You need a vision. If you can visualize yourself actually doing what you've described in your ideal job description, and if that vision offers you something important and rewarding, then declare to yourself that you are willing to do anything to make it happen. With concerted effort and drive you will make it happen. There will be road blocks, but you will find ways to go through, over, under, or around them. You may be blocked for a time, but by continuing your efforts, you will reach the goal. You can make it happen.
Even if you've selected the right career field and you know what you want in a job; that next position may not be your ideal job the day you start. Over time, however, you can alter it for a better fit. As you receive promotions, it should become closer to what you want.
You must always maintain your vision of your ideal job. If it becomes clear that your progress toward your ideal job is stymied, you may have to try different approaches. Sometimes it means leaving your present organization for another that values more highly the skills and experience you offer.
Not everyone is able to create a vision by writing the ideal job description. Some people are satisfied to merely clarify what it is they want. To achieve their career goal of simply finding a better job, a clearer picture is sufficient. But we must believe that everyone can create a vision. You'll get that vision if a vision is what you need, especially if you're willing to do whatever is necessary to get that vision.
Talking To People in Your Chosen Field
As helpful as occupational books, textbooks, and trade journals are, there is nothing like a face-to-face conversation with a knowledge able person to give you the information you need about a career or job. Once you've narrowed your choices to a few occupations and done your reading, begin talking to people who already work in your chosen field. Learn the positives and negatives about the field, get advice, find out which are the best companies to work for, and get referrals.
People are generally easy to talk to and they like being helpful. If you want to be a buyer for a clothing store, begin by calling a store and asking to speak to a buyer. Tell the person that you are seriously considering buying as a profession. Explain that you have read about the profession and need to talk to several buyers before you can make a final decision. Then ask the person if he or she would meet with you for about 20 minutes. If you are pleasant on the phone, and speak with a degree of confidence and professionalism, you can be guaranteed that 90% of the people you call will agree to talk with you. Of course, some will be more willing and helpful than others.
The biggest problem people face when making these calls is their fear of rejection. Don't let that stand in your way. If someone is unwilling to give you some time, assume that the person would not have been helpful anyway. Remember, you're not asking anyone to do something you wouldn't be willing to do. If someone asked for 20 minutes of your time to discuss your favorite hobby, wouldn't you give it to them? Assume people will be pleasant to you, and generally they will be.
It's usually best to meet these people at their place of business to get a feel for the environment. Often, however, a conversation over the telephone will provide all the information you need. Your task will simply be to ask these people questions and listen to their answers. The questions you ask should revolve around issues left unanswered by your reading. You should also ask what they like or dislike about their occupation, how they got into it, and what their background is. Ask for suggestions regarding job-finding strategies for that field. Ask about salary ranges. Be tactful about salaries, though-people will not want to reveal how much they make. A good approach is to say, "With my education and experience, how much do you think I should expect to be offered? I know it's hard to say exactly, so maybe you could just give me a range." Ask which the best companies to work for are. Finally, ask if they can give you the names of other people in the field you might talk to.
Never let the advice of one person, even a noted expert in a field, dissuade you from pursuing your course of action. Just because one expert says something really negative about a field, don't assume that it is true. People often have biases and agendas that they won't tell you about. So, while you should seriously consider anything told to you by an expert, don't give up too quickly. Speak to other experts and let them confirm or dispute what the first expert told you. Never pursue or stop pursuing a field on the basis of what one person has to say about it.
Often the negative information you hear will concern education. An expert may tell you that you absolutely must have a certain degree in order to enter the field. Your response to such a statement should be, "Do you know anyone in this field who does not have that degree?" This person may in fact know someone who "snuck" into the profession. That person who snuck in is the next person you need to talk to. If you find someone who has blazed the trail before you, there is hope. You should continue your quest.
Who to Talk To
As you do your research, talk to people who currently do what you want to do, not those who are one or two levels above and have forgotten what the work is like. Not only can people forget what it was like doing the type of work they were doing five to ten years earlier, but the work may have changed dramatically since then.
Research the Industry
As you select your chosen profession, you should also research the industries that hire people to do what you want to do. Some fields, such as accounting, exist in all industries. Other occupations, such as forester, are found in only one or two industries. Knowing the future of specific industries is also important. You don't want to pick an industry that is becoming obsolete.
Although career decisions should not be made solely on the predicted growth of the profession or industry, future growth should certainly be a factor. A person should never pursue a profession simply because it is predicted to grow rapidly.
Nevertheless, it is to your advantage to work for a rapidly growing company in a rapidly growing industry. As you research your chosen field, and as you talk to people, try to determine its future growth. Also determine the growth of the industry you would work in.
There are several sources available to help you research industries. The first resource to use is the U.S. Industrial Outlook, published by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It utilizes many types of information to describe the factors which will affect a particular industry in the next few years. From it, you can determine whether an industry is likely to grow or constrict.
Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys can also be helpful. Each survey contains an analysis of economic conditions, with growth projections.
Check the 'Readers Guide To Periodical Literature', Business Periodicals Index, or F &S Index to find magazine articles about an industry. A librarian can show you how to use each of these resources.
