In the Fog About Your Ideal Job? 3 Strategies to Get Clear

Do feel like you’re in the dryer on spin cycle - confused about your ideal job? Here are three strategies to get clear:

Dream First and Dream Big - You need to Dream BIG in order to identify your ideal career. Brainstorm some ideas and think outside of the box. What is something you'd love to do? Dream first and get practical later. If you get practical too soon, you can cut yourself off at the knees with your brainstorming ideas. If you allow yourself to dream first and dream big, you may come across a career idea you never considered or even knew about. Tap into your childhood dreams; tap into your passions and your heart.

Clarify what you want by identifying what you don’t want - As a career coach, I've discovered that when I ask people what they want in an ideal job or career, they can't tell me. But if I ask them what they don't want, or what they didn't like in previous jobs, they can give me a long list of complaints or things they'd want to change! Like a less demanding boss, fewer deadlines or less stress. If this is the case for you, it may feel like you are checking things off of a list and identifying what you don't want, instead of moving forward by clarifying what you do want. This can be frustrating! Download a worksheet to help you with this here.

Determine your transferable skills and experience - Review your resume and every position you’ve ever held - paid or not. What are your transferable skills and past experience that you can capitalize on to transfer to another industry? What natural talents do you have that you enjoy using at work? Create a list of skills and experience. Brainstorm career ideas with a friend based on what you can bring to the table.