Finding a perfect job for your set of skills is not the only thing that should worry you. You need to think about your future and find a job that not only you are able to do, but the job that you will want to do for a long time.
Looking for shortcuts is ok when you are taking a trip, but not when you are deciding about your life. Temporary solutions and quick fixes can only make you unhappy.
Whether you just got out of college, finished high school, or you simply realized that you have no idea how you ended up where you are, in a job that seems to be a career dead end – these simple steps will help you determine what you need to do, and how to become great at it.
Understand that we are not all equal
This might sound wrong, but we are simply not. If you can do complex equations, it doesn’t mean that I can do it too. If I can paint, it doesn’t mean that you can as well. Some skills cannot be learned. We all have our own sets of talents, and we need to work on them to make them shine, instead of looking to develop in areas we are simply not good at. If you are exceptionally good at physics, but you would love to do marketing, you can do it, but you will never be as good at it as people to whom it comes naturally will be.
For instance, I was always terrible when it came to natural sciences – biology, chemistry, math – they always made my mind buzz. But, it took no effort to write, as soon as I picked up pen and paper, my thoughts started flying and forming a story. And while others in my class stared at blank pages, I wrote happily away. Their talents lie elsewhere, and that is ok, and that is also great. No matter how hard I try, I will never be a good mathematician, while someone else will shine on that field.
Think hard about things that you are naturally good at – where do you excel with little to no effort?
Search for practical applications
I am not here to kill your dreams, but you need to be realistic. If you excel at painting, you can’t decide to be a starving artist. If you are a great writer, writing poems will not put food on your plate, but something else, writing-related will. You need to look for a way to combine your passion and abilities with the current market.
So, you can paint? Great. A keen eye and a refined sense of beauty mean that you can probably be a graphic designer, an illustrator or a photographer without much effort. That way, you will use your talents well, you will do a job that you can be amazing at, it will be lucrative, and you will not end up hating yourself every morning when you get up for work.
Investigate every venue that works well with your passions and abilities, and contemplate on each and every one very carefully. Try to imagine yourself in those positions, be aware that you will have to learn some new skills for whatever you choose, and be certain that you can live with your choice.
Be prepared to invest time and effort
Yes, you found something that you believe you will be great at, something that is intertwined with your skills and that works well with your interests, now it is time to invest yourself.
If you are going with something that you are good at, it is not enough to just be ok. Even if you are naturally gifted in your selected field, you need to work on your skills. There’s always something new to learn, something bigger to accomplish. You simply don’t want to be mediocre. You want to be great. Once you become great, you will feel fulfilled, your workplace will not be a prison, and your advancement will be unstoppable.
So, you got it – you need to learn more. If you have the basic knowledge, start reading up on the subject, go to classes, find a mentor, watch vlogs – until you feel like there is nothing else to learn. Then all you will have to do is keep up with new trends.
So, when you make peace with the realization that you cannot do anything and everything, when you find a job that incorporates your skills and interests, when you are able to put time and effort into becoming the best person for that job – then you will be ready to make the first step in that direction, and as long as you keep your eyes on the prize, the rest will inevitably come.
