What is important to you in a career? This is probably a question most of us don’t think about because we are too busy working.  The reason why so many of us are unhappy at work is because we are preoccupied with the daily tasks of our jobs as opposed to understanding what we value in a career.

The Difference Between a Job and a Career

A job and a career are two very different things.  A job is the place we go to most days that pays the bills.  A career is, or should be, a reflection of your values and passion in life.  One of the most important tasks is to discover what you value and what you find rewarding.  Is it money and status? What about helping people, or affirmation from someone (like a boss) that you are doing a good job?

You can look at the concepts of our values and what provides a reward from a few different perspectives.  Simply put, make a list of what you value and what makes you happy.  That is a very simple way to determine the direction you might take in your career.

The Concept of Reward and Finding Value in a Career

We can also look at what provides a reward by thinking about it from a more abstract, behavioral perspective.  Do you work in sales and remember what it felt like the first time you closed on a really big account? That surge of pure raw emotion? The positive reinforcement we receive from a reward, such as money, is the result of dopamine (although the process is a bit more complicated than that)! The reward circuits in our brains are controlled by the neurotransmitter dopamine and a structure called the basal ganglia.  You may ask, but why do I care? I’m not rat pushing a lever.

I think you should stop and think about this because if you can figure out what makes YOU tick, you can find the key to what is rewarding to you.  My first job right out of graduate school was in a transitional housing program providing case management to homeless veterans.  Every time I drove into the VA campus and saw all of the American flags, I could feel a surge of emotion.  It was in fact, the same feeling I got in college while strolling through Columbia’s campus at night.  The glow from the library, all lit up in the dark sent chills cursing through me.

Putting the Pieces Together to Find Fulfillment and Not Just Another Job

What does all of this mean? For me, helping others and personal achievement after years of hard work are both values of mine AND rewarding. For me to find career success, I need to find a career that fulfills both of those values.  The company I have created fulfills both of those values.  For you, it might be money, approval of family, the ability to change levels within a company, or selling a particular product.  It is not for anyone to tell you what is important to you or to judge what you should value and what you find rewarding.

You need to stop overthinking and pay attention to how your various work achievements make you feel.  You can use this simple tool to help you make decisions about what direction to take in your career.  Once you recognize what career achievements provide you a sense of reward, you can move forward to make decisions that will provide you with the most fulfilling career path.

Jackie graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University in 2002 with a B.A. in Psychology.  

One day you find yourself sitting at your desk, staring at the computer, realizing just how miserable you truly are. You can hear your co-worker cackling like a hyena from her cube, and from across the room you smell your other co-worker’s fresh microwaved fish wafting through the air. You might be asking yourself, am I truly happy in my current job and what can I do to change it?

Are You Passionate About Your Job?

When my clients come to me for resume writing, often they want to change careers as well. While I most definitely can NOT tell you what you should do with your life, I can tell you that if you are not passionate about your job, you might not be reaching your full potential. The issue though, is to decide how much of a risk you want to take and how practical changing careers might be.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Changing Careers

One of the questions to consider is, “Am I financially able to just quit my job?” The answer for most of us is probably no.  Another question might be, what do I really want to do? Is it the thing I think I should be doing or the thing that sets my mind and soul on fire? There is a huge difference between the two.

You have to ask yourself, is what you do every day just a job, or a career?

Case in point: Me. I have wanted to go to medical school for years, but I just can’t seem to sit myself down and take the MCAT. Would I make a good physician? Probably. But something is stopping me from taking that silly test. I’ve been running my business for a few years now, and something interesting has happened.

Once upon a time, before I wanted to pursue medicine, I wanted to be a freelance writer…And, ladies and gentleman, look what has happened? By developing my business and taking action instead of banging my head against the wall going, “What should I do? What should I do?” (Can you hear Goofy’s voice?)…Well, I am doing what makes me happy and not what my brain thinks I should be doing.

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?

