Interview Chatter

Choose Life for Your Career

by Darlene McDaniel on January 15th, 2007

Everyday when you get into your car you make a choice. You either put your seatbelt on or you don’t. If you choose to put your seatbelt on you are making a Life choice. If you choose not to wear your seatbelt by my definition you are making a death choice. By no means do I want to imply that you want to die, but by virtue of making that choice you choose every consequence that comes with not putting your seatbelt on if you happen to be in an accident at some point after you leave your home. 

Life choices are the choices that give you a feeling of satisfaction, pleasure, joy or fulfillment. Death choices are the ones you make when you feel like you have no options. They are the decisions you feel pressured into because of financial responsibilities or because you are weary and you just need to make a decision. They are the decisions that slowly kill your spirit and you end up walking through life unconscious, hoping that one day it will all get better…

You may ask, what does this have to do with finding your next job or navigating through the interview process? From my vantage point most people have no idea how they ended up doing their job or vocation. It wasn’t intentional. I believe that most of us stumbled into our jobs or we just ended up doing it. If you don’t agree, feel free to do an independent survey of your coworkers. Ask them how they ended up in their current vocation. Ask them if this is what they wanted to do when they grew up. I betcha, most of them have no earthly idea. They just needed a job and somehow here they are, doing what they are doing, unsure of how they got there. But I can tell you it has everything to do with decisions made. Either consciously or unconsciously.

The great thing about a New Year is that it is a great opportunity to reassess our previous decisions. What a great time to assess what you are doing everyday, your job. Are you doing what you have always wanted to do? Are you excited everyday when you think about or anticipate going to work?

You don’t have to endure your job. Am I suggesting you quit? Absolutely not! But I am suggesting that you can choose out of a bad situation, work situation or otherwise. How? By setting some deliberate, intentional career goals that work for you. Make a life choice!

Remember, Life choices are the choices that give you a feeling of satisfaction, pleasure, joy or fulfillment. What is it that you want to do? What do enjoy doing? How long would it take you to actually transition from what you are doing to what you want to do? Do you need to brush up on your skills? Do you need to learn new skills? Whatever it takes, set a goal and go for it.

How to Set Your Goal:

1. Be INTENTIONAL (According to Webster: Intent suggests clearer formulation greater deliberateness.) In other words, there is NO DOUBT, that you intend to do what you say you are going to do - the matter is settled. Every decision you make should be anchored to the goal that you intend to accomplish. Only death will stop you from accomplishing this goal. You intend to accomplish the goal.

2. Be SPECIFIC when setting your career goal. ( I want to be a lawyer.)

3. Set REALISTIC goals. (I need to go to law school. I need to pass the bar.)

4. Set a specific timeframe to accomplish this goal. (I will take the LSAT in June. I will apply to George Mason and University of Utah, so that I can be enrolled by the fall of 2007.)

5. Find an accountability partner. Someone that will hold you accountable to do what you say you want to do.

Powered by Qumana

Share This

Related Stories

• Top 7 News Stories in Career & Hiring 2007
• Good Stuff!
• Jobless? Try Second Life - Virtual Job Fair in Luxemberg
• Thought for the Day
• It’s About The Journey, Not The Job

POSTED IN: Coach's Cornor, Preparation & Planning