How to Make Finding Your Dream Career As Easy As 1, 2, 3

According to a 2018 Gallup poll, more than 66% of Americans are disengaged at work. This means over half the population shows up at their job for a paycheck. Just a paycheck! Or maybe it’s because they don’t have anything better to do... either way, this is unfortunate for both the individuals who dislike their jobs and the companies they work for because studies show that engaged employees are not only happier but their companies are more profitable and successful.

​So what can you do about it and how can you find engagement at work? These three steps will put you on the path to a career you love!

Step 1: Internal Discovery

The most missed step on any career journey is internal reflection. Yes, you take the time to consider your strengths and weaknesses (you know, those dreaded interview questions…) but outside of that, what else are you considering?

• Have you looked at what skills you want to be good at?
• Have you considered what you enjoy?
• What about what kind of office you want to work in? Do you even want to work in an office at all?

Things you don’t always consider outside of the money…Let’s talk about the money, because I know it’s already on your mind.

Name a bigger motivator than being passionate about something? I’ll wait.
​
Exactly.

It’s been shown that when you’re more passionate about a task, a company, a job, etc. you’ll be more motivated and therefore make more money. Crazy, right? Money can only outweigh happiness to an extent. At some point, you start to wonder if it’s even worth it.

​Step 2: Resistance Clearing

As you started to ask yourself questions about what you wanted in your career, you encountered a lot of doubt as to why you can’t have those things.

• “I have 3 kids, it’s selfish for me to focus on my own happiness.”
• “I invested $43,562 dollars in my education, I can’t afford to change jobs.”
• “Looking for a full time job is a full time job. I don’t have time.”
• “I’ve never even been close to the industry I want to work in. How will I get there?”

This is resistance. Resistance can come up as internal or external.

Internal resistance is the limiting beliefs around why you can’t have what you want connected to yourself. Maybe it’s that you’re not smart enough to change jobs or that it’s selfish for you to focus on your own happiness at this point in your life. Whereas external resistance is centered around factors external to you such as you don’t have the time to do what you want.

While this defense mechanism is your brain’s way of protecting you from venturing away from safety into the unknown (your brain and subconscious will protect you from anything unknown, even things you may consider positive like having a million dollars; because it doesn’t know what that feels like and what that means for your safety since it’s different and you haven’t experienced it previously), it doesn’t always serve you to let these beliefs continue.

The first step in clearing the resistance is recognition. Frequently we find our resistance when we attempt to allow our imaginations to flow and to create the life we want. Resistance shows up as that negative voice saying “you can’t do that because…” It’s crucial that you begin to notice your resistance.

After recognition comes establishing why it’s false which goes closely hand in hand with flipping the thought to why it’s okay to have this desire and finally, repeating the process for other resistance examples.

Step 3: Action Plan Creation 

After you’ve established your end game, it’s time to figure out how to get there. You may not have all the answers up front and that’s okay, this is when you start calling on the power of the collective.

Start reaching out to people either in your network or use LinkedIn to get to know others who are doing the job you’re interested in and learn how they got there. People love talking about themselves so don’t be afraid to send a note asking them if they’d be open to chatting! Who knows where that connection could lead?

After you’ve made your final selection in your next career step, start looking at what skills you have that would make you a fit and update your resume to reflect them. You may need to fill in some gaps with additional education or another experience along the way. Get creative! And most importantly have fun along the way!

There you have it, the 3 steps you must take in order to have your dream career! For a full 6 weeks of supported guidance check out the Career Revitalization, an online course with one on one coaching designed to help women who want to continue on their paths in the professional world to take their careers from boring to something they can’t wait to live each and every day!

About the author

Aly Brine, Career Coach

Aly Brine is a Career Coach and speaker who guides professional women that are uncertain as to what comes next in their careers to discover, define and pursue their true passion and purpose in their work. She’s here to call shenanigans on the ideal that you can only love your career if you’re an entrepreneur and focuses on women who want to remain in the professional workforce but discover their true career calling. 

She discovered that there was a lack of support for the women who are wired to thrive in a corporate setting and having 6+ years of experience ranging from collegiate career services to human resources for a Fortune 31 company she decided to change the narrative. Aly has a Masters in Human Resources Management from The Ohio State University and considers herself a little hippie, a little corporate and a lotta hustle.

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