But I digress…What did you want to be when you were 10 years old? A concert pianist? A teacher? Do you still think about it? What steps do you need to take to make it happen? I often work with clients who have the skills listed on their resumes to do something else, but they need to sit down, make a list of their skills, experiences, etc. and match those things up with what their dream job is.  Often, it’s a lightbulb moment.  Oooo THAT? I never thought of that!

Take a look at your current resume. What skills do you have? There are probably things you do every day that you don’t even realize you are doing.

Take Inventory of the Job Skills You Already Have

When I wrote my own resume, I forgot about how much goes into running a business. For example, look at all the skills that go into marketing: designing ads for Google, leveraging social media such as Facebook ads or posts, knowing what days of the week to run ads, or paying attention to when people are visiting my website. While I have no interest in marketing, these skills might lay the groundwork for another career if I wanted to pursue it.

That is why reviewing your daily job duties is so important. If you are interested in changing jobs or reinventing yourself, it is important to understand what skills you have that might make you, say, an excellent river rafting guide. Maybe you love public speaking, the outdoors, and teaching others new skills. Those skills might be your ticket to finding your new passion. ~J.O.

I typically follow up with clients after working with them on their resumes to see how their job search campaign is progressing.  I recently completed a resume for one particular client about 2 weeks ago and thought that today would be a good time to check in.  I called and asked her how her interview went.  Reluctantly, she told me she was still wearing her pajamas and was camped out in front of the TV watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island.  Does this sound familiar?

The Aftermath of Unemployment

Are there newspapers piled up at your front door? A pile of unopened bills tossed on the couch?  I remember when I lost my job…There were cartons of half eaten Chinese food strewn across the kitchen table and recycling piling up in the corner.  My pajamas became my new uniform and I avoided going to Dunkin Donuts at 8:15 am like I used to because “they” were there…You know, those people going to work, dressed in their fancy clothes  and driving their BMW’s.

Maybe you have experienced something similar? If you have ever been laid off or found yourself suddenly unemployed, you know it can be a demeaning and dehumanizing experience.  You have probably thought to yourself, “How am I going to pay the bills? How will I support my family? What if I don’t get unemployment”?

Unanswered Questions about Job Loss

“What will I tell my future employers regarding why I no longer have a job? What has happened to my value as a human being if I am not contributing to society”? Many people quickly get overwhelmed and lapse into depression.  Many of my clients come to me asking questions like this and are often embarrassed they feel this way.

Exercise Your Ability to Define Yourself

There are a couple of important things to keep in mind.  You can’t let your job loss define you.  This has been especially difficult for my clients who are work addicts…You know the type, don’t you?  Working 60-80 hours a week, hiding in the office to avoid family life or other personal issues.  In this situation, your job has defined you, so when it’s no longer there, there is a giant void that needs to be filled.

Fill Your Mind With Something Else but Please, Don’t Feed the Negativity Beast

If you fill that void with negativity, that negativity will come across in interviews, in your cover letters, and the way you present yourself in an interview.  Instead, tell yourself that most everyone has been through something like this and that you are not alone.  Next, take a piece of paper and write down “I am not my job.  There is more to me than this job, and I will find another one. “

Hang it somewhere you can see it. In fact, staple it to your forehead so that when you look in the mirror, the negativity monsters have no means of surviving in your head.  If you don’t feed into them, they won’t have any hopes of surviving.  Redirect your anger and beat those negative thoughts into submission.

Job Search Strategy: Resumes, Cover Letters, and What Else?

The other important issue to keep in mind is that your job search campaign will consist of so much more than a resume and cover letter.  If you approach the process with a negative mindset, that will affect your ability to effectively search for a position.  You might not even have your eyes open to all of the possibilities out there for you because of your mindset.   Once you take steps to change your frame of mind, you might find yourself open to new opportunities.

Expanding Your Career Strategy Skills: Interview Skills, Job Search Skills, LinkedIn

Often my clients are lacking interview skills, job search skills, experience with LinkedIn, or are unfamiliar with ways to network.  Each of these areas needs to be developed in order for you to find employment.  I am here to help you with not only your resume and cover letter, but to help you navigate these other areas as well.~J.O.