise to add "change" to his adage that "death and taxes are the only certainties of life." We are...

Is A Travel Nursing Career A Dream Come True? - Kevin Erickson
Deciding what job to pursue after college entails more brain cells that most activities. Unlike deciding on what car to buy or what clothes to wear, one must give the decision its due because it will effect your happiness and quality of life for the...

Finding The Right Career: Matching Your Behavioral Style with the Career that's Right for You - Arthur G Schoeck
Ever wonder why some people get law degrees and never practice law? How about the CPA who tried it awhile before realizing she just had to try something else? There are many doctors who do not practice. Why? Parental influence? Improper research?...

How To Start Your Voice Over Career, Part 1 - D C Douglas
If you have ever been told that you have a great voice, then you may have thought of making use of that great voice in a professional way, as a singer, announcer or as a voice over talent. Voice over, or adding your voice to advertisements...

In a Rut? Ready for a Career Change? - cpeterkin
Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and drive? Don't worry, you are not alone! Studies in the US show that up to 70 percent of the workforce is unhappy with their job at any given time. We all feel dissatisfied and frustrated...