What do you want?
“What do you want?” is a question that I ask clients and audiences all the time. Please note that this is not quite the same question as “What are you looking for?”
“What are you looking for?” might include doing stuff you don’t really want but think you ought to do. It might include options that resemble what you’ve been choosing up to this point but you find emotionally dissatisfying. “What are you looking for?” is too often answered with a very surface “well, this is what I can do” response. It’s great to know what you can do, but it’s even more important to add what you want into the equation.
I don’t subscribe to the notion that job satisfaction is completely contingent on external factors, so I find it very alarming that over ½ of Americans say they’re not satisfied with their jobs. It’s a safe bet that these folks could easily answer “What are you looking for?” and define their response by their capabilities. I wonder if they have ever truly attempted to answer “What do you want?” I wonder if these dissatisfied Americans lack personal clarity or if they simply lack the courage to pursue what they want …or maybe it’s both.
Recently, a middle-aged gentleman who attended one of my programs patiently made his way through the worksheet I gave out to the group. A few days later, he told me that the exercises made him realize that he hadn’t been using his gifts or acknowledging his passions for a long time. “I told my wife that I’ve been doing it wrong all this time,” he quipped. Yet, he now seems committed during this transition between jobs to shift from a “what can I do?” focus to a “what can I do that I want?” focus because he understands that he will be happier, his wife will be happier, and, frankly, he’ll do better at getting an offer. Why will he do better at getting an offer? Because people prefer to hire candidates with genuine enthusiasm over those with great skills but no passion.
So… What do you want? Does the focus of your job search include this factor? If not, don’t waste any more time – get clear about what you want and go for it today!
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Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and career coach. Along with partner, Jay Markunas, she helps people gain clarity and develop successful strategies for career transition. Among the many topics covered in their upcoming webcast series, The Job Search Boot Camp, they teach job seekers how to get clear about what they want. See a 4-minute Job Search Boot Camp Preview. Listen to them on The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more about their services at www.greatoccupations.com.
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Tags: Career, career change, career passion, career transition, coaching, enthusiasm, Find your passion, gifts, Great Occupations, job satisfaction, job search, Job Search Boot Camp, personal clarity, The Job Search Boot Camp Show
