Learn about yourself before finding the right job for you

It’s interesting how people will go on great voyages of discovery when looking for a job.

They will go to any lengths to discover everything there is to know about the company they hope to work for, the person they will be reporting to, the colleagues they will be working with and the clients they will be working for.

Now no-one is saying that this is not a smart thing to do – on the contrary, doing your research about industries, companies and culture is vital in terms of finding your ideal job.

But before you can even begin to understand the job you want to do and get to know the company with whom you want to do it, there is one very important person you need to get to know first – Yourself.

You need to put yourself in your own personal spotlight and thoroughly investigate yourself. You need to ask yourself the hard questions and make sure you are getting the right answers.

So, the first question you might ask yourself is:

There is every chance that something you have been interested in most of your life might be directly transportable to a particular industry you have never even thought of.

Are you good with people, a born negotiator? Maybe a career in HR is for you?

Are you always coming up with great ideas on how products should be promoted? Well then PR or marketing might be perfect for you.

Or are you always fixing or building things around the house? Perhaps you should consider a career in construction or project management.

Next you might ask yourself:

Are you feeling like you’re stuck in a rut? Are you less than inspired by your current career choice? Maybe it’s time to add a little passion to your work? If you love clothes, you might want to be in the fashion industry. If you love food, you may find a career in hospitality. If you love kids, you might end up in child care. And if you love computers, the cyber-world is your oyster.

An equally important question to “What do I love?” is:

Again, are you really playing to your strengths in your current role? Maybe it’s time for a step up, or a complete change of direction?

Are you good with numbers? Then the business world might be for you. Or if people are always telling you what a good listener you are, then perhaps psychology and counselling are right up your street.

An equally compelling and important question is:

The answer to this question is never as simple as it might seem. For some people it’s money and for others it’s a desire to help people. For some it’s as simple as getting an office with a view. There really is no wrong answer – you just need to be sure in your mind what it is you want from your career.

So whether you are looking for a new role or a completely new field, it’s important that you ask yourself the right questions to find the right job.

And then, once you are satisfied that you know exactly what job you want, it’s time to start going about getting it.

This is the time to stop interrogating yourself, and start getting answers out of the people around you. Your ideal job could come from anywhere and often from the unlikeliest of places. There are many stories of people who have turned a casual conversation in a pub into a fabulous career move.

Talk to people about their jobs – find out what they do and what makes them happy. If you find someone who has a job they love at a place they adore, see if there is an opportunity for you there.

There might be a whole career out there that you didn’t even know existed. Once you have looked inside yourself and discovered exactly what you love and what you’re really good at, when you talk to others you might discover the perfect job to help put them into practice.

So be a sponge – treat every person you meet and every occasion as an opportunity to re-launch your working life. To help find the right job for you:\

It’s all about getting the right information to gain the right knowledge.

Be honest with yourself, and ask the people around you to be honest as well and the right job could be just around the corner.