Careers & Employment Information

Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job


Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.

How do we, the people that work within this changing environment, manage our own needs and wants?

Over the last 10 years I have had contact with many individuals searching for their place in the working world. For many, a growing sense of dissatisfaction with their work, or a general feeling that things aren't as they should be, has left them with two questions to answer - "Why am I here?", and "What would I really love to do for a job?".

What is an Ideal Job?

The concept of the ideal job is, I believe, fraught with danger. As long as we believe that there is a single job that will make us truly happy, then we are immediately limiting our actions and beliefs in searching for it. We set ourselves up for failure with expectations that the answer will "come" to us, or that a job needs to be perfect.

The truth is that there is rarely a single outcome in the search for the ideal job. A career is only a part of a lifestyle - a lifestyle encompasses all aspects of our life. Those who consider their career in isolation of their desired lifestyle may end up making less than ideal job-related choices.

So is it really about planning a career, or is it more about planning a lifestyle, of which work/career is one component?

A clearly structured process will help you to define the parameters of work that are important for you, rather than specific jobs. For example:

- preferred industries

- work type (full or part time etc)

- working hours

- travel

- level of autonomy or team work

- desired income

- responsibility

- skills you want to use

- location and so on.

Once you are clear on your parameters, perhaps have even prioitised them for their importance to you, you can evaluate your career options against them.

With this approach, the weight of expectation is lifted, the burden of finding the "one and only right answer" is gone. You have the freedom to consider a large number of roles knowing that you will make a choice based on your personal criteria.

At the end of the day, career decisions are about making choices not finding right and wrong answers. Give yourself parameters, and put the power of choice firmly in your hands - where it belongs.

Megan Tough - published writer, coach, facilitator and speaker - works with people to create outstandingly satisfying and truly successful professional lives. Make more money - have more fun! To learn more and to sign up for more FREE tips and articles like these, visit http://www.megantough.com


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

Reuters

Why tech jobs are beating the employment odds
ZDNet - Jul 3, 2008
... impressively choreographed fireworks displays, we?re capping off one of the most depressing weeks for employment reports in the better half of a decade. ...
Treasurys rise ahead of employment report The Associated Press
US employment slump 'may continue into 2009' Vedior
US ADP Employment foresees larger than expected decline in June's ... International Business Times
MarketWatch - Forbes
all 193 news articles


Aljazeera.net

Recession threat as UK jobs vanish
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 19 hours ago
This is one of several findings in a survey of employment agencies that also reveals that the number of people looking for work rose in June and the growth ...
June is sixth straight month of job losses Kansas City Star
Little doubt that US is in recession; rest of the world can't ... The Age
Number of Those Unemployed For at Least 6 Months Rises Wall Street Journal
Los Angeles Times - Chicago Tribune
all 466 news articles


Technology Employment Study: OC?s Big in Consumer, Defense Electronics
Orange County Business Journal, CA - 14 hours ago
By Sarah Tolkoff Orange County ranks fourth in the state and 14th in the nation for technology jobs, according to a recent report. ...


CariZMa Introduces First Arabic Employment Tool in the Middle East
Al-Bawaba, Jordan - 9 hours ago
The focus of our research, product development, and service delivery is the application of psychological science in human resource (HR) and employment ...


Employment project hailed
Gulf Daily News, Bahrain - 21 hours ago
Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi credited the efficient employment scheme for the substantial drop. According to updated figures released yesterday, ...


Los Angeles Times

Suburbia's not dead yet
Los Angeles Times, CA - 14 hours ago
But the biggest reason the suburb-to-city narrative is not following the script of the urban boosters and theorists has to do with employment. ...


New York Times

When Ex-Employees Vent, or Reinvent
New York Times, United States - 11 hours ago
Zachary Hummel, an employment law partner at Bryan Cave, says noncompete agreements vary in scope. In both cases, people may attract the wrath of a former ...


Looking at suitable employment for retirees
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 21 hours ago
According to Assoc Prof Dr Tengku Aizan Hamid, director of Universiti Putra Malaysia's Gerontology Institute, physically and mentally fit retirees and ...


Employers Should Address Suspected Theft by Employees by Dallas ...
WiredPRNews.com (press release), TX - 3 hours ago
Additionally, the employer should review its applicable employment policies to ensure it complies with set policies and should review its previous actions ...


Recession Proof Jobs and Best Industries for Employment
Associated Content, CO - 2 hours ago
The following jobs may provide the best opportunities for steady income and employment during recession times. These jobs are also the jobs within the ...

Employment - Google News

home | site map
© 2006