Finding your purpose

Now, we’ve all heard the Marc Anthony quote “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Let me tell you what I think about this quote when it comes to finding your dream job…

YES – I agree that finding what you love is so important. At KLCC we’re all about helping you find a job you LOVE, and not just one you’re good at.

BUT – I do feel as though this quote is a little optimistic. In reality, we all have to occasionally do things that we don’t love. Whether that be on our way to finding our dream job, or even working in that dream job itself. Think about things like meetings, tough conversations, and doing those more time consuming, finicky tasks.

So, how do we find that balance? And if you don’t know what your dream job is, how can you find that ‘life purpose?’

The pressure

Most of us face the pressure of figuring out our purpose from an early age. Expecting 17-year-olds to decide on their dream career is just a little unrealistic…

I really stand by the notion that you’re never too old (or too young!)…

To start again.

To learn and study.

To do something you really love.

I think it’s really important to understand that this process looks different for everybody. Some people are lucky enough to find their purpose and their dream job early on. But for most of us, this takes time, patience, and dedication.

Having been in this position before, trying to figure out where to channel my energy… I know that it can become stressful. I also know that the pressure can often become too much to deal with and it can feel easier to just give up.

Finding your dream role is possible though…

Where to begin

The best place to start when beginning this journey is to figure out what you’re good at.

You might know this from previous jobs you’ve had, or even from personal and life experiences. Perhaps you volunteered in a local sporting club and loved that environment. Or maybe you learned through looking after your family’s commitments that you love being that main organiser and would thrive in an administration role.

Be honest here. List out ALL the tasks that you know you excel in. Even if you don’t like them. Having a list like this might help you to paint a better picture of the types of jobs you could easily do.

Once you’ve got your list, then it’s time to be ruthless. Highlight or circle everything you enjoy, leaving behind the tasks you don’t like doing (remembering you might still be required to do them sometimes!).

Then what?

Well, what you’ll be left with is the bones of your dream role. The position title may not be clear yet, but now you know what would really make you happy in a job. It should also demonstrate to you the other skills you’d be able to learn quickly.

For example, if you listed “customer service” as a key skill you’re good at, chances are you’d also be great at liaising with clients and communicating with various other stakeholders. This will also help you to consider the things you’d like to do but have never had the opportunity to.

This is just the first step. There’s a little more to it than just making a list.

How do I translate this into something useful?

Aside from spending some time looking at available jobs online, there are a couple of other things I suggest:

• Speak to family and friends – get their opinion on what sorts of jobs they could see you doing.
• Talk to people you know in various industries and careers that interest you to get some insight.
• Conduct research into companies you’d like to work for. See what sorts of roles they have in-house and try to match up your skills with what they need.

Going from this list to actually finding, applying for, and being offered this dream job can be another lengthy process. It all depends on the industry, the qualifications, and the competition.

OR, you could book in for a free chat with one of us. We can quicken this whole process and help you get to the core of what you want…

How can we help?

Speaking to one of our amazing consultants could be the difference between finding your dream role now and wondering what your purpose is for years to come.

We can help you sort out this list of key skills and passions.

We can also help you in your application journey through sorting your resume and giving you heaps of practical interview techniques.

If you’d like to know more, simply click here!

It’s never too late to find your purpose!