Your Ideal Job
Career coaching is in demand. People are reassessing what they do and looking for the ideal job.
There's been massive disruption across the country so it's not surprising at all that people are rethinking what they do for work.
People have:
-
Been made redundant because their industry has seen huge losses
-
Started a new role at work because their organisation has had to pivot
-
Changed the way they deliver their work, (like me delivering lots more training online)
-
Lost their jobs entirely as their employers have gone under
-
Undergone transformative working practices e.g. home working, childcare issues, zero commuting, online meetings
It’s made a lot of people question what their ideal job would really be. But, to paraphrase the Spice Girls, do you actually know what you really, really want?
There are plenty of reasons to step back and reflect on the choice of job. So let's do that today, let’s look at your ideal job.
Your Ideal Job
Are you already in your ideal job? If so that's great, lucky you and well done. Your question is to ask yourself what would make it even better?
But if not, and for most people I think this is true, what would be your ideal job?
You can consider this whether you're in employment or desperately searching for some.
I'll Tell You What I Want (What I Really Really Want)
My ideal calling was to be in a rock and roll band. That was a dream but never one I took seriously. We're told that dreams like that are unrealistic anyway. Fair point for anyone who's heard me play.
(That's me at the back on rhythm guitar!)
But I still think that there's real value in ensuring that what you do five days out of seven for five decades or so is something that you enjoy.
And it's not just enjoyment you need to consider. I think there are three specific criteria that need to be satisfied and your ideal job should be:
-
Something you enjoy
-
Something you are good at
-
Something you can get paid for
I Had A Dream (Of My Ideal Job)
People often dream of turning their favourite activity into a job – playing a sport, pottering in the garden or playing music for a living.
Some of those dreams might never happen - I grudgingly recognise that Ruben Amorim isn't going to award me the number 7 shirt at Old Trafford (although I still hold a very dim candle for the prospect of selling out Wembley with my trusty Strat copy and thirty watt amp).
Anyway, when you ponder the ideal job you need to look for something that satisfies all three of these points. Can you find something that you enjoy, are good at, and which you can get paid for? That’s the platform for your ideal job.
Two out of three isn't going to cut it. You might be brilliant at playing computer games and really enjoy it, but will people pay you to do it?
***pause while Iain Googles whether this is a thing***
No Surprises
Okay, I've just Googled this and it turns out that this is a thing. There are some massively paid computer game players (and lots of very poor ones). Not sure how I feel about this information.
Anyway, so choose another example that works for you because you're still going to need all three criteria to be satisfied.
Take my situation for example. I enjoy playing music and I know you can get paid well but the truth is I know I’m not really good enough. And to be honest it's only the performers at the very top of the game that get well paid so actually that’s two of the three criteria out!
Thinking Things Over
When I'm coaching someone through this career process we go through an intensive time to really get to the heart of the matter and generate real intent, commitment and action points.
But a light-hearted version is to follow this three step process:
-
Brainstorm lists of what you love doing and what you’re good at
-
Then see if there's any crossover. It doesn't have to be immediately obvious e.g. 'jogging gardener' 'vegan guitarist'
-
Finally apply the test of ‘Can you get paid for it?’
Career Opportunities
I’m so pleased to have discovered doing what I do - it’s my ideal job - and it ticks all three boxes:
-
I enjoy delivering coaching and training
-
I feel I'm good at it (and others tell me I am).
-
It's a paid activity - phew!
My example is fairly obvious combination but you'd be surprised at what's out there. There's a niche for pretty much everything you can think of. And with the internet offering world wide access a niche can mean huge audiences.
I know one person whose niche is deaf yoga. That's right, her niche is yoga for people who are deaf. She makes thousands of dollars every month offering online video classes in deaf yoga.
You could start your new 'weight-lifting knitting enthusiast' podcast as a hobby, build your audience and then monetise it later.
Search For Your Ideal Job
I know another management trainer who used to run factories for a living. He was okay at that, not great, and he was quite well paid, but he didn’t enjoy it.
Now though, instead of running a widget factory in Wolverhampton he's a brilliant trainer. It’s his ideal job and it suits him down to the ground.
It took him thirty five years to find his calling but find it he did. He kept searching and, like me, found that training was his personal three-way intersection.
The big question is, what’s your ideal job?? Have fun finding out!
Stay connected with news and updates!
Join Iain's mailing list to receive the latest Top Tips every Friday. As a subscriber you'll always be the first to read it, BEFORE it makes it to the blog. Plus you'll get the latest news and offers.
Iain hates SPAM. He will never sell your information, for any reason